Evaluating a gated screening approach for identifying risk in kindergarten mathematics.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the diagnostic accuracy of different universal screening approaches for identifying mathematics difficulties in kindergarteners. We used extant data from 2,010 kindergarten students from 23 schools across two states. First, we identified the diagnostic accuracy of two individual screeners: (a) a set of three curriculum-based measures (CBM) and (b) a diagnostic measure, the Number Sense Brief (NSB). Then, we determined the diagnostic accuracy of a gated screening approach considering both the CBM and NSB. The criterion measure was a norm-referenced mathematics achievement test. The results indicated that area under the curve values met or exceeded .80 for both individual screeners; however, the number of false positives was high. The gated screening approach yielded fewer false positives at the expense of increasing false negatives. Directions for future research and the practical implications of the results for screening in kindergarten mathematics are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).