Early Childhood Screening: Information for Districts and Programs

Provides written parent consent for a child's participation in the program.

• English Early Childhood Screening Consent
• Arabic Early Childhood Screening Consent
• Hmong Early Childhood Screening Consent
• Karen Early Childhood Screening Consent
• Russian Early Childhood Screening Consent
• Somali Early Childhood Screening Consent
• Spanish Early Childhood Screening Consent
• Vietnamese Early Childhood Screening Consent

Provides parent consent to release information for referral from Early Childhood Screening.

• English Release of Information
• Arabic Release of Information
• Hmong Release of Information
• Karen Release of Information
• Russian Release of Information
• Somali Release of Information
• Spanish Release of Information
• Vietnamese Release of Information

Required for districts to assign Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System (MARSS) identification numbers for all screening provided July 1–June 30 each year. The MARSS system helps compute and report Minnesota school districts’ Early Childhood Screening aid entitlements. A MARSS Identification Number assigned at the time of a child's participation in an Early Childhood Screening Program or following a comparable screening in early childhood, is a statutory requirement. Review Procedure 26 of the MARSS Manual.

• English Registration Form
• Arabic Registration Form
• Hmong Registration Form
• Karen Registration Form
• Russian Registration Form
• Somali Registration Form
• Spanish Registration Form
• Vietnamese Registration Form

Can be used for Early Childhood Screening to gather information about health concerns that may impact learning.

• English Child Health and Developmental History
• Arabic Child Health and Developmental History
• Hmong Child Health and Developmental History
• Karen Child Health and Developmental History
• Somali Child Health and Developmental History
• Spanish Child Health and Developmental History
• Vietnamese Child Health and Developmental History

Includes the required components of Early Childhood Screening. A copy of the completed form must be given to parents. 

Download the summary form.

For parents who wish to conscientiously object, decline or opt out of Early Childhood Screening.

• English Conscientious Objection
• Arabic Conscientious Objection
• Hmong Conscientious Objection
• Karen Conscientious Objection
• Russian Conscientious Objection
• Somali Conscientious Objection
• Spanish Conscientious Objection
• Vietnamese Conscientious Objection

The Minnesota Interagency Developmental Screening Task Force website provides information for screening professionals about the importance of screening, recommendations on instruments to use, and resources to make appropriate referrals to improve outcomes for children from birth through 5 years of age in Minnesota. 

Find the developmental screening instruments approved for use in Minnesota Early Childhood Screening programs, including publisher information for training purposes.

The Early Childhood Screening program standards are identified in Minnesota law. The Early Childhood Screening program includes the Minnesota Department of Health standards for screening children.

These guidelines offer an overview of the Early Childhood Screening program for interpreters hired by districts.

Whenever possible, screenings are offered in a child's home language through a bilingual staff, an interpreter or a district language line. If the child has been around others who speak English then the screening may also be done in English to get the best picture of the child's growth and development.

Learn more about recommended general definitions to help create shared language for early care and education professionals around screening, assessment and evaluation. This short resource is designed for early care and education professionals who work with children from birth through first grade and their families.

You may also share Tip Sheet: Screening, Assessment and Evaluation in Early Learning with early care and education staff to explore these definitions, facts and myths.

Ideally all screening happens with the parent present but that is not always possible. Screening during the school day can be an effective way to increase access and overcome barriers by offering screening to children whose parents (caregivers) are unable to make a separate appointment due to lack of time, transportation or other barriers.

Similarly, offering to screen at child care centers, prioritizing centers that serve children least likely to be screened at 3, can increase equity. Children who are least likely to be screened at 3 include:

• American Indian, African American, Hispanic, Asian and Hawaiian Pacific Islander children, as well as children who are two or more races
• English learners
• Children who receive free and reduced-price meals
• Children experiencing homelessness
• Children in foster care

Learn more about screening during the school day.

The Tribal Early Childhood Research Center (TRC) draws on a network of partners across the country who work in partnership with American Indian and Alaska Native communities to conduct early childhood research and deliver early care and education services. They visited urban, rural and reservation American Indian and Alaska Native communities to talk with families of young children and early childhood professionals (home visitors, teachers and health care providers). The following resources are based on what they learned from those conversations:

• Supporting your Child through Developmental Screening from Birth to Age Five – A TRC Resource for Families
• Partnering with American Indian and Alaska Native Families to Support Children's Development – A TRC Resource for Professionals

Find answers to frequently asked questions about Early Childhood Screening when families are experiencing homelessness.

As of July 1, 2023, Early Childhood Screening programs will provide virtual developmental screening upon request to families with immunocompromised health or other health concerns (Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 121A.17). Districts will receive an increase of 30% in state aid for each child screened (Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 121A.19).

