Curriculum Associates' BRIGANCE® Screens III Approved by Nevada Department of Health and Human Services

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., June 25, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Curriculum Associates' BRIGANCE® Screens III has been approved by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as part of its early intervention services to meet Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). To help meet Part C requirements, which focus on children ages 0–35 months, educators in the state can use the BRIGANCE Screens III to receive an accurate assessment of skills that are critical predictors of a child's future school success.

The state's early intervention programs provide appropriate services to all infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. As part of this, the BRIGANCE Screens III will help deliver a timely and multidisciplinary evaluation of the functioning of each infant and toddler with a disability in the state. In addition, the evaluation will help identify families' needs for assistance, which will assist in the creation of an Individualized Family Service Plan for each eligible child including service coordination guidance.

"The BRIGANCE Screens III provides educators with the most up-to-date, research-based assessment tool for conducting early interventions," said Katie Nicholson, Vice President of Assessment at Curriculum Associates. "The approval from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services further reinforces the impact our screens have in accurately and reliably assessing the needs of young children and, in turn, providing them the early interventions they need to succeed when they begin school."

Using the age-appropriate screen, educators can quickly and accurately assess a child's physical development, language, academic/cognitive, self-help, and social-emotional skills, in just 10–15 minutes. The research base reflected in the BRIGANCE Screens III helps educators identify potential developmental delays and giftedness with new cutoffs; reduce over-referrals with at-risk cutoffs; determine each child's specific strengths and needs; and assess each child's school readiness.

The research found in the BRIGANCE Screens III reflects a high degree of accuracy with high sensitivity and specificity; strong inter-rater and test-retest reliability; and substantial content, construct and concurrent validity.

The BRIGANCE Screens III is part of Curriculum Associates' BRIGANCE® Early Childhood family of products. This comprehensive series includes the Inventory of Early Development III (IED III) for ongoing assessment and instructional planning, as well as the BRIGANCE Online Management System, which works seamlessly with the BRIGANCE Early Childhood Screens III to ensure consistent and accurate data and reporting.

To learn more about Nevada DHHS' early intervention services, visit: http://health.nv.gov/beis.htm. To learn more about BRIGANCE Screens III, visit: http://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/detail.aspx?title=BrigEC-Screens3.

About Curriculum Associates
Founded in 1969, privately owned Curriculum Associates, LLC, designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company's products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary for teaching diverse student populations and fostering learning for all students. For company and product information, visit Curriculum Associates on the Web at http://www.CurriculumAssociates.com or call 800-225-0248.

SOURCE Curriculum Associates