With a return to in-person learning, the impact of COVID closures on students’ academic and behavioral functioning became starkly apparent. Schools saw many of their students falling below grade and age-level benchmarks. The already-challenging circumstances of remote schooling were exacerbated by pre-existing social inequities, including access to technology, internet, and at-home support, resulting in a disproportionate impact on BIPOC communities and those living in economic marginalization (Sullivan et al., 2020). This combination of circumstances left schools wondering how to best identify and support student needs.  

Universal screening is a process that can help schools collect critical information on how to best support their students. Universal screening involves having students, teachers, or parents complete a short questionnaire on all students approximately three times per year. These screenings can evaluate academic, social, emotional, and/or behavioral concerns (Kettler et al., 2014).  

Based on the results, schools can determine which of their students are meeting expectations in response to the universal supports offered at the school level (“tier one”), which students may benefit from more targeted supports (“tier two”), and which students may require highly individualized supports (“tier three”; Stoiber, 2014). Ideally, 80% of students or more will be meeting benchmarks with access to tier one supports; post COVID closures, this is not the case for many schools.  

However, this does not mean all students should automatically receive tier two supports, as this would be resource inefficient. Instead, this likely means that schools need to readdress what types of evidence-based, culturally-responsive programming is being offered at tier one (Sullivan et al., 2020). Universal screening also offers a way to progress monitor the impact of new curricula and interventions on students to ensure that any changes made are effective. 

By Staci Ballard, Research Assistant at the Center for Social Development and Education