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Choosing an Appropriate
Assessment System
Amy Lynn Shillady
How should early childhood educators select an appropriate assessment tool? First, it is important to understand what a developmentally appropriate, valid, reliable, and ethical assessment looks like. Some background research can provide this information. The joint position statement "Early Childhood Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation," with expanded resources, from NAEYC and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAEYC & NAECS/SDE 2003), includes recommendations and indicators of effectiveness, frequently asked questions, and other resources that can serve as a guide in the selection of assessment tools (online at www.naeyc.org/resources/position_statements/CAPEexpand.pdf).
The next step is to identify the age group for whom the assessment tool will be used (infant/toddler, preschool, etc.), the goals of the program, the purposes for which the assessment will be used, and other factors such as children's culture, languages, and abilities or disabilities.
The good news is that there is a wide variety of assessments to choose from and that a great deal of information about them is available online. There are numerous tools and systems designed to measure overall development, literacy, or social/emotional development.
A few of the many assessment options that are appropriate for preschool children are listed in the accompanying chart, which also describes important elements such as the adaptability of the assessment system and the preparation required. (These data are for informational purposes only. NAEYC does not endorse any of the assessment materials presented. Assessment tools and systems are developed for specific purposes and should not be used in ways that fall outside those designated guidelines.)
| Assessment Tool |
Assessment Domain(s) |
Type of Assessment |
Sample Items |
Preparation |
Contact Information |
The Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum(Dodge, Colker, & Heroman 2002)
Spanish version available |
Assesses social/ emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development |
Teacher
Observational
Rating Scale
(Teachers observe
and document
children’s
learning, analyze
observation
notes, and use the
Developmental
Continuum to
identify what step
the children have
reached for each
of the Creative
Curriculum’s 50
objectives.) |
Curriculum Objective: Classifies
objects (each step represents
the developmental
point in a sequence that
children typically demonstrate
as they progress toward
mastering an objective.)
Forerunners: Finds two
objects that are the same
and comments or puts them
together
Step I: Sorts objects by one
property such as size, shape,
color, or use
Step II: Sorts a group of
objects by one property and
then by another
E.g., 10/29 – Sandra sorted
leaves by size, then color.
Step III: Sorts objects into
groups/subgroups and can
state reason. |
Training is offered
through national
conferences, on-site
workshops, technical
assistance services.
For more information
about on-site training:
Phone: 800-637-3652,
ext. 22, or e-mail:
StaffDev@TeachingStrategies.com |
Teaching Strategies,
Inc
P.O. Box 42243
Washington, DC
20015
Phone: 800-637-
3652
Fax: 202-364-7273
Web site: www.teachingstrategies.com |
The Devereux
Early Childhood
Assessment (DECA)
(LeBuffe & Naglieri
1998)
Spanish version
available |
Assesses social/
emotional development
(initiative,
self-control, and
attachment) |
Teacher and
Parent Observational
Rating Scale
(Teachers and
families each
complete the
DECA for the child
and review the
results together.)
|
“During the past 4 weeks,
how often did the child…”
Calm herself/himself
down when upset?
“Place a check mark next to
the word that tells how often
you saw the behavior.”
___ Never
___ Rarely
___ Occasionally
___ Frequently
___ Very frequently |
DECA Program Training
Options include basic
implementation training,
local program
mentor training, and
other training opportunities
such as “Classroom
Strategies for
Reducing Behavioral
Concerns.”
For more training
information:
Phone: 866-TRAINUS
or e-mail: DECA@Devereux.org
|
The Devereux
Foundation
444 Devereux Dr.
Villanova, PA 19085
Phone: 610-542-
3109
E-mail: DECA@
Devereux.org
Web site: www.devereuxearlychildhood.org |
| High/Scope Preschool
Child
Observational
Record (COR)
(High/Scope Staff
1992)
Spanish version of
Family Report
Forms and Parent
Guides included |
Assesses initiative,
social relations,
creative representation,
movement
and music, language
and literacy,
and mathematics
and science |
Teacher Observational
Rating Scale
(Teachers observe
and document
children’s
learning and
analyze observation
notes to
identify what step
the children have
reached for each
objective.) |
Observational Item:
Making Choices and Plans
Level I: Child indicates a
choice by pointing or some
other action.
E.g., 11/21 – At circle time,
Alem pointed to the game she
wanted to play.
Level II: Child expresses a
choice in one or two words.
Level III: Child expresses a
choice with a short sentence.
Level IV: Child makes a plan
with one or two details.
Level V: Child makes a plan
with three or more details. |
Training options
include one- and twoday
workshops, weeklong
institutes, and
multiple-week courses
at High/Scope Foundation
headquarters in
Michigan or on-site by
request.
