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Universal Screening

Best practice and federal education policy (e.g., Every Student Succeeds Act) asks schools to routinely monitor all students’ academic, physical, social, emotional, and behavioral development. One way to accomplish this task is to engage in universal screening, which is the process of administering a brief assessment/survey to all students to gather information about their experiences and skills.When used to understand students’, Universal screening provides educators with information about students’ emotional experiences (e.g., stress), access to protective factors (e.g., having a safe adult at school), and social-emotional skills (e.g., the ability to manage strong negative emotions).

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don’t want my child to complete the universal screening survey?

Completing the universal screening is optional. If you are not comfortable with your child completing the surveys, you are allowed to opt them out. To opt out, please complete the Opt-Out Form by October 11th, 2024. If you elect to opt out your child out of surveying, they will be provided with an independent academic activity to engage in while students complete the surveys. So your child is aware that they will be completing an independent activity, please let the know in advance that they will not be completing the survey. Prior to completing the survey, students are also told that they may opt out on their own.

What will PSB do with the results of the student surveys?

After completing the survey, school staff will review the results to better understand the strengths and needs of students at the building, grade, and individual levels. This information is critical in reviewing, evaluating, and improving our SEL programming. For example, the results of the survey can inform building-level initiatives, help design whole class practices and instruction, and/or identify targeted supports for small groups of students.

 

In conjunction with other sources of information, the results of the survey might be used to help identify additional strategies and supports that will benefit your child. However, it is important to highlight that the survey does not meet the psychometric standards to be diagnostic. Because of this, this information cannot be used to evaluate your child’s eligibility for supports or services under a Section 504 Plan or an Individualized Education Plan.

What does screening consist of?

Three times during the 2024-2025 school year (October, January, April) students will be offered the opportunity to complete the survey at school on a computer, tablet, or phone. Most students complete the survey in about 5 to 10 minutes.

What universal screening survey does the Public Schools of Brookline use?

To help educators understand the strengths and needs of students in grades 3 to 12, we utilize a survey that measures the following areas:

 

  • Emotional Regulation
  • Pleasant Feelings
  • Unpleasant Feelings
  • School Belonging
  • Supportive Relationships

 

The survey does not measure or ask questions about engagement in risk-task behavior (e.g., substance use) or safety. 

 

You have the right to inspect the survey and we encourage you to do so. You can access the survey by clicking on this link. The survey is available for students to complete in English, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, Japanese, French, Korean, Arabic, and Chinese. Students will be provided time to complete the survey at school and an adult will be available to answer questions and provide support. Most students complete the survey in 5 to 10 minutes.

Please contact Matt DuBois, Senior Director of Clinical Services and Social-Emotional Learning (matthew_dubois@psbma.org, 617-730-2433) with any questions.

Please see here for district-level data regarding students’ school belonging, supportive relationships, emotional regulation, and emotional experiences.