Multitudes Overview

Note: The information included on this web page is based on information provided by the publisher, is subject to change, and should be confirmed by potential purchasers.

General Information

Screening Instrument Title:

UCSF Multitudes

Organization:

UCSF Dyslexia Center

Web Page:

UCSF Multitudes website

Contact Information:

• Preferred contact email: Multitudesinfo@ucsf.edu
• Dr. Francesca Pei, PhD; COO, UCSF Multitudes; Francesca.Pei@ucsf.edu
• Heather Murphy, EdM; Project Manager, UCSF Multitudes; Heather.Murphy2@ucsf.edu

Recommended grade(s):

• Kindergarten
• Grade one
• Grade two

Recommended for use with the following student populations:

• General education students
• Students with disabilities
• English learners
• Bi/multilingual learners (English–Spanish)

Languages Available:

• English
• Spanish

Skills Measured (English and Spanish):

Refer to the Key below the tables.

Initial Universal Screening

Follow-up Screening:

Required follow-up assessments for students identified as support needed (at risk) by the Universal Screener.

Additional/Optional

Key: Y = Approved, NA = Not available, K = Kindergarten, G1 = Grade One, G2 = Grade Two
Except for Other, the Skills Measured shown in the table are from California Education Code (EC) Section 53008 (g)(1)(B).

Information about establishing student language proficiency to administer screener:

Detailed guidance and administration protocol are provided in the Administration Manual to support the determination of whether a student has the minimum English or Spanish language proficiency necessary for screening to be appropriate and valid. This includes information about necessary ELPAC levels for the English screener. If a student comprehends the directions and repeats at least three of the sentences, verbatim, they can proceed to screening.

Supports for students who are not yet proficient with English:

Before beginning screening, screener administrators receive guidance as to which language(s) to screen the student in, and whether the student has sufficient language proficiency to be screened in said language(s). If the student does not yet have the minimum language proficiency necessary for universal screening in English or Spanish, local education agencies (LEAs) can use components of Multitudes that do not require English or Spanish language proficiency to support their evaluation of the student’s risk of reading difficulties, in addition to the profile required per EC Section 53008. For Multitudes, guidance is provided for specifictasks that can be used. The Administration Manual provides the protocol, which is also available on the digital Multitudes platform within the Resources tab.

Accommodations for students with disabilities:

Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans who participate in statewide universal screening efforts should receive any/all accommodations, per their IEP/504 plan. To complete Multitudes screening, students need to be able to see visual stimuli and hear audio stimuli presented through their digital devices. The Administration Manual includes related guidance for test administrators, such as creating a sensory-supportive environment, when and how to accommodate for articulation differences, and ways to keep students engaged during assessment.

Administration

Mode:

Digital

Grouping:

One-on-one administration

Required technology:

Internet connection and two devices with internet connectivity: one device is needed for the educator (screener administrator) and one device is needed for the student.

Administration time in minutes:

• Kindergarten: Initial Universal Screening is 13 minutes on average; follow up for those "needing support" is 11.5 minutes on average, per student
• Grade one: Initial Universal Screening is 10 minutes on average; follow up for those "needing support" is 9.5 minutes on average, per student
• Grade two: Initial Universal Screening is 12.5 minutes on average; follow up for those "needing support" is 9.5 minutes on average, per student
  

Training

Time required for screener administrator training:

One hour

Type of training available for screener administrators:

The Getting Started with Multitudes section of the digital platform's Resources tab includes introductory and training resources that will support educators as they implement the universal screener and additional assessments, view and share students’ results, and access intervention and professional development resources. Resources are arranged so that educators can guide themselves through the asynchronous training process.

Scoring

Scores are calculated:

Manually and automatically (computer-scored). For tasks where students respond aloud, screener administrators indicate correct and incorrect responses on the screener administrator device. Scoring and calculation of results are automated.

Scoring time in minutes:

No additional scoring time is needed.

Cost Information

Initial cost for implementing program:

No cost for California public school students in kindergarten, grade one, or grade two.

Basic pricing plan and structure:

Multitudes is free to all public schools in California, including all assessments, reports, and resource page contents for any authorized user.

Bulk pricing plan:

Not applicable.

Replacement cost per unit for subsequent use:

Not applicable.

Cost required for training:

• Asynchronous training and ongoing access to all professional development resources via the digital platform Resources tab = Free for all California public school educators with authorized login.
• Half-day virtual training = $800–1,200 per session
• Half-day in-person training = $1,500–2,000 per session
  

Communication and Resources

Types of resources available for educators, screener administrators, and families:

A variety of learning opportunities are featured on the digital platform's Resources tab to meet the needs of a wide range of educator-learners. Resources are of varying lengths, from “bite-sized” professional development resources to longer modules and courses. Resources are available in a variety of formats, including written, audio, and video content. Examples of professional learning resources included are video introductions to the domains of literacy; Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) practice guides; and links to California Dyslexia Initiative webinars and discussion guides.

The Multitudes Professional Learning tab links directly to Arraya, an extensive hub of expert-created and curated professional development resources. Developed by the UC/CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity, and Learning and free to access, these resources are created for the audience of public-school educators and administrators as well as pre-service teaching candidates and their educators. Examples of module topics include instructional domains (e.g., oral language, phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension), cognitive development, social-emotional development, physical and behavioral health, and diversity in learning and development.

User interfaces and data management system:

Teachers, school leaders, and district leaders can sign in directly to the Multitudes digital platform to administer the screener, view data, and download class-level and student-level reports. Student reports with family-friendly explanations are available for teachers to download and share with parents and guardians. Multitudes can be rostered using Clever.