Learn more about the legislative changes.

This survey template can be used to gather important feedback from families served. The feedback may be used to improve program outreach, services and family engagement.

Download the survey.

The Assuring Better Child Development (ABCD) toolkit can help communities improve the referral and communication feedback loop between screening sites like schools or clinics and the early childhood screening and early childhood special education system. This is designed to be done as a quality improvement project. Sample forms used in past ABCD projects include:

• General Feedback communication form
• Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle Worksheet
• The Interagency Communication form

For districts and the charters who elect to provide screening programs, Minnesota Rules 3530.3200 requires a report to be submitted prior to the final aid payment. Minnesota Statutes 142D.091 requires the assignment of Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System (MARSS) PS records to indicate completed screenings.

The Early Childhood Education Outcomes (ECEO) screening resources are listed below. This report opens May 1 and is due September 30 each year:

• ECEO data submission
• ECEO screening report worksheet
• ECEO screening template
• ECEO screening report frequently asked questions

Additional reporting resources:

• (MARSS) Procedure 26: Describes the process districts follow to assign education identification numbers at the time of screening which also generates state aid.
• Ed-Fi Documentation: Districts are dual submitting MARSS PS by A/B file uploads and Ed-Fi until they are certified to submit by Ed-fi only. Several documents and video include information about ECS in Ed-Fi.
• STAR Reporting Guidance for Early Childhood Screening staff: Share with district STAR coordinator who will enter data.

View the Annual Screening Report training video for more information.

• Early Childhood Screening Kindergarten Cohort reports
• Early Childhood Education Outcomes screening reports: 2020 to present
• Historic Early Learning Services reports: Prior to 2020
• View screening by demographic factors, trends over time and the positive impact on kindergarten attendance in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System. 

Staff who provide developmental screening or coordinate the screening program are required by Minnesota Rules, part 3530.3300, to complete a training offered by the Minnesota Departments of Education (MDE) and Health (MDH).  

• Live virtual training sessions are offered each spring and fall and posted on the MDE calendar. Attend as often as needed. Attendance is recommended at least every 5 years.
• Visit the Minnesota Department of Health Vision Screening or Hearing Screening webpage for information about live and virtual trainings for a small charge.
  • Nurses and screening staff who provide vision and hearing screening are required to complete live virtual or in-person training offered by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Training is offered several times a year across the state. Training is recommended at least every five years. Visit the MDH Training Catalog for more information.
• Go to the Minnesota Interagency Developmental Screening Task Force website for developmental tool-specific training provided by the publishers. 

• Introduction to Early Childhood Screening: An overview of the Early Childhood Screening Program for coordinators and screeners in public schools
• Early Childhood Screening and Biomonitoring Open Office Hour: Recorded November 2023
• Early Childhood Screening Developmental and Social-Emotional Screening and Referral: Toolkit to provide staff training
• Early Childhood Screening and Interpreters: Recorded June 2020
• Program Improvement Open Office Hour: Recorded December 2022  
• ECS Required Components: Recorded April 2022  
• Communicating with Families During the Screening Process: This 11-minute video focuses on effective communication practices with families about screening recommendations for referral and follow up, links to screening, and intervention resources. While the video takes place in a clinic setting, any screening program staff may find it a helpful resource in building partnerships with families during screening.
• Facilitator Guide: Early Childhood Screening through the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Lens: Created for early childhood screening teams across Minnesota to promote healing-centered, culturally responsive and trauma-informed screening through the lens of infant and early childhood mental health. Screening coordinators may use this as a training tool with their screening staff. For example, this could be used as part of a screening-related Professional Learning Committee over the course of a school year with eight 45-minute sessions.

• English video
• English audio descriptors video
• Hmong video
• Somali video
• Spanish video

• English brochure
• Dakota brochure
• Hmong brochure
• Karen brochure
• Ojibwe brochure
• Russian brochure
• Somali brochure
• Spanish brochure
• Vietnamese brochure

• English FAQ
• Arabic FAQ
• Dari FAQ
• Hmong FAQ
• Karen FAQ
• Oromo FAQ
• Pashto FAQ
• Russian FAQ
• Somali FAQ
• Spanish FAQ
• Swahili FAQ
• Ukrainian FAQ
• Vietnamese FAQ

The toolkit includes flyers, rack cards and postcards with a link to Help Me Connect. Materials can be used by any screening program or community partner, including clinics, child welfare, Early Childhood Screening, Family Home Visiting, Head Start and Follow Along Program. Materials are available in four languages: English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish.