The New Jersey State Department of Education mandates that every Abbott district screens children who enter the Early Childhood Program to identify the possibility of the child being at risk for school failure. 

 

The Early Screening Inventory (ESI) is a developmental assessment tool intended to identify children who may need further evaluation in order to determine if they have a condition that may place them at risk for school failure. (Meisels & Provence, 1989) 

  

 It is not an IQ test. 

It is not a diagnosis. 

It is intended to survey the child’s ability to acquire skills. 

 

 

It samples performance in several areas of development such as:

 

I. Visual Motor/Adaptive

           Fine Motor Skills

           Eye Hand Coordination

           Short-Term Memory

 

 II.  Language and Cognition

            Language Comprehension

            Verbal Expression

            Reason and Count

            Remembering Auditory Sequences

 

III.  Gross Motor

 

 

The ESI yields three scores: Refer, Rescreen and OK. These scores are interpreted differently, depending on the age group.

 

 

Teacher's assigned PIRT member should open a case file for any child who scores “rescreen” and “refer” on the ESI-R screening by meeting with parents to discuss results which warrants monitoring by PIRT.

 

 

These are some suggested strategies we recommend to teachers

_ESI Updated Strategies and Activities for rescreen & refers .pdf