Burlington Public Schools values the voices of students and families in shaping a positive, inclusive, and effective learning environment. Throughout the school year, we administer surveys, screeners and assessments to gather feedback on key areas such as academics, school climate, family engagement, and student well-being.
This page provides information about each tool, including its intended purpose and timing, as well as how families can manage participation. Your input plays a vital role in helping us improve communication, enhance student support, and strengthen our school community.
Key Characteristics of a Screener in MTSS:
- Universal: Administered to all students, not just those with known challenges.
- Efficient: Designed to be quick and easy to administer and score.
- Predictive: Helps identify students at risk of poor outcomes so that early interventions can be provided.
- Data-Driven: Results are used to inform decisions about tiered supports and resource allocation.
Common Types of Screeners:
- Universal Mental Health/Behavioral Screeners: Identify students at risk for behavioral challenges (e.g., PHQ-9, GAD-7, SOS Screener, etc.).
- Social-Emotional Screeners: Evaluate emotional well-being and social skills (e.g., Wayfinder Waypoints.)
- Health screeners: Evaluate the health and well-being (e.g., Vision, Hearing, BMI, etc.)
A screener is a brief, standardized assessment tool used to proactively identify students who may need additional academic, behavioral, or social-emotional support. Screeners are typically administered to all students at multiple points throughout the school year (e.g., Fall, Winter, Spring) (American Institutes for Research, 2025).