Universal screening is one of the most-common topics and well-accepted best practices within the field of gifted and talented education. There appears to be little disagreement that universally screening all students as part of a gifted and talented identification process results in fewer missed students. But surprisingly, there is little guidance…

This technical manual provides an overview of the Mosaic™ by ACT®: Social Emotional Learning Screener. The Mosaic by ACT: Social Emotional Learning Screener (hereafter referred to as the Screener) assesses the social emotional skills of students in elementary school (Grades 3-5), middle school (Grades 6-8), and high school (Grades 9-12). Each…

The MABC-2 Checklist is a method designed preferentially for teachers and parents to evaluate how well a child performs movement skills within school, family and community settings. It serves as screening tool for the impact of motor skills deficits in children on activities of daily living, academic or school performance, leisure and play. This…

Reliability is the consistency of a set of scores that are designed to measure the same thing. Reliability is a statistical property of scores that must be demonstrated rather than assumed.

Validity is broadly defined as how well something measures what it's supposed to measure. The reliability and validity of scores from assessments are two concepts that are closely knit together and feed into each other.

This technical report documents the processes and procedures employed by NWEA® to build and support the English MAP® Reading Fluency™ assessments administered during the 2020-2021 school year. It is written for measurement professionals and administrators to help evaluate the quality of MAP Reading Fluency. The seven sections of this report: (1)…

Within a multi-tier system of support (MTSS), results from universal screeners help teachers make instructional decisions early in the learning process to prevent and remediate skill gaps. Universal screeners help teachers determine students' need for and intensity of additional instructional support to reach their learning goals by efficiently…

Assessment is fundamental to school psychology, but its purpose has shifted from making predictions about children to improving outcomes for children. This commentary on the special issue focuses on screening and progress-monitoring decisions that can be used to solve student problems. We outline several psychometric and practical issues that…

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,…

For children age birth to five, physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional growth and development occur at a rapid pace. While all children in this age range may not reach developmental milestones (e.g., smiling, saying first words, taking first steps) at the same time, development that does not happen within an expected timeframe can…

The Response to Intervention (RTI) Essential Components Integrity Rubric and the RTI Essential Components Integrity Worksheet are for use by individuals responsible for monitoring the school-level fidelity of Response to Intervention (RTI) implementation. They may also be used by schools for self-appraisal; however, they were not designed for…

Outcomes for students classified as emotionally disturbed (ED) are among the poorest for any disability group and include disturbingly low graduation rates, poor academic achievement, high rates of school suspensions and school dropouts, and chronic interpersonal problems. Additionally, these students are often underserved within the school…

Comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered models are context specific and developed by school-site teams according to the core values held by the school community. In this article, the authors provide a step-by-step, team-based process for designing comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered models of prevention that integrate academic, behavioral, and…

Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit chronic behavior difficulties that deleteriously impact their academic and social functioning in school settings. These difficulties not only impair student performance, but also present significant challenges to teachers, school psychologists, and other school professionals…

In this "FastFacts," a state asks the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) to recommend experts in the field of assessing young children who are English Language Learners (ELL) to train administrators and psychologists working in district preschool programs for young children with special needs? This is particularly…