Best Practices for Using the Academic Screeners by Classworks

Classworks Universal Screeners are valid and reliable reading/language arts and mathematics assessments for students from kindergarten through high school. These periodic assessments help educators understand where students are performing academically and identify areas for support and levels of grade-level readiness.

Best Practice Overview

Screening Assessments Help You:

• Identify Present Levels of Academic Performance (PLOP)
• Identify students who may benefit from Tiered Intervention (MTSS)
• Measure student growth over the course of the school year
• Generate individualized instruction for students based on results
• Suggest appropriate progress monitoring grade levels and domains
• Suggest initial placement into the TouchMath Curriculum (when applicable)

Administration and Accessibility

• Designed to be administered three times per school year — Fall, Winter, and Spring
• Include accessibility features, such as audio support and out-of-level testing
• Available in English and Spanish

Testing Environment Recommendations

To ensure the highest quality and most accurate results, it’s essential to maintain a consistent and structured testing environment. Many districts choose to follow the same testing protocols used for their district or state high-stakes assessments. Establishing and maintaining uniform testing environments helps ensure that data from the Classworks Universal Screeners accurately reflects each student’s true performance and grade-level readiness.

If your district or school does not have previously developed test administration procedures, use the outline below as a guide to establish consistent proctoring practices. A well-organized, supportive testing environment helps ensure that results accurately reflect each student’s true performance and readiness.

Proctoring Guide Outline

Before Testing

• Establish a Schedule: Create a testing schedule that allows students to complete one screener (reading or math) on a specific day. Stagger sessions as needed so students can focus without feeling rushed.
• Prepare Materials: Verify that each student has earbuds or headphones, if appropriate, especially for screeners with audio support.
• Support Exceptional Students: Confirm that Exceptional Students with IEPs have the necessary accessibility features enabled and that developmental level testing options are set appropriately to meet their individual needs.
• Plan for Time and Environment: Ensure that the time set aside is adequate — approximately 35 minutes for lower grade levels and up to 45 minutes for middle and higher grades. Provide a quiet, distraction-free environment, and post signage as appropriate to maintain a calm testing atmosphere.
• Set Expectations: Inform students about the purpose of the screener and the importance of doing their best work. Reinforce that the assessment is designed to help teachers understand what students are ready to learn next, rather than being a graded test.

This student-facing video gives an overview of where students access the screener and its purpose

During Testing

• Actively Monitor: Move throughout the room to ensure students are diligently working and answering questions. Offer quiet encouragement and maintain focus without providing test-related assistance.
• Manage Time: Remind students of time intervals as they work. Each screener should typically be completed in a single class period.

After Testing

• Review Student Results: Once students complete a screener, they will see their overall and domain-specific scores.
• Analyze Testing Time and Effort: Teachers can review how much time students spent on the screener. If results suggest a student rushed or did not engage meaningfully, consider allowing the student to retake the screener for a more accurate reflection of ability.

This teacher-facing video provides a tutorial for generating the Annual Growth Report

School and District Administrators

School and district administrators play a vital role in fostering a culture of data-driven instruction and continuous growth. By sharing the purpose and impact of the Classworks Academic Screeners with teachers, students, and parents, administrators help ensure everyone understands how the data supports personalized learning and student success.

Guide Instructional Leadership Teams to:

• Use screening data and reports to help write meaningful IEPs informed by Present Levels of Academic Performance (PLOP) and Ready to Learn statements generated from the screening reports.
• Identify students who may benefit from Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions based on percentile results and early risk indicators.
  • Students below the 10th percentile are typically identified for urgent intervention (Tier 3) support.
  • Students between the 10th and 25th percentiles are typically identified for targeted intervention (Tier 2) support.
• Ensure accountability and communication by sharing school- and district-level insights with teachers and parents to align goals, celebrate growth, and address areas for improvement.

Encourage teachers and families to:

• Discuss the screener results with students.
• Students can view their own performance on the Student Dashboard, which displays growth over time, domain scores, and risk indicators for early literacy and early numeracy.
• This transparency builds student ownership, promotes goal setting, and fosters meaningful conversations between school and home about progress and support.

Use the Assessment and Growth Insight Dashboard to:

• View districtwide or school-level trends
• Identify patterns across grade levels or subgroups
• Monitor the effectiveness of interventions