For more training
information: Phone:
734-485-2000, ext. 218,
or e-mail: training@highscope.org |
High/Scope Educational
Research
Foundation
600 N. River St.
Ypsilanti, MI 48198-
2898
Phone: 734-485-2000
Fax: 734-485-0704.
E-mail: info@highscope.org
Web site: www.highscope.org |
| Social Competence
and Behavior
Evaluation (SCBE)
(LaFreniere &
Dumas 1995) |
Assesses social/
emotional development
(social
competence,
emotional expression,
and adjustment) |
Teacher Observational
Rating Scale |
“Accepts compromises when
reasons are given.” |
Training Manual
provides observational,
documentation,
and scoring procedures. |
Western Psychological
Services (WPS)
12031 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
90025-1251
Phone: 800-648-8857
Fax: 310-478-7838
E-mail: custsvc@wpspublish.com
Web site: www.wpspublish.com
|
| Preschool Individual
Growth and Development
Indicators
(IGDIs)
(Early Childhood
Research Institute
on Measuring
Growth and
Development 1998) |
Assesses language
and literacy skills
(picture naming,
alliteration, and
rhyming) |
Standardized Test
administered by
teachers on an
individualized
basis (using
stimulus cards) |
Sample Rhyming
Stimulus Card:
”Point to the one
[sweep finger across
three pictures at
bottom of card] that
rhymes or sounds the
same as ____ [point to
and say the name of
the top picture].” |
Background information,
assessment
instructions, stimulus
materials, and data
reporting resources
can be downloaded at
www.getgotgo.net |
Early Childhood Research
Institute on Measuring
Growth and Development
University of Minnesota
202 Pattee Hall
150 Pillsbury Dr., SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 612-624-8020
Fax: 612-625-2093
Email: pries005@umn.edu
Web site: www.getgotgo.net |
| Teacher Rating of
Oral Language and
Literacy (TROLL)
(Dickinson, McCabe,
& Sprague 2003) |
Assesses literacy
skills (language
use, reading, and
writing) |
Teacher Observational
Rating Scale
(Teachers can
rate competence
in English and in
child’s native
language) |
“Does child recognize
his or her own first
name in print?”
No 1 Yes 2 |
Training Manual
provides observational,
documentation,
and scoring procedures. |
Center for the Improvement
of Early Reading
Achievement
University of Michigan
School of Education
Rm. 2002 SEB
610 E. University Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259
Phone: 734 647-6940
Fax: 734-615-4858
E-mail: ciera@umich.edu
Web site: www.ciera.org |
| The Work Sampling
System
(Meisels et al. 1995) |
Assesses personal
and social development,
language
and literacy,
mathematical
thinking, scientific
thinking, social
studies, the arts,
and physical
development and
health |
Observational
checklists,
portfolios, and
teacher and
parent summary
reports |
Portfolio Core Item in
the Scientific Domain:
E.g., Dante’s collection
of data on plant growth
from 5/1 to 6/1 |
To request on-site
training or to learn
more about Pearson
Early Learning
Center’s Summer
Institute training
workshops:
Phone:
888-832-9378 or 800-782-0801 |
Pearson Early Learning
Center
P.O. Box 2500
Lebanon, IN 46052
Phone: 800-211-8378
Fax: 800-841-8939
E-mail: customer_service@pearsonearlylearning.com
Web site: www.pearsonearlylearning.com |
References
Dickinson, D.K., A. McCabe, & K. Sprague. 2003. Teacher Rating of Oral Language and Literacy (TROLL): Individualizing early literacy instruction with a standards-based rating tool. The Reading Teacher 56 (6): 554-565.
Dodge, D.T., L. Colker, & C. Heroman. 2002. The creative curriculum for early childhood. 4th ed. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies.
Early Childhood Research Institute on Measuring Growth and Development. 1998. Technical report 4: Research and development of Individual Growth and Development Indicators for children between birth and age eight. Minneapolis, MN: Author.
High/Scope Staff. 1992. High/Scope Child Observation Record: For ages 2½-6. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.
LaFreniere, P.J., & J. E. Dumas. 1995. Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE): Preschool edition. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
LeBuffe, P.A., & J.A. Naglieri. 1998. The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA). Villanova, PA: Devereux Foundation.
Meisels, S., F. Liaw, A. Dorfman, & R.R. Nelson. 1995. The Work Sampling System: Reliability and validity of a performance assessment for young children. Early Research Quarterly 10 (3): 277-96.
NAEYC & NAECS/SDE (National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education). 2003. "Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8." Joint position statement. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Online: www.naeyc.org/resources/position_statements/CAPEexpand.pdf.
Amy Lynn Shillady, M.A., has worked with NAEYC's Professional Development department, and NHSA's Research and Evaluation department. A former Head Start teacher in Richmond, Virginia, she also has been a research consultant for Harvard University's Graduate School of Education.
Copyright © 2004 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at www.naeyc.org/resources/journal.
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