Universal Screening: Why Newer or Shinier May Not Necessarily Be Better

Improving reading outcomes for all students is not just a goal, it is a civil right and moral imperative for educators across the country.

Identifying students who may be at risk for reading difficulties is a crucial first step in improving literacy outcomes in schools, districts, counties, and states. Utilizing a valid and reliable universal screening assessment is essential for this purpose. Thankfully, lawmakers in approximately 40 states have recognized the importance of early intervention and have implemented legislation mandating the use of universal screening assessments to identify students who may need additional support in reading.

When it comes to universal screening, it is important to consider that newer technology may not always be better. Leaders in some states, such as Ohio, New Mexico, Idaho, and California, have approved the use of computerized assessments for universal literacy screening or dyslexia screening. If your state requires computerized screening, it is crucial to follow the guidelines for approved screeners. In addition to meeting state requirements, we recommend incorporating or maintaining a screening and progress-monitoring system specifically designed for use within the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework for reading improvement. This can help effectively drive reading and intervention instruction. 

MTSS Framework

MTSS is a crucial framework for implementing the science of reading in schools. It involves teams at all levels of the school system using student data to design increasingly intensive supports to ensure all students are reading for meaning. To successfully implement MTSS, school leaders need to answer four key questions:

1. Who needs help and how many students need help? This involves universal screening to identify students who may need additional support.
   
2. What should the help include? Diagnostic assessments are used to determine the specific needs of each student.
   
3. Is the current help working? Progress monitoring is essential to track the effectiveness of interventions and make adjustments as needed. 
4. Did the past help get students to their goals? Outcome evaluation is crucial to determine if interventions have been successful in helping students achieve their reading goals.
   

By effectively utilizing data to answer these questions, school leaders can ensure all students receive the support they need to become proficient readers.

Universal Screening Assessments

Universal screening assessments play a critical role in identifying students who may need additional support in their literacy skills. These assessments help educators answer important questions such as who needs help and how many students need help. To answer these questions, universal screening tools must have these characteristics:

1. Brief: The assessment should be quick and efficient, taking no more than 15 minutes to administer. 
2. Reliable and Valid: The assessment must be reliable, producing consistent scores over time, and valid, measuring what it claims to measure. This ensures the results are accurate and trustworthy. 
   
3. Indicators of Essential Literacy Skills: The assessment should include indicators of essential literacy skills—phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension. These skills are fundamental for reading success and should be assessed comprehensively.
   
4. Predictive of Future Reading Outcomes: The assessment should be able to predict future reading outcomes, such as scoring above basic on state tests or above the 40th percentile on group-administered achievement tests. Criterion-referenced benchmark goals. This predictive ability can help educators intervene early and provide targeted support to students who may be at risk of falling behind.
   

By incorporating these characteristics into universal screening assessments, educators can effectively identify students in need of support and tailor interventions to help them succeed in their literacy development. 

Computer Adaptive Assessments

Using computer adaptive assessments that include artificial intelligence (AI) and speech recognition for universal screening can seem appealing because less teacher time is spent testing students. While there is some preliminary evidence that some CATs can work for universal screening, we believe the disadvantages of using them outweigh the advantages. Here are some of the disadvantages of using CATs for early literacy screening:

1. Requiring the student to spend more time away from instruction
2. Disengaging the teacher from the screening process
3. Less directly connected to instruction
4. Difficult to use for grouping
5. Can't be used for progress monitoring
6. May not accurately capture a student’s true skills
7. Lack of personalization and individualized feedback
8. Potential for technical issues or glitches
9. May not align with specific curriculum or instructional goals
   

In states where the use of CATs and other computerized assessments are required for universal screening, we encourage educators to continue their use of direct assessments evaluating a student’s abilities or skills through direct observation or assessment or adopt them to assist in the screening and progress-monitoring decisions necessary to implement a MTSS model. Direct assessments are given by an adult and require the students to produce a response (e.g., segment phonemes) rather than select a response (multiple choice) or have AI record the student’s voice.

Advantages of Direct Assessment 

By incorporating direct assessments into the screening and progress-monitoring process within a MTSS framework, educators can ensure they are accurately identifying students in need of additional support and providing targeted interventions to help them succeed. This approach can lead to more effective and efficient decision-making, ultimately benefiting both students and educators.

The advantages of direct assessments include:

• Minimizing student time away from instruction
• Administering in a standardized fashion 
• Having the teacher listen to the student read and understand student errors
• Providing more authentic and accurate information about a student
• Reducing the possibility of being correct due to guessing
• Allowing for immediate feedback and clarification if needed
• Providing a more comprehensive picture of a student’s strengths and areas for growth
• Enhancing teacher-student interactions and relationships through direct engagement
• Providing more authentic and accurate information about a student’s abilities and skills
  

In addition to accurately finding students who are at risk for future reading difficulties such as dyslexia, these assessments are brief, reliable indicators of the essential literacy skills that, when taught to goal levels, change the trajectory of students’ academic lives.

If you have been using a valid and reliable direct assessment for universal screening in the past, we recommend you continue using it, even if your state mandates the use of a computer adaptive assessment or one that utilizes AI for speech recognition during universal screening. Historical data from direct assessments can provide valuable insights for making informed decisions at both the individual and system levels, leading to long-term school improvement. If you are not currently using a direct screening assessment, we encourage you to explore the option of incorporating one into your screening process.

If your state mandates computerized assessments, make sure to follow the law. However, to effectively prevent reading difficulties and enhance reading outcomes for all students, consider incorporating valid and reliable direct assessments into your assessment process. 

Conducting an assessment audit found on Dr. Stollar's Voyager Sopris Learning^® blog post may assist in streamlining the assessments used to support your MTSS implementation.

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