Assessments
ASSESSMENTS
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Definition
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Assessment is the process of finding out what the children, both individually and as a group, know and can do in relation to their optimum development and to the goals of the program.
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Assessment is the process of gathering information about the child from several forms of evidence, then organizing and interpreting that information.
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Why is it Important to Assess?
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To monitor children’s development and learning
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To guide our planning and decision making
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To identify children who may need and can benefit from special services
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To report to and communicate with others (i.e. share with families)
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To use for program evaluation and for accountability. More and more there is pressure from the legislature and funding agencies use their authority to make programs accountable for assessing and achieving outcomes. Assessment will provide evidence that children are meeting the standards outlined in the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS).
We believe it’s appropriate to use “Authentic Performance Assessment” which means assessing children while they are applying their knowledge and skills in a situation or to a task that is meaningful to them and that is within the range of typical classroom activity. Performance assessment is authentic because it is not set apart from daily learning.
Developmental checklists may be appropriate in some situations, such as when the child has delays or gaps in development. Teachers can either do spontaneous observations of activities to get an idea of children’s knowledge and skills, or they can plan activities or assigned tasks so they can observe and “document” the outcomes. When the outcomes are documented, the teacher makes it possible for others to “see” the learning and development that is taking place.
Teachers at the CDL build strong relationships with families. This includes learning about families' individual needs, traditions, and languages which are taken into account with assessments. Anecdotal notes from families are helpful to fully understand the larger picture of their child’s development.
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Documentation
Documentation is “evidence” of learning and development and of the child’s ability to integrate and apply information. The following are examples of things that can be documented:
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Observations made by the teacher and recorded as anecdotal notes
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Photographs of activities
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Items that show the child’s unique learning style and interests
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Products the child makes or produces such as 3-D constructions, block building structures, models, art creations, and so on
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Children’s representations (drama re-enactments, songs, storytelling)
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Child-made books
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Child-made signs and symbols
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Spoken language samples saved on audio and/or video files
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Vocabulary word lists
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Writing samples
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Drawings or paintings
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Responds to questions
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Records of skills with various tools and equipment
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Musical expressions such as made-up songs or dances
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Behavioral indicators of disposition and learning style
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Children’s self-reflections –their own statements
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Stories of learning experiences in activities, projects and units
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Memory drawings that recreate an activity or event
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Records of problem-solving attempts
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Topic webs
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Surveys and graphs
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Charts of questions
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Records of data collected in an investigation including field visits
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Predictions, findings, and discoveries
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Displays
All teachers at the Child Development Lab are expected to display documentations and change them regularly to reflect the learning that is occurring within the classroom.
The displays are the part of documentation that demonstrate to families and visitors what children noticed, wondered, explored and discovered in their daily activities. Displays are the part of documentation that makes children’s work visible within the classroom and center.
What to include in displays:
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Context
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Date
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Outcomes including the learning standard or development skill being addressed (What did children learn)
Where to display? Displays can be on bulletin boards, walls, shelves, tables and open floor spaces in the classroom.
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Daily Reports
The daily report form is used to communicate to families and visitors the activities that have transpired in the classroom that day. For children in the Infant rooms, this daily report form is individual to the child and includes information about the child’s eating, sleeping, and diaper changing times as well as individual outcomes activities the child did that day. In the older classrooms, the daily report should include not only what children did, but what knowledge and skills they are acquiring.
The daily report also provides a record of the classroom activities over time required by Child Care Licensing & City of Madison Accreditation.
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Semester Reports
I. Child assessments will be completed three times each year (Fall, Spring, Summer) and will include a developmental checklist and brief summary.
II. The CDL will be closed twice per calendar year to allow Lead Teachers time to complete child assessments.
g. Family Conferences
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Family conferences are formally offered twice each year, in the fall and in the spring. In the fall, collect documents in September, October, and Early November. In the spring, collect documents in January, February, March and Early April. Complete a "Conference Summary Sheet" to summarize your assessments in time for the child's scheduled Family/Teacher conference.
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Make a copy of the summary sheet and put it in the child’s permanent center file. This will serve as a record, after the child has left the center.
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During the conferences, partner with families to set child goals. The family conferences are an opportunity to talk about each child's development, observations from home and school and developmental summaries along with setting goals and discussing what may be coming next developmentally. This would also be time to discuss developmental concerns, and any challenges around behavior, strategies/approaches used at home and school and see if the family has any concerns about their child. It is a great opportunity to celebrate and talk about the successes and offer and or share/exchange resources as well.