Comparison of Literacy Screener Risk Selection Between English Proficient Students and English Learners

• Published in: Learning disability quarterly 2021-05, Vol.44 (2), p.96-109
• Main Authors: Cummings, Kelli D., Smolkowski, Keith, Baker, Doris Luft
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accuracy; At Risk Students; Curriculum Based Assessment; Decision Making; Disability Identification; Elementary School Students; Emergent Literacy; English as a second language learning; English Language Learners; Kindergarten; Language Proficiency; Learning Disabilities; Literacy; Reading Difficulties; Reading Fluency; Reading Tests; Screening Tests; Students; Thresholds; Young Children
• ISSN: 0731-9487; 2168-376X
• DOI: 10.1177/0731948719864408

Universal screening is a critical component of school-based prevention systems. Screening data enable educators to target students for supplemental intervention, align resources to meet needs, and identify students who may be at risk for learning disabilities. One major requirement of the screening process is that all students are included to gain an accurate picture of school performance. It is therefore surprising that few evaluations of screening systems have focused on English language measures and their use with English learners. In this article, we aim to evaluate common screening thresholds, 54 across Grades k–3, to determine the extent to which they may differ between English learners and English proficient students. Results indicate that many thresholds are consistent between groups with some exceptions in kindergarten. We discuss implications for screening assessment and decision making but suggest that similar cut scores across groups do not imply similar intervention strategies.