Universal screening has become a common practice in many schools. This screening involves having all of the students in each grade complete the same assessment. Traditional approaches to universal screening have typically included conducting the assessments three times a year, in the fall, winter and spring. However, research about screening indicates that perhaps it is not necessary to screen all students three times a year, and less frequent screenings can provide enough data about student performance to guide instruction.
This blog will review the purposes of universal screening, explore recent research findings and provide suggestions for alternative screening schedules. A primary focus will be on how to use spring screening data to group students for fall instruction so that those students needing interventions can access them at the very beginning of the new school year.