Early Childhood - Connecticut State Department of Education

Assessment Chapter 4
TYPES OF TEST INSTRUMENTS
Criterion-Referenced Tests measure an
in-dividual’s level of mastery of a particular skill
without comparison to others.
Norm-Referenced Tests assess a child’s
performance in comparison to others of the same
age.
Performance-Based Tests evaluate specific
competencies, focusing on the individual without
comparison to others. The child is asked to
produce something or perform a task as part of the
instructional process, rather than simply to recall
information.
Readiness Tests examine skills considered
necessary for preparedness to participate in a specific
setting. Readiness tests seek information about skills
that promote success in learning.
Standardized Tests study observable
behaviors and experiences with selected items,
backed by a body of research including field-testing
for reliability and validity.
ASSESSMENT IN EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Assessment is a process of gathering evidence about
children, their development and personal learning styles.
Each day early childhood educators make decisions
about what to teach, how to modify lesson plans, and
how best to build on children’s strengths and respond
to their needs as they arise in the classroom. Quality
assessment provides important information on which to
base such decisions, including information that assists
with planning instruction for individuals and groups,
and preparation of a stimulating and effective learning
environment. Quality assessment supports effective
growth for individual children, communication with
parents, and identification of children who may need
special services.
Information about assessment and how it can
be helpful is essential for early childhood educators.
In this section are examples of various formal and
informal types of assessments, guiding principles for
selecting the right instrument to meet program needs,
suggestions about how to involve and communicate
with parents, and samples of informal tools that can
easily be implemented in the preschool classroom. This
chapter is about assessment for purposes of gathering
information to inform teachers’ practices; not to screen
for suspected disabilities or to determine eligibility for
special education and subsequent IEP development.
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CONNECTICUT’S PRESCHOOL
ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK
The Connecticut Preschool Assessment Framework (PAF)
is a curriculum-embedded tool for assessing 3- and 4year-old
children in their preschool classrooms. It was
developed as a companion to The Connecticut Framework:
Connecticut’s Preschool Curriculum Framework, and is
directly aligned with this guide. The PAF enables
program staff members and families to monitor
knowledge and skills specifically related to the content
standards in the Preschool Curriculum Framework.
The PAF helps teachers use ongoing assessment to plan
and implement appropriate curriculum that addresses
specific learning outcomes. The PAF provides an explicit
method for integrating assessment and curriculum by
providing objectives for curricular activities and a focus
for observing children during these activities. Its 30
performance standards are divided into four domains,
as follows:
• personal and social;
• cognitive;
• creative expression; and
• physical.
PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
The principles of assessment in early childhood education
are derived from an understanding of early learning and
development. Young children behave in ways unlike
adults or older children, and these differences must
be considered when assessing in the early childhood
classroom. Several principles will guide early childhood
educators in considering and implementing assessment
practices.
Assessment Is To Benefit The Child
In an effort to understand children and their
developmental levels we examine what they know
and can do. With that information we can measure
progress, adapt curriculum, plan strategies and
celebrate growth. Assessment aids in curriculum
planning and in individualizing program objectives and
goals. Possible tools include systematic observation of
children, collecting and analyzing representative work,
tracking skills over time, and recognizing when children
demonstrate understanding while participating in
classroom activities. Due to the variations in age and
development of preschool children, whole-group
administration of assessment instruments is unreliable
and seldom used. Similarly, because rapid growth spurts