Assessments

Introduction

Introduction

Purposes of Assessment¹

Children

• Identify what children know
• Identify children's special needs
• Determine appropriate placement
• Select appropriate curricula to meet children's individual needs
• Refer children and, as appropriate, their families for additional services to programs and agencies

Families

• Communicate with parents to provide information about their children's progress and learning
• Relate school activities to home activities and experiences

Early Childhood Programs

• Make policy decisions regarding what is and is not appropriate for children
• Determine how well and to what extent programs and services children receive are beneficial and appropriate

Early Childhood Teachers

• Identify children's skills, abilities, and needs
• Make lesson and activity plans and set goals
• Create new classroom arrangements
• Select materials
• Make decisions about how to implement learning activities
• Report to parents and families about children's developmental status and achievement
• Monitor and improve the teaching-learning process
• Meet the individual needs of children
• Group for instruction

The Public

• Inform the public regarding children's achievement
• Provide information relating to student's school-wide achievements
• Provide a basis for public policy (e.g., legislation, recommendations, and statements)

¹ from http://www.education.com/reference/article/why-assessment-important/

Child Assessments

Child Assessments

Early Childhood Curriculum, Assessment, and Program Evaluation. Position statements from the NAEYC.
Click Here

Developmental Screenings and Assessment Instruments with an Emphasis on Social and Emotional Development for Young Children Ages Birth through Five
by Ringwalt, Sharon (2008)
The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center.
Click Here for Article

Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How?
Committee on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young Children
Catherine E. Snow and Susan B. Van Hemel, Editors. National Research Council of the National Academies
Click Here for Article

Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education Settings:A Compendium of Measures, 2nd Edition
from Child Trends, http://www.childtrends.org/
Click Here for Article

A Guide to Assessment in Early Childhood Infancy to Age Eight (from the state of Washington)
Click Here for Article

Classroom

Classroom Assessments

Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)
ACF-IM-HS-08-11
The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 requires that Office of Head Start (OHS) include in the monitoring reviews of Head Start Agencies a valid and reliable research-based instrument to assess classroom quality and teacher-child interactions. One such instrument, Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) was suggested in the conference report accompanying the Act for this purpose. Grantees are not required to use or purchase CLASS materials for their programs.

Examining the Definition and Measurement of Quality in Early Childhood Education: A Review of Studies Using the ECERS-R from 2003 to 2010 Click Here
Early Childhood Research & Practice, Volume 14, Number 1
The present study examines the definitions of quality (i.e., how quality is operationalized) in research studies using the ECERS-R over the past 8 years (2003-2010). A content analysis of 76 studies conducted in the United States indicates that studies using the ECERS-R to operationalize quality do not use a consistent definition; instead they conceptualize quality in a variety of ways ranging from "quality is ECERs" or "classroom quality" to "environmental quality.”

Parents/Adults

Parent/Adult Assessments

Program Assessments

Program Assessments

There are three types of reasons people conduct program assessment. Each type addresses different program needs and each benefits different program stakeholders. ¹
Program Improvement

• Helps educational leaders identify areas of improvement for the program
• Shows the impact the program has on participants

Recruitment

• Provides parents with evidence of the value a program has for their child
• Gives prospective families evidence of why they should participate

Accountability

• Meets annual program reporting and program review requirements
• Addresses accrediting agency program evaluation requirements
• May apply to other funding or regulatory agencies requirements (e.g. statutory requirements)

¹ adapted from http://www.jmu.edu/assessment/pass/assmntresources/what_is_assessment.htm

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

We are looking for an assessment that is accurate and easy to use. Any suggestions?