1. CHAPTER 1: An Overview of Assessment in Early Childhood
Assessment in Early Childhood Education
Fifth Edition
Sue C. Wortham

2. Chapter Objectives
1. Understand the purposes of assessment in early childhood
2. Understand different meanings of the term assessment
3. Understand the history of tests and measurement in early childhood
4. Develop an awareness of issues in testing young children

3. “Assessment is the process of gathering information about children from several forms of evidence, then organizing and interpreting that information.”

4. Assessment Concerns In Early Childhood
Developmental change in young children is rapid
a need to assess whether development is progressing normally
Assessment methods must be matched with the level of mental, social, and physical development at each stage

5. Appropriate Assessment
Purpose 1:
Assessing to promote children’s learning and development
Purpose 2:
Identifying children for health and social services
Purpose 3:
Monitoring trends and evaluating programs and services
Purpose 4:
Assessing academic achievement to hold individual students,
teachers, and schools accountable

6. Standardized Testing
Public schools expanded to offer 12 years of education
Tests grew out of the need to sort, select, or make decisions about both children and adults
Objective tests were developed to determine the level and pace of instruction; and the grouping of students without regard for socioeconomic class
In the twentieth century Americans, educators, welcomed the opportunity to use precise measurements to evaluate learning.
The work of American psychologists made
testing a science.
Terman at Stanford University: Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale
Edward Thorndike designed measures to evaluate achievement in reading, mathematics, spelling, and language ability.
After World War II: the demand for dependable and
technically refined tests grew and,
testing became more centralized which improved the quality of tests and the establishment of standards for test design
giant corporations grew that could assemble the resources to develop, publish, score, and report the test results
The need for measurement strategies and tests to evaluate federal programs led to the improvement of existing tests and the
development of new tests to accurately evaluate program success and individual child progress.

7. Basic Concepts Testing versus Assessment
Assessment to measure progress (pre and post)
to evaluate program
Assessment for determining strengths and weaknesses
- academic
- behavioral

8. Describing people with differences
Labeling - used to identify people who differ from the accepted norm.
Disability- a loss of physical, academic, or social functioning that interferes with typical growth and development.
Handicap- a limitation imposed on the individual by environmental demands; an ability to adapt or adjust to these demands.
Exceptional - an individual who substantially deviates, either higher or lower, from the norm

9. Why are labels still used?
To distinguish those who are eligible for services from those who are not.
Funding may be dependant upon the number and types of individuals who are deemed eligible.
Labels help professionals communicate

10. Special Education - Specially designed instruction no cost to parents
meets the unique needs of a child with a disability

11. Related Services Transportation Interpretation services
Psychological services
Physical and occupational therapy
Speech-language pathology services
Chapter 1: Key Concepts for Understanding Special Education

12. Supplementary Aids and Services
provided in regular education classes or other settings
word prediction software
Preferential seating
Paraprofessional

13. Disability Litigation Begins
Extended the right to special education to children of all disabilities
1972
Mills v. District of Columbia
Tests used for eligibility for special education must be non-discriminatory; class placement parallel to “Diana” for African American – only in Ca.
Larry P. v. Riles
Guaranteed special education for children with mental retardation
PARC (Pa Association for Retarded Citizens)
no segregation by race - (education - a right and not a privilege)
class placement – students tested in primary language
1954
1970
Brown v. Board of Education
Diana v. State Board of Education
Importance
Date
Case

14. Federal Special Education Laws
1975 – Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) amended as P.L
Chapter 1: Key Concepts for Understanding Special Education

15. Refinements to the Law
Services to infants and young children
1990 – Name changes to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Autism and Traumatic Brain Injury added
1997 – Additions
Discipline of students with disabilities
Parent participation expanded
Assessment of all students with disabilities
2004 – Name changes to Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
Conflict resolution strategies included
Evidence-based practices for instruction required
Chapter 1: Key Concepts for Understanding Special Education

16. Accomplishments and Disappointments
Development of inclusive practices
Overrepresentation of some ethnic groups
Chapter 1: Key Concepts for Understanding Special Education

17. Initial referrals for evaluation may be made
by the parent or by the school.
parents must give informed consent to evaluations.
Evaluations must take place within 60 days or within the timeframe established by the state.

18. Who Receives Special Education?
Visual impairment
Traumatic brain injury
Other health impairments
Specific learning disability
Speech or language impairment
Orthopedic impairment
Multiple disabilities
Mental retardation
Hearing impaired
Emotional disturbance
Developmental delay (3-9)
Deaf-blindness
Autism

19. Traditional Assessment Model
General Education Classroom Instruction
Student Not Progressing As Expected
Student Referred to Multidisciplinary Team
Team Completes Assessment
Team Meeting Determines Student
Found Eligible for Services

20. Difficulties With Traditional Assessment Practices
Lack of Prereferral Interventions
Lack of Integrity of Prereferral Interventions
Bias in Referral Process
Lack of Consistency in Eligibility Decisions

