Matching Students to the Appropriate Math Screener Level: Guidance for Tier 3 and Special Education Teams

The default for all students — including those in Tier 3 or special education programs — is to administer the Math Universal Screener at the enrolled grade level. Adjusting the screener level is an exception, not a routine practice, and should only occur within a clearly defined district framework applied consistently across all schools and programs.

Key Factors to Consider

Enrolled Grade Level

Start here. Assessing students at their enrolled grade level:

• Aligns with the least restrictive environment (LRE) principle
• Reflects the presumption that students with disabilities are working toward grade-level standards
• Maintains consistency with state accountability assessment participation

Note: The Classworks Math Screener is designed with built-in reach — it includes content from the target grade level and up to two grades below. This means most students, even those performing significantly below grade level, will encounter items they can meaningfully engage with at their enrolled grade level.

IEP Goals, PLAAFP, and Testing Accommodations

For students with IEPs, review:

• The present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) to understand current functioning
• Testing accommodations the student is entitled to (e.g., extended time, text-to-speech, small group setting)

Accommodations should be applied during screener administration just as they would be for any formal assessment. Providing accommodations at the enrolled grade level is preferable to dropping to a lower screener level — it allows students to demonstrate knowledge with appropriate support while preserving grade-level comparison data.

Also consider the IEP team's decisions about end-of-year state assessment participation. Screener level decisions should align with whether a student is participating in the general assessment (with or without accommodations) or an alternate assessment.

Current Performance Data

Review prior screener scores, diagnostic data, progress monitoring results, and classroom performance before making any level adjustment.

• If a student scores above the floor of the enrolled-grade screener across administrations, the current level is appropriate — it is capturing useful information.
• If a student consistently scores at or near the floor across multiple administrations, a level adjustment may be worth considering under district guidelines.

Instructional Level

Instruction delivered below grade level is relevant context, but it should not automatically determine screener level. Many students receiving below-grade instruction are still working toward grade-level standards as a long-term goal.

A below-grade screener level may be appropriate when:

• The IEP team has explicitly aligned the student's goals to a significantly different grade level and
• This is reflected in the student's alternate assessment participation decisions

Purpose of the Data

Consider how the data will be used:

The Role of District Guidelines

All screener level decisions should be governed by written district guidelines developed collaboratively by curriculum directors, special education coordinators, assessment teams, and administrators. These guidelines should:

• Define the specific criteria that justify a level adjustment
• Establish a documentation and approval process
• Address alignment with LRE principles, IEP accommodations, and state assessment participation
• Require decisions to be revisited at the start of each school year

Consistent guidelines protect students' rights, ensure equitable access to meaningful data, and give educators the clarity needed to make defensible decisions across every school and program.

Read more about District Guidelines for Math Screener Level