Universal screening in reading is a common, and often required, practice in early elementary school. Computer-adaptive screening tools, such as "Istation's Indicators of Progress-Early Reading" (ISIP-ER), are often chosen for this purpose in schools. In our present study, we examine the validity evidence between the ISIP-ER in…

Empirical research on number sense to date has been conducted with preschoolers and elementary school students. Despite their contributions to the literature, these studies have used variable-centered analytic approaches that may prevent distinct number sense profiles for preschoolers and first graders from being identified. This study aimed to…

This research study examined the difference between a formal pre-kindergarten (pre-K) experience and a non-formal pre-kindergarten experience and the impact it had on the academic achievement of kindergarten students. The study also examined the impact these experiences had on kindergarten students as it relates to the Phonological Awareness…

In this article, we report findings of a psychometric study comparing two screening tools: the Student Risk Screening Scale-Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) and the Devereaux Student Strengths Assessment-mini (DESSA-mini). Participants included 3,110 kindergarten through fifth-grade elementary students from five schools in one district in…

Early childhood home visiting programs are well positioned to improve equity and reduce health disparities for families headed by caregivers with intellectual disabilities and other learning differences. Early identification of learning differences through screening may help home visiting staff tailor services and thus improve family engagement…

Average age of autism diagnosis exceeds four years (Maenner et al., 2020), delaying access to services and limiting early developmental research (Zwaigenbaum et al., 2015; Fletcher-Watson et al., 2017). Autism screening in early childhood settings may be a tool for enabling earlier, equitable diagnosis. This systematic review investigated the…

State boards of education are well placed to advocate for more young children to be screened for dyslexia, a disability that by some measures affects up to 20 percent of the U.S. population. Boards can also ensure that identified students receive effective interventions, as those in Massachusetts and Georgia have done. This report discusses how…

The conducting of universal mental health screening is one widely endorsed practice suitable for use within P-12 school settings to more proactively identify children and young people experiencing or displaying characteristics of a mental health disorder. Absent routine screening, many school-age youth with mental health concerns, especially those…

Early literacy screening tools are often a critical component of schools' intervention frameworks. As the use of screening tools becomes more prevalent for identifying students who may be at risk for learning difficulties and in need of additional instruction, it is important to continuously evaluate teachers' implementation of these screening…

Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education began collecting literacy screening assessment data from schools and districts participating in certain state grants in order to analyze patterns of performance to inform improvement efforts. These assessments, which were selected from a list…

Anxiety and school fears are relatively frequent in childhood. Psychology and education professionals need to have assessment instruments for screening for school anxiety in schools. This study aimed to develop, adapt, and examine the reliability and validity evidence of the School Anxiety Inventory for Primary Education (SAI-PE) scores. Using…

Many schools now screen students for dyslexia in early grades. However, there are valid concerns that these screeners may be biased or ineffective at screening students who are not yet proficient in English (i.e., English Learners; ELs). The present study examined the performance of 54 first graders on a dyslexia screener. Results showed that…

Many children with developmental delays need early intervention services but do not receive them. Developmental screening provides the impetus for identification of delays and service referrals but is not used consistently across all early childhood education settings. We used an implementation science framework to examine attitudes and engagement…

U.S. elementary schools administer reading screeners to identify students in need of remedial instruction. However, the administration of additional assessments comes with a cost. It is unclear the extent to which multiple types of reading screeners warrant the increase in resources that could be used for instruction. This study compared…

Ongoing expansion of early education services in the United States is often rooted in these programs' contribution to development that promotes later academic and behavioral competence. Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS, sometimes referred to as Response to Intervention) represent one increasingly common resource to promote desired outcomes…