Preparing materials ahead of time can help ensure a smooth and efficient assessment experience for both teachers and students. The checklists below outline the materials needed for each grade level based on the USNS assessment design.
Teachers may choose to use the note catchers listed below to record student responses and observations during the assessment. These can be especially helpful when first getting familiar with the assessments or based on team preference. At the same time, many teachers choose to use Forefront to capture scores and notes directly during administration.
For interview-based assessments, the Interview Tool in Forefront allows teachers to access the assessment script and rubric in one place, select scores, and record qualitative observations in real time. For written or hybrid assessments, teachers can also enter data using the spreadsheet view.
Use what works best for your team and context. Whether you’re using printed materials, Forefront, or a combination of both, the goal is to capture clear and meaningful information about how students are thinking.
To learn more about entering scores and notes in Forefront, visit the support article:
https://forefront.education/support/how-to-enter-data/
Materials Preparation Checklist for Fall Screeners
Kindergarten:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number and dot cards
7 counters of one color, 3 counters of another color
A piece of paper or a plate for the counter tasks
First Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number cards
Counters: At least 15 including at least 8 of a single color and 3 of another color
An opaque cover for the counters (a thin foam sheet, or card stock work well)
Second Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Cards for question prompts
Counters: 12 of one color
Third Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Cards for question prompts
Counters: 12 of one color
Fourth Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number and dot cards
Pencil and paper for student
Number lines: One for each student
Fifth Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number and other cards
Number lines: One for each student
Sixth Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number and fraction cards
Operation cards
Visual cards, including the dog food card and the three-bar model
Materials Preparation Checklist for Midyear Screeners
Kindergarten:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number cards and other cards
Counters: 12 of one color
An opaque cover for the counters (a thin foam sheet, or card stock work well)
First Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
100 craft sticks and rubber bands (to bundle sticks)
Number cards
Counters: 12 of one color
An opaque cover for the counters (a thin foam sheet, or card stock work well)
Second Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number cards and other cards
An opaque cover for the dot cards (a thin foam sheet, or card stock work well)
Third Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number cards and other cards
Counters: More than 12 of one color
An opaque cover for the counters (a thin foam sheet, or card stock work well)
Fourth Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Expression cards and other cards
Counters: More than 12 of one color
Fifth Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number cards and other cards
Sixth Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Visual cards
Materials Preparation Checklist for Spring Screeners
Kindergarten:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number cards and ten-frame
Counters: More than 13 of one color
An opaque cover for the counters (a thin foam sheet, or card stock work well)
First Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number cards and other cards
Counters: 8 of one color and 12 of a different color
An opaque cover for the counters (a thin foam sheet, or card stock work well)
Second Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Number cards and other cards
An opaque cover for the dot cards (a thin foam sheet, or card stock work well)
Third Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Expression cards and other cards
Consumable number lines: One per student
Fourth Grade:
Copies of the note catchers: One per student
Copies of the Quick Script: One for the teacher
Copies of the detailed script: As necessary for the teacher
Expression cards and other cards
Consumable number lines: One per student
Fifth Grade:
[No interview portion]
Sixth Grade:
[No interview portion]