Meet the needs of all students with universal screening

Universal screening is the process of gathering academic and social-emotional behavior (SEB) data about all students in a class, grade, school, or district to identify which students need additional support to meet student learning goals.

Educators use universal screening data to determine the effectiveness of Tier 1 core instruction and identify students who need additional instruction or intervention. Leaders and teams use universal screening data to aid in program evaluation and to support resource allocation decisions.

Universal screening is an essential component of a comprehensive assessment system and an effective multi-tiered system of support (MTSS).

Universal screening involves using data to identify individual students who may need additional support, as well as identify when a class or an entire grade level needs additional support.

Tools used for universal screening vary, but districts commonly use a consistent tool for reading and math across K–12 and often have a universal screening tool for SEB. These assessment tools can be used for universal screening:

• Star Reading, English and Spanish
• Star Math, in English and Spanish
• Star Early Literacy, English and Spanish
• Star CBM Reading
• Star CBM Lectura
• Star CBM Math
• FastBridge
• myIGDIs

Universal screening measures all students’ current skills as compared to grade level learning goals. It also helps to identify individual students who might need additional instruction or enrichment and if so, what type.

Universal screening is also a type of interim assessment that provides teachers with information about a student’s current risk for meeting grade level expectations. By conducting screening three to five times a year, teachers have multiple opportunities to adjust instruction in relation to students’ needs.

For students who are lacking key skills, teachers can use screening data alongside other information—such as data from Star Phonics, a phonics screening and skill diagnostic assessment solution—to determine what type of additional instruction makes sense.

It’s important that screening occurs periodically throughout the school year to regularly assess student performance. In this regard, screening provides data that helps teachers adjust instruction during the school year.

Students do not always progress at the same rate. For example, students who perform adequately at the fall screening may show decreased growth at the winter screening period, indicating a need for instructional changes.

We recommend conducting screening three to five times per year (e.g., at least seasonally in fall, winter, and spring).

Teachers can use universal screening data to compare a child’s academic and/or SEB results with school-based expectations for learning and growth.

Universal screening is similar to the screenings that physicians conduct routinely. Just as blood pressure or body temperature checks are brief, easy, reliable indicators of overall health, universal screenings indicate the overall “health” of a school, class, or individual child.

For those whose screening scores indicate a need, the teacher can gather additional information, just as a physician does.

When selecting an assessment tool for universal screening, educators should be careful to select a tool that is:

• Developed through research and evidence-based
• Standardized, reliable, and valid
• Usable and feasible
• Appropriate for use in school settings

Yes, universal screening can be accomplished with remote learning. The primary benefit to conducting universal screening during remote learning is having continuous data about all students for the school year. Such data can help to inform student learning needs when students return to in-person learning.

When possible, we recommend using computer-administered assessments during an online session so that the teacher can observe students and answer any questions. Doing so will allow for ongoing data collection with limited effects from a new testing environment, and they are the easiest and most reliable assessments for both students and teachers to use.

Still have questions about universal screening? Get in touch with an expert.