CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1. Define assessment.
2. Define different types of tests and explain the purposes of each.
3. Explain the various strategies for observing young children.
4. Explain the various strategies for assessing young children.
5. Plan assessment strategies for children with special needs.
6. Plan assessment strategies that are culturally sensitive.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
1. Assessment is collecting and evaluating information about the performance of an
individual, the quality of a program, or the effectiveness of an activity.
A) Testing is one kind of assessment, but there are others.
B) Assessment does not improve programs, but it highlights program strengths and weaknesses.
C) Researchers have criticized tests because they only measure performance (e.g. knowledge of facts) and not self-concept or motivation.
D) Four categories of assessment have been defined for the early childhood period:
i. Assessments to promote children's learning and development
ii. Assessments to identify children who need health or special learning services
iii. Assessments to monitor trends over time and for program evaluation
iv. Assessments to hold students and/or teachers accountable for academic achievement
E) Quality assessments for ECE are age-appropriate. Standardized achievement
tests generally do not meet this goal.
2. Testing
A) Types of testing
i. Achievement (mastery over information)
ii. Criterion-referenced (comparison with a standard)
iii. Developmental (comparison with age-related norms)
iv. Norm-referenced (comparison with group norms)
v. Readiness (preparedness for an experience)
vi. Reliability (consistency of test scores)
vii. Screening (identifying problems)
viii. Standardized (empirically tested and normed) ix. Validity (accuracy of construct measurement)
B) Uses of testing
i. Standardized screening and readiness tests are routinely given to young children, usually at or near school entrance. However, evidence suggests reliability and validity problems due to children's varying attention and life experiences. In addition, the goal of creating homogenous classrooms may be inappropriate.
ii. Teachers should consider the goal of assessment before selecting and administering tests.
iii. Standardized tests should be used to provide information, not as a entrance requirement or to shape curriculum.
iv. High stakes testing is increasingly common in education and there is a risk that it may be inappropriately applied to early childhood education in the future.
3. Strategies for Assessment
A) Effective assessment must begin by identifying what the teacher needs to know and how the information will be used.
B) Time/Activity Samples log a child's daily activities or patterns of behavior for a group of children. This sample also provides information about children's interest in specific learning areas/activities.
C) A tally is a record of behavior over a period of time, often focused on a specific type of behavior (e.g. aggression). Tallies provide a baseline with which to assess a child's improvement.
D) Running Narratives help teachers recall how often and under what circumstances an activity has been offered.
E) Important isolated incidents (most often injury or inappropriate behavior) should be recorded on an incident report.
F) Anecdotal records are most useful when they describe, rather than interpret, children's behavior. Descriptions should include the context for the action, and the total record should reflect many different contexts.
i. Record should be made promptly following observation or assessment, and be specific.
ii. Children should be observed on a regular, rotating basis.
G) Checklists allow teachers to quickly record observations of children's skills and abilities by listing the date when skills are achieved. Rating scales indicate frequency of observations, rather than dates.
H) Conferences, conversations and interviews with children will reveal productive language abilities as well as eliciting information about attitudes and interests.
1) Parent questionnaires provide information about antecedent activities that may explain school behaviors and allow parents to communicate concerns and beliefs about the program.
J) Self-evaluation helps teachers understand how children view their own skills and interests.