Which assessment is typically given to a large group to identify risk levels?

• A. Formative Assessment
• B. Benchmark Assessment
• C. Screening Assessment
• D. Diagnostic Assessment

Answer: (C)

The chosen answer is correct because screening assessments are specifically designed to be administered to large groups with the purpose of identifying students who may be at risk for reading difficulties or other academic challenges. These assessments are usually brief and focus on fundamental skills that are important for literacy development, like phonemic awareness and basic comprehension skills. The goal is to quickly gauge the performance of a larger population, allowing educators to determine which students may need further evaluation or intervention.

In contrast, formative assessments are used to monitor student learning in a more ongoing and instructional context, providing feedback that helps improve teaching and learning but not typically administered to identify risk levels across a broad group. Benchmark assessments, while also used to measure student progress, generally assess knowledge at specific points in time and can be used to monitor overall student achievement against expected standards, but they are not primarily focused on risk identification. Diagnostic assessments, on the other hand, are more in-depth and individualized, designed to uncover specific areas of difficulty once a potential risk has already been identified through screening or benchmark methods.