Use two-stage gated screening: an early reading screen followed by several weeks of progress monitoring before confirming at-risk status¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 3 studies (2 associational, 1 review), q2 · 0 of 3 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article recommends a screening approach in which an initial reading screen is followed by a period of progress monitoring to reduce false-positive identification of kindergartners and first graders. "Compton et al. (2010) found that the accuracy of identification of at-risk readers was improved when a reading screen administered at the beginning of first grade was followed by 5 weeks of progress monitoring using a word identification fluency task." This improves accuracy but delays intervention onset for all students.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A brief initial reading screen plus a progress-monitoring task such as word identification fluency administered over subsequent weeks

Constraints¶

• The article notes a two-stage process would delay the onset of intervention for all students, requiring practitioners to weigh early intervention benefits against false positives

Target Learners¶

• Kindergarten and first-grade students being screened for reading risk

Target Learning Goals¶

• Accurate identification of students needing supplemental reading intervention

Claims¶

• End-of-Grade-1 oral reading fluency status predicts later reading comprehension better than growth slope, though slope added to first-grade screening accuracy in one study [+W]
• Different responsiveness-determination approaches (status vs. slope, criteria, domains, cut points) identify different students as adequate and inadequate responders, with little or no overlap [+W]
• Early screening benchmark status predicts later performance: most beginning-of-year at-risk students stay at risk, and meeting benchmarks by end of grade 1 is associated with much higher grade 3 MCAS odds [+W]
• The percentage of students who stay at risk across time periods increases across grade levels K–3 [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Response To Intervention
• Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
• Use multiple evidence sources alongside benchmark scores when identifying students for intensive intervention

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Denton Carolyn A. (2012). Response to Intervention for Reading Difficulties in the Primary Grades: Some Answers and Lingering Questions. Journal of Learning Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219412442155