Introduction
Per KRS 158.8402, the Kentucky Numeracy Counts Act, by January 1, 2026, each superintendent shall:
- Select at least one universal screener for mathematics that is determined by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to be valid and reliable for administration to all students in grades K-3 (5)(a);
- Select at least one diagnostic assessment for mathematics that is determined by the KDE to be valid and reliable to be administered as part of the MTSS for students in grades K-3 (5)(a);
- Ensure all teachers of students in K-3 are trained on any mathematics universal screener and diagnostic assessment selected by the superintendent prior to the administration of the assessments in the 2026-2027 school year (5)(c); and
- Adopt an evidence-based high-quality instructional resource (HQIR) for K-3 mathematics that is determined by the KDE to be reliable, valid, and aligned to the Kentucky academic standards for mathematics required by KRS 158.6453 (5)(b).
Per KRS 158.8402, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year:
- A universal screener determined by the department to be valid and reliable shall be given in the first thirty (30) calendar days of the school year to each student in kindergarten through grade three (3) at a public school or public charter school (6);
- Those students determined to be at risk for not meeting grade-level benchmarks in mathematics for kindergarten through grade three (3) based on the universal screener shall be given a mathematics diagnostic assessment determined by the department to be valid and reliable to identify the individual student deficits in numeracy and other mathematical content and practices as listed in subsection (1) of this section in the first forty-five (45) calendar days of the school year (7); and
- A mathematics improvement plan shall be developed and implemented in the first sixty (60) calendar days of the school year by a mathematics improvement team for any student in kindergarten through grade three (3) identified as needing accelerated interventions to progress toward proficient performance in mathematics (8).
Per 158.8402 (9), beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, if a student's rate of progress toward proficient performance in mathematics needs accelerated interventions as demonstrated by the results of an approved universal screener and mathematics diagnostic assessment, the local school district shall provide:
- Enrichment programs using evidence-based mathematics instruction and other strategies;
- Intensive instructional services, progress monitoring measures, and supports; and
- Parents and legal guardians of students identified for accelerated interventions in mathematics with information on how to encourage mathematics success at home.
Numeracy Screening and Diagnostic Assessment Submissions for Approval
The Numeracy Technical Review Team will be accepting submissions for universal screeners and diagnostic assessments beginning November 1, 2024, thru November 29, 2024. The submission form will be available on this website on November 1. Below are the phases and timelines of the review process.
All submitters are required to complete a submission form developed by the KDE Office of Teaching and Learning. Please email submission forms to
jennifer.fraley@education.ky.gov.
Phase 1: Once the form is received, the Numeracy Technical Review Team will check for its completeness. If the submission does not include all the information requested, it will not move forward in the review process this year, and the submitter will be notified.
Phase 2: All complete submissions will undergo a review by the Numeracy Technical Review Team. The review window will occur from December 2, 2024 – January 31, 2025. Submitters will be notified of initial results and comments. If the required technical evidence is found to be insufficient and the submission is rejected, submitters will be given an opportunity to provide additional evidence or clarification within two weeks of the rejection notification. This additional information will be reviewed by the team and a final decision will be made.
Phase 3: Information from the submission form will be used to provide descriptive information for districts to use in their local selection process.
Phase 4: Approved universal screeners and diagnostic assessments for numeracy will be posted to the Numeracy Screening Assessments webpage by February 7, 2025.
Required Technical Criteria for Consideration
Submission of evidence-based universal screening and diagnostic assessments must provide evidence that meets the following criteria for technical adequacy for any composite scores, domain scores and/or subdomain scores that comprise the assessment:
- Classification Accuracy – The lower band of the confidence interval of the area under the curve (AUC) must meet or exceed .70 or sensitivity must meet or exceed .70 and specificity must meet or exceed .70.
- Reliability – Reliability measures (usually reported as internal consistency or Cronbach’s alpha) must meet or exceed .70.
- Validity – Predictive validity must meet or exceed .60.
- Representative Sample – The normative group closely matches the characteristics of its population as a whole.
Selection Criteria
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) established selection criteria to determine which assessments would be included on the final list of approved numeracy screening assessments.