Core Component 3: Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring

Core Component 3:  

Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring  

(Knowing our students) 

Universal screening and progress monitoring are tools that contribute to the broader goal of knowing students. They provide valuable student data that help to determine how best to design an educational program that most effectively addresses the myriad needs of all students. However, it is through fostering positive and meaningful relationships with caring adults on campus that students will be fully engaged and connected to their educational experience and school community. 

Universal Screening 

Within the HMTSS, universal screening serves the purpose of ensuring that every student is known and receives immediate support for their needs. The process involves systematically looking at multiple data sources: quantitative and qualitative, formal and informal, across the academic, behavioral, social and emotional, and physical domains of the whole child. 

Universal screening is conducted to identify or predict early students who may be at risk for poor learning outcomes. In screening, it is important to focus on fidelity of implementation and selection of evidence-based tools, with consideration for cultural and linguistic responsiveness and recognition of student strengths. 

Universal screening can be an essential tool in identifying students who may need support in addition to those provided to all students. Screening may be followed by additional testing or short-term progress monitoring to corroborate students’ risk status. Universal screeners are administered, scored, and interpreted in a short time frame to allow for timely decision-making, referral, and access to interventions. 

Universal Screening Considerations: 

• Screen all students in a grade level or content area 

• Administer universal screeners at least three times per academic year (typically 6 to 8 weeks after  the start of the school year, before winter break, and 6 to 8 weeks before the end  of the school year) 

• Use brief, easy to administer assessments 

• Measure critical skills 

• Use to assist in determining the effectiveness of the curriculum, instruction, and interventions provided to students 

Academic Screening: Broad screening (e.g., STAR, iReady) may be conducted universally across the school. Other screeners may include teacher-generated skill and knowledge tools (i.e., common formative assessments) or standards-based benchmark assessments. At the secondary level, screeners identify students who are at risk of dropping out of school (e.g., ABC data - Attendance, Behavior, Course marks). High school dropout rates are influenced by predictors that emerge as early as sixth grade. These predictors include academic performance (e.g., low grades and test scores, retention), engagement factors (e.g.,  absences, behavior incidences), and transition year data (performance decline between elementary to middle school and middle to high school). 

Physical Screening: Physical screeners may be used to proactively identify students who have physical needs which may require an accommodation to access their education. Depending on the resources available, universal screening for hearing and vision may be conducted. Pre-screening may also be required to maintain a safe and healthy campus (e.g., tuberculosis clearance and physical exams before entering school). 

Behavioral Screening: Behavioral screening measures may use one or more of the following formats in a single- or multi-gated procedure: teacher rating, student nomination, rank-ordering, direct observation, and parent rating. Formal, validated screeners (e.g., BIMAS) may also be used to identify students who exhibit risk factors for both behavioral, social, and emotional indicators. 

Social and Emotional Screening: Social and emotional screening allows for implementation of a multi-tiered model of instruction, from universally providing SEL  instruction to targeting interventions for those at-risk, to individually working with those presenting persistent challenges. Screening can identify targeted and at-risk children whose educational needs may differ from those of children, not at risk. SEL competencies may be measured in a wide variety of ways, including teacher and  student ratings, direct assessments, observations, and structured or unstructured interviews. 

Social-Emotional-Behavioral Screener: Using a comprehensive social-emotional-behavioral (SEB) screener offers several advantages over using a behavior screener or a social-emotional screener alone:

1. Holistic assessment: SEB screeners assess a broad range of domains, including both social-emotional competencies and behavioral concerns. This holistic approach provides a more comprehensive picture of a student's functioning and needs, as social-emotional skills and behaviors are often interconnected and influence each other.

2. Identification of internalizing and externalizing issues: SEB screeners are designed to identify students at risk for both internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression, withdrawal) and externalizing (e.g., aggression, disruption, defiance) problems. Behavior screeners may focus primarily on externalizing issues, while social-emotional screeners may not adequately capture behavioral concerns. Using an SEB screener ensures that students with internalizing problems, which are often overlooked, are identified and provided with appropriate support.

3. Efficient use of resources: Using a single SEB screener that covers both social-emotional and behavioral domains can be more efficient than administering separate screeners. This approach saves time and resources while still providing a comprehensive assessment of student needs.

4. Promotion of collaboration: SEB screeners can facilitate collaboration among educators, mental health professionals, and families by providing a common language and understanding of students' social-emotional and behavioral strengths and needs. This collaboration is essential for developing and implementing effective interventions and support plans.

Examples of evidence-based SEB universal screeners include the following:

While behavior screeners and social-emotional screeners have their merits, using a comprehensive SEB screener often offers a more holistic, efficient, and effective approach to identifying and supporting students' social-emotional and behavioral needs within the HMTSS framework.

When considering universal screening, it is recommended that schools:

• Identify a team to develop and select a screening system with multiple measures and tools.

• Select evidence-based or evidence-informed screening tools. 

• Consider features of screening tools.

  • • Addresses the key values, evaluation questions, and program objectives 

    • Cost - Free or low cost screeners are available

    • Practicality – both online and paper-based, ability to incorporate into existing surveys

    • Brevity - Short – no more than 10-15 min

    • Cultural appropriateness

    • Trauma - informed 

    • Appropriateness of grade level wording of the questions

    • Ease of data aggregation and display

• Develop a schedule for data collection and progress monitoring.

• Determine a systematic process for using results to inform interventions.

• Plan for and implement professional development and technical assistance related to the screening process, tools, roles, timelines, sharing of information, and matching interventions to the needs.

The practices and guiding questions below offer guidance when implementing HMTSS’s screening and progress monitoring system within a school (as listed in the HMTSS Assessment Tool).