1. MEMORANDUM
    2.  
    3. OFFICE OF ASSESSMENT AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
    4. BUREAU OF INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
    5. Timelines
    6. Materials
    7. Use of a Student Identification Number
    8. Changes to Scannable Answer Forms
    9. Children to be Screened
    10. Data Reporting Element

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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JIM HORNE
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
SALLY BRADSHAW
LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
August 27, 2003
MEMORANDUM
TO:
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District Coordinators of Assessment
Assistant Superintendents for Curriculum and Instruction
FROM:
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Shan Goff, Chief, Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services
Cornelia Orr, Administrator, Assessment and School Performance
SUBJECT:
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adiness Uniform Screening System (SRUS
S)
The purpose of the attached document is to highlight specific implementation considerations
related to the administration of the School Readiness Uniform Screening System (SRUSS) for the
2003-04 school year. The content of this paper is derived from the
School Readiness Uniform
Screening System Administration Manual 2003-04
. This manual was posted on the Department of
Education website on August 5, 2003, and may be found by going to
http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/srushome.htm. The School Readiness Uniform Screening System
Administration Manual has also been made available in hard copy to district assessment
coordinators.
We hope that this information is of assistance to you. For additional information, please contact
Wanda Akisanya at 850/245-0782, electronic mail at wanda.akisanya@fldoe.org, or Cathy Bishop
at 850/245-0478, electronic mail at cathy.bishop@fldoe.org.
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 1514 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0505 • www.fldoe.org

District Coordinators of Assessment
Assistant Superintendents for Curriculum and Instruction
August 27, 2003
Page 2
We appreciate your continued effort and support regarding the administration of the SRUSS.
SG/CO/cbm
Attachment
cc:
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District Administrators, Student Services
District Administrators, Exceptional Student Education
District ESOL Coordinators
Katherine Kamiya, Executive Director, Florida Partnership Board
Members, Florida Partnership Board for School Readiness

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OFFICE OF ASSESSMENT AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
BUREAU OF INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RELATED TO THE SCHOOL READINESS UNIFORM
SCREENING SYSTEM (SRUSS)
Timelines
1.
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Does the 45-calendar day timeline apply to the 2003-04 SRUSS administration?
Yes. The SRUSS must be administered within 45-calendar days of the district’s first day
of school. In general, all children entering a public school kindergarten for the first time
within the first 21-calendar days of school must be screened using both the developmental
screening tool (Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten/ESI-K) and the social/behavioral
screening instrument selected by the district.
2.
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When must districts ship the completed scannable answer forms?
All answer forms must be shipped to Pearson Educational Measurement no later than
October 31, 2003
. Please refer to pages 9-11 in the School Readiness Uniform Screening
System Administration Manual 2003-04 for detailed information on how to organize and
return the scannable answer forms.
Materials
3.
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May the screening materials that were provided for the first year of implementation
still be used?
Yes, with an
important exception
. Because of the significant revisions that have been
made to the scannable answer forms, the
2003-2004 answer forms must be used
.
District assessment coordinators must ensure that teachers utilize the correct answer
forms. The
2003-04 answer forms are clearly marked
with the current school year date
and are a different color from last year’s materials.
Examiner’s manuals, guidelines, and toy kits remain unchanged from last year and will be
used.
Use of a Student Identification Number
4.
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What number must be used in the data field on the scannable answer form for the
student identification number?
It is of
critical importance
that teachers enter the correct student identification number in
the appropriate field on the demographic page. Either the
student’s social security
number
or the
Florida Student Number
must be used in this field. The social security
number is a nine-digit number. If used, an “X” must be placed in the last box in the field.
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The Florida Student Number is a ten-digit number.
Five or six-digit district generated
numbers must not be used
.
Changes to Scannable Answer Forms
5.
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What are the primary changes that have occurred for the 2003-04 school year with
regard to the organization of the scannable answer forms?
Significant changes have been made to the scannable answer forms for the 2003-04 school
year. These changes are summarized below.
§
 
A data field has been added to the ESI-K answer sheet so that the examiner can
record the total score.
§
 
The ESI-K answer sheet has been simplified with only potential scoring options
presented.
§
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For districts using the Work Sampling System, an “answer folder” has been
designed. This front page of the folder is used to record demographic information.
The center pages are used for scoring the ESI-K and Work Sampling System.
§
 
