Selecting Universal Screening Measures to Identify Students at Risk Academically

Abstract

Universal screening measures can be used to identify students at risk academically due to learning disabilities or other difficulties. Research and legislation support the use of screening measures early in students’ education to ensure they receive any supports necessary to bolster their academic achievement. When selecting a screening measure, school personnel should identify the purpose of the screening measures in their school and the resources available. The research literature should then be consulted on established screening measures, with careful attention paid to required resources, evaluation of the students as a whole through the consultation of varied sources of information, relative biases of screening measures, further assessments for low-scoring students, and test metrics. This article discusses research-based procedures to follow in selecting screening measures, specifies factors to consider in this process, and provides examples of existing measures for use in the universal screening process.