Ongoing Assessment: Module 2 Introduction

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Ongoing Assessment Module 2Introduction

• Developed by
• Mary McLean, Ph.D. Professor, Department of
  Exceptional Education
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

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Definition and Purposes of Assessment
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Assessment

• Assessment is a generic term that refers to the
  process of gathering information for the purpose
  of making a decision..
• (McLean, Wolery Bailey, 2004, p 13)

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Purposes of Assessmentin Early Childhood Programs

• Screening
• Determining eligibility for special education
• Program planning
• Monitoring child progress
• Program evaluation (accountability)

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Screening

• Screening is a brief assessment for the purpose
  of deciding which children need further
  evaluation to determine the need for additional
  services.

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Evaluation of Eligibility for Special
Education Services

• Evaluation for the purpose of determining
  eligibility for services under the Individuals
  with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) typically
  entails a formal evaluation by a team of
  individuals who determine whether or not the
  child meets the criteria for eligibility as
  specified by the state.

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Program Planning

• Assessment for the purpose of determining what
  and how to teach

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Monitoring Child Progress

• Assessment for the purpose of measuring
• child progress

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Program Evaluation

• Collecting and interpreting information about
  programs for the purpose of decision-making
• Accountability A type of program evaluation
  designed to hold programs responsible for outcomes

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B. What is Ongoing Assessment?
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Ongoing Assessment

• Helps decide what to teach
• Helps decide how to teach
• Helps to know when to make changes in teaching
• Is assessment in the service of instruction
• (McAfee Leong, 2002)

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Wisconsin Model Early Learning StandardsTeaching
Cycle

• Ongoing Assessment
• Gathering information to determine what the child
  can do and what the child is ready to learn
• Data collection
• Data Analysis

• Planning and Curriculum Goals
• Deciding what should be done to promote
  development and what we want children to learn.
• Needs identification and prioritization
• Planning (strategy/indicators)

Implementation Providing meaningful, experiential
activities that support individual and group
goals guided by supportive interaction and
relationships
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Ongoing Assessment

• Ongoing assessment is continuous assessment of
  child progress toward desired objectives and
  outcomes.
• Ongoing assessment informs instructional
  decisions on a continual basis.

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One mark of excellent teachers is the
frequency with which they evaluate and change
childrens instructional programs, continually
adapting them to meet the needs of the child.

• (Bailey Wolery, 1996)

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C. What Principles Should Guide Ongoing
Assessment?
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Assessment of Young Children

• Assessment of young children is necessarily
  different from the assessment of school-aged
  children.
• Identified recommended practices for assessing
  young children should guide our assessment
  activities

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Guidance from NAEYC

• NAEYC and NAECS/SDE (2003) Early Childhood
  Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation.
• http//www.naeyc.org/about/positions/cape.asp

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Guidance from DECDivision for Early Childhood

• Neisworth Bagnato (2005) DEC Recommended
  Practices Assessment. In Sandall, Hemmeter,
  Smith McLean (Eds) DEC Recommended Practices
  A Comprehensive Guide for Application.
  Longmont, CO Sopris West
• DEC (2007) Promoting Positive Outcomes for
  Children with Disabilities Recommendations for
  Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation.
• http//www.Dec-sped.org.

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Recommended Ongoing Assessment Practices

• Assessment is authentic
• Assessment is based on multiple sources of
  information
• Assessment information is anchored to a tool that
  facilitates interpretation of progress
• Assessment is planned, systematic and continuous

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Authentic Assessment

• Behavior is observed while children are
  completing real-life tasks in typical
  environments with familiar adults

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The best way to understand the development of
children is to observe their behavior in natural
settings while they are interacting with familiar
adults over prolonged periods of time.

• (Bronfenbrenner, 1977)

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Assessment evidence is gathered from realistic
settings and situations that reflect childrens
actual performance

• NAEYC Position Statements on Curriculum,
  Assessment and Program Evaluation
• http//www.naeyc.org/about/positions/cape.asp

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Professionals rely on materials that capture the
childs authentic behaviors in routine
circumstances.

• DEC Recommended Practices for Assessment (A15)
• (Sandall, Hemmeter, Smith McLean, 2005)

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Multiple sources of information

• Information is obtained from families and others
  who provide care or services to the child on a
  consistent basis

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Professionals gather information from multiple
sources

• DEC Recommended Practices for Assessment (A19)
• (Sandall, Hemmeter, Smith McLean, 2005)

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Assessments use multiple sources of evidence
gathered over time

• NAEYC Position Statements on Curriculum,
  Assessment and Program Evaluation
• http//www.naeyc.org/about/positions/cape.asp

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Ongoing assessment is anchored by an assessment
instrument that facilitates interpretation of
progress
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Professionals conduct longitudinal, repeated
assessments in order to examine previous
assumptions about the child and to modify the
ongoing program

• DEC Recommended Practices for Assessment (A 28)
• (Sandall, Hemmeter, Smith McLean, 2005)

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What is assessed is developmentally and
educationally significantAssessments are
aligned with early learning standards, with
program goals and with specific emphases in
curriculum

• NAEYC Position Statements on Curriculum,
  Assessment and Program Evaluation
• http//www.naeyc.org/about/positions/cape.asp

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Assessment is systematic, continuous and guided
by an assessment plan
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Professionals and families conduct an ongoing
(formative) review of the childs progress at
least every 90 days in order to modify
instructional and therapeutic strategies.

• DEC Recommended Practices for Assessment (A 44)
• (Sandall, Hemmeter, Smith McLean, 2005)

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The assessment system emphasizes repeated,
systematic observation, documentation and other
forms of criterion or performance-oriented
assessment

• NAEYC Position Statements on Curriculum,
  Assessment and Program Evaluation
• http//www.naeyc.org/about/positions/cape.asp

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D. The Role of Assessment Instruments in Ongoing
Assessment
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Ongoing assessment should be anchored by an
assessment instrument that facilitates
interpretation of progress.
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Terms

• Norm-referenced
• Standardized
• Criterion-referenced
• Curriculum-based (curriculum-embedded,
  curriculum-referenced)

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Many early childhood programs require the use of
an assessment instrument on a periodic basis to
assist in monitoring child progress and program
planning.
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Activity 2.1