21. Contemporary Assessment Model
General Classroom Instruction with Frequent Measurements
And Statewide Assessments
Student Not Making Progress
General Education Teacher Assesses Skill/Task Using
Frequent Measurements, Probes, Error Analysis of Student
Products and Performance
Interventions Implemented by Classroom Teacher

22. Interventions Not Successful
General Classroom Teacher Meets with Problem-Solving Team
Team Members Analyze Data and Generate Hypotheses
Teacher and Team Design Additional Interventions
Interventions Implemented and Monitored for Integrity
Teacher Takes Frequent Measurements and/or Observations
Student Continues to Have
Difficulty with Academic
Progress and/or Behavior
Interventions Successful
Student Continues in
General Classroom

23. Team Meets to Analyze Data
Team Determines if Additional Assessment is Needed or
Additional Interventions
Additional Interventions
Implemented and
Monitored for Integrity
Team Designs
Assessment
Plan
Interventions Successful
Student Remains in General
Classroom
Student Receives
Comprehensive Evaluation

24. Team Meets to Determine Student’s Needs
Student Receives Accommodations for Educational and/or
Behavioral Needs
Interventions Monitored for Success
Student Found Eligible for Special Education Support
Receives Services in General Education Classroom or
Special Education Setting
Interventions Monitored for Success

25. Core Principles of IDEA
Zero Reject (Zero exclusion principle)
Free Appropriate Public Education
Least Restrictive Environment
Nondiscriminatory Evaluation
Parent and Family Rights to Confidentiality
Procedural Safeguards
Chapter 1: Key Concepts for Understanding Special Education

26. Major provisions of IDEA
The Individualized Education Program (IEP)
The team responsible for developing the IEP include:
the student’s parents
special education teacher,
general education teacher
representative of the local education agency.
The IEP team must also include a person who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results.

27. Required Components of the IEP
Present levels of performance
Annual goals and short term objectives
Special education and related services
Supplementary aids and services
Assistive technology
Participation with nondisabled peers
Participation in state/district testing

28. Additional IEP Components
Dates and locations of service
Placement decision
Transition services needed at age 16
How progress will be measured and reported to parents

29. The Continuum of Placements for Least Restrictive Environment
General Education
Resource Class
Separate Class
Separate School
Residential Facility
Home or Hospital

31. Major provisions of IDEA
Nondiscriminatory and Multidisciplinary Assessment
Testing students in their native or primary language.
Using valid tests and evaluation procedures prevent cultural or racial discrimination.
Utilizing several pieces of information.
“Copyright© Allyn & Bacon 2006”

32. Major provisions of IDEA
Parent and Family Rights to Confidentiality & Procedural Safeguards
Informed Consent for testing and placement.
Participate on the committee.
To inspect and review educational records.
To request a copy.

33. PL Early Childhood
Set forth the guidelines for services for infants
and toddlers.
Many of these guidelines were incorporated into
the 1997 Amendments of IDEA.
Family provides direction for the assessment plan.
Individual Family Service Plan must be designed
for each infant or toddler.
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.
Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e

34. Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004
Highly Qualified Special Ed. Teachers
in every core subject they teach
May use response to intervention (RTI) as part of evaluation procedures
Amendments can be made to an IEP for minor changes without a meeting

35. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Other Legislation
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Civil rights for all people with disabilities
Prohibits discrimination based on disability
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Extends protections to both public and private sectors, regardless of federal funding
Chapter 1: Key Concepts for Understanding Special Education

36. How are Disagreements Resolved?
Mediation
Impartial professional meets with each party to try to resolve the dispute
Due process hearing
Formal procedure often resembling a trial
Impartial hearing officer makes decision
Decision may be appealed

37. Recommended Practices
Inclusion
- Universal Design for Learning
- Evidence-based practices
- Assistive Technology
Positive Behavior Supports
Collaboration
Chapter 1: Key Concepts for Understanding Special Education

38. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 PL 107-110
Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
All pupils will demonstrate proficiency in mathematics, reading and science
Annual testing will show adequate yearly progress (AYP)
Consequences for lack of AYP= parent may transfer their child to another school
Highly qualified teachers and aides

39. Trends in the New Century
Concerns about testing young children
mandates for the increased testing that is standards-based will continue in spite of concerns of their relevance for young children

40. Continuing effort to advocate appropriate assessments
Standardized tests and other measures used inappropriately to determine admission, promotion and retention of young children
Fairness of existing tests to evaluate culturally and linguistically diverse children
Early and appropriate assessment for children with disabilities

41. Concerns about testing young children with disabilities
Assessments are based on multiple sources of information that will reflect the child’s capacities and competencies
play-based assessment and
structured tests are a part of an integrated approach

42. Authentic and Performance Assessment
Rather than being narrowly defined as testing,
assessment should link curriculum and
instruction with program objectives for young
children.
Authentic and performance assessments are
used that benefit the child, parents, and
caregivers and teachers.

43. Authentic Assessments
Allows the teacher to observe progress;
have a connection to the real world
emerge from the child’s accomplishments
include the child’s natural interactions with materials or play activity