The demographic page includes a field to record the student’s date of birth.
§
 
The demographic page includes a field to record if the ESI-K Spanish version was
administered.
§
 
The non-participation field on the demographic page has been expanded to more
accurately record the reasons the student was not screened.
6.
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If a district uses the Ready-for-School Behavioral screener, does the demographic
page have to be completed for both screening instruments?
Yes. For districts that use the Ready-for-School Behavioral screener, each student will
have two scannable answer forms. The demographic data must be included on both
answer forms.
To facilitate subsequent data matching, it is of critical importance that
both scannable answer forms contain the same information
.
Children to be Screened
7.
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Should children with limited English proficiency participate in the SRUSS
screening?
Guidance regarding the screening of children with limited English proficiency has been
changed for the 2003-04 administration.
To provide additional time so that each child may adjust to his or her new educational
setting, the administration of the Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten (ESI-K) to
students with limited English proficiency should be conducted as close as possible to the
conclusion of the SRUSS 45-calendar day administration timeline.
The administration of the ESI-K should be postponed until after the administration of the
English language aural/oral proficiency test for children who have answered “Yes” in
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response to any of the questions posed in the Home Language Survey. This
postponement, however, is not intended to extend the 45-calendar day timeline for the
administration of the SRUSS.
The outcome of the aural/oral proficiency test will determine if the ESI-K can be
administered in English. For children who are Spanish speakers, for whom the aural/oral
proficiency test determines that administration of the ESI-K should be conducted in the
child’s home language, the Spanish edition of the ESI-K screening booklet (entitled
Inventario para la Detección Temprana-Revisado) must be used. Copies of this screening
booklet have been provided to school districts in accordance with district orders.
For
speakers of languages other than English or Spanish, the ESI-K should not be
administered
. In this circumstance, the “bubble” indicating “LEP (non English or non
Spanish speaker)” in the non-participation field of the demographic page of the scannable
answer form should be marked.
The social/behavioral observational tool, however, should be administered to all students.
When using either behavioral observational tool with a child who is not proficient in
English, sensitivity to the child’s cultural and linguistic diversity is vital to ensure that
appropriate observations and assessment of the child’s behavior are conducted.
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.
Should a child who has been identified as a child with a disability be screened?
What type of accommodations should be considered?
Again, in general, all children entering public school kindergarten for the first time within
the first 21-calendar days of school must be screened using both screening instruments.
However, the ESI-K screening instrument may not be appropriate for some children with
a disability, including those children who are blind or have low vision, children who are
deaf or hard-of-hearing, or those children with significant cognitive deficits or physical
impairments.
In these circumstances, the behavioral screener should be administered since it is a tool
that is based on the teacher’s observation of the child in the context of ongoing classroom
activities.
If use of the ESI-K is inappropriate for a child with a disability, the bubble indicating
“ESE (screening inappropriate)” in the non-participation field of the demographic page of
the scannable answer form must be marked.
When administering the ESI-K, an alternate setting that is quieter than the regular
classroom should be considered. Administering the ESI-K to a child with a disability may
require additional time.
9.
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Will kindergarten children who are receiving an “Opportunity Scholarship” be
required to participate in the SRUSS program?
No. Since these children will not be enrolling in public kindergarten, they will not be
included in the SRUSS program. Some private schools implement screening activities as
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a part of their routine procedures for entering students. Opportunity scholarship students
may be included in such activities.
10.
Should a student who has been retained in kindergarten be included in SRUSS?
No. The screening is intended for children entering kindergarten for the first time. For
kindergarten students who have been retained, the demographic page of the answer
form(s) must be completed. The bubble indicating “Other” in the non-participation field of
the demographic page must be marked. The word “retained” should be written in the
blank space provided on the document.
11.
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Should the ESI-K be used to screen a student who is over the age of six at the time of
screening?
Yes. In considering ways to organize screening for the coming year, districts and schools
are advised to consider the age of the student and establish a priority for ESI-K screening
for those students who have turned six or will turn six shortly after the beginning of
school.
Data Reporting Element
12.
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Must districts continue to complete a data element indicate whether the student was
considered “ready” for school?
No. The data element that was used to indicate whether the child was “ready” is no longer
reported for state accountability.
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