Early Math Intervention and the USNS Assessments

At Forefront Education, we host an open-source math assessment system called the Universal Screeners for Number Sense (USNS). Districts adapt these assessments to meet their unique needs to improve MTSS efforts and math intervention, and we outline both the methods and purposes they fulfill below.

A Universal Screener

An essential component of any Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) or Response to Intervention (RtI) framework is a tool to identify areas of difficulty in Tier 1 instruction and flag students who may need additional support early in the school year. The Universal Screeners for Number Sense (USNS) serve this purpose. Classroom teachers and intervention teams administer these assessments to all students, using the actionable data to guide both universal instruction, small-group differentiation, and those students that may need targeted interventions.

For grades K-6, there are three USNS assessments:

1. Fall Screeners: Administered within the first weeks of school.
2. Midyear Screeners: Conducted from late November/early December through January.
3. Spring Screeners: Administered from early April through the end of the school year.

Districts may opt to implement only the Fall Screeners if other assessments or priorities limit capacity. The Fall assessments, which are entirely interview-based, are quick to administer and score.

While all three assessments align with grade-level expectations, conducting midyear and spring assessments provide insights into ongoing progress, helps ensure students meet grade-level standards, and identifies those who might benefit from summer programs or additional instruction.

The USNS as a Diagnostic Tool for Math Intervention

Few tools exist that provide clear, actionable information like the USNS do. Many districts rely on benchmark and interim assessments (e.g., NWEA MAP, Star Math, iReady Math) to screen students. While these tools may offer general performance insights, they lack the precision necessary for targeted RtI or MTSS support.

The USNS assessments work well as a universal screening assessment system and can replace the need for online adaptive assessments completely, saving money, time, and providing teachers with valuable insights into every students thinking.

Where online, adaptive assessment systems are in place, USNS assessments are often used to complement benchmark and interim tools. In this implementation scenario, they provide a focused layer of diagnostic information. Some districts use computer-adaptive assessments as a preliminary screening tool to identify students for further evaluation. Students who might be at risk are first identified with these online assessments. Then, educators strategically use the USNS assessments to collect precise information for small group work, guide further diagnostic assessments like the Add+Vantage Math Recovery (AVMR) system, and access instructional resources. You can learn more about connections between AVMR and USNS here.

Administration: Who Should Conduct the USNS?

• • Classroom Teachers: Ideally, the teacher who works most directly with the student will administer USNS assessments. This is commonly the classroom teacher. This approach strengthens teacher-student relationships and offers valuable insights into student thinking and problem-solving that data alone cannot capture. We recommend a broad assessment window, so that teachers can spread the assessments out over several days or even weeks to manage the workload effectively.
  • Testing or Intervention Teams: When teachers have limited bandwidth, testing, or math intervention teams often administer the assessments and share the results through Forefront or data dialogues. In these cases, we recommend starting by delegating the assessment of students expected to perform very well, while teachers focus on assessing students with more specific and urgent needs.

Connect With Us to Learn More!

The Universal Screeners for Number Sense offer a flexible and effective way to enhance instruction and support student success. Whether your district seeks a universal screener, a complementary diagnostic tool, or both, the USNS can help meet your needs to improve early math intervention.

We invite you to connect with our team to learn how USNS assessments can transform your district’s approach to early numeracy and intervention, and learn about our data solution Forefront. Our reports and data visualizations make assessment data and the insights they can generate accessible from the classroom level to the central office. Reach out today to explore how we can work together to support your educators and students! Connect with our school partnerships team today to learn more.