Misty Kelman Walden University Serving as Advocates for Families Engaging Families in the Assessment Process Misty Kelman Walden University

Welcome Kindergarten Overview Assessment Importance at Kindergarten How to involve families in assessment What families can tell us about their child How to communicate results of assessments to families Supporting diversity and multiculturalism

Assessments and Their Importance in Kindergarten Why do we assess our early childhood students? Standards based accountability Appropriate assessments identify student strengths and needs Schools are now facing accountability based on what students are expected to know and demonstrate (Gullo, 2013). Assessments are measuring the skills students have obtained and schools face the accountability, or consequences, based on those assessments. Appropriate assessments given in early childhood can identify the student and family strengths and even help in identifying students that may need special services (Seefeldt, 2002).

Assessments and Their Importance in Kindergarten Assessments should be ongoing Assessments give teachers power in the classroom Assessments are for goals, planning, and instruction Assessments that are ongoing in the classroom will provide information on each student that allows for understanding each child as a unique individual (Seefeldt, 2002). Teachers use the assessment data to take control of their classroom through their lessons and delivery to students. Assessment results can be used to develop goals for students, plan lessons, evaluate whether a curriculum is delivering the information well, and implement curriculum to support students (Seefeldt, 2002).

Families and the Assessment Process Appropriate assessment involves families Communication with families is important Families have information to share Appropriate assessments include conversations with families, observations done by the teacher and family, structured assessments, and portfolios of the child’s work (Elicker & McMullen, 2013). Families have information to share with the teacher and staff at schools. Many times the first time a teacher notices an issue is because the family has spoken about it. Communication has to be upheld by both the teacher and family to be in the best interest of the child.

Families and the Assessment Process So how do we get the families to be a part of the assessment process? Interactions Integrating Providing access Promote understanding Create opportunities Teachers need to create an effective way to interact with families. Integrate the families information and input into the daily teaching schedule. Give the families access to the assessment information but explain it to the families. Give the families opportunities to do something for their children based on the information the assessments give (Caspe, Seltzer, Kennedy, Capplo, & DeLorenzo, 2013).

Families Stable families equal stable students Foundational support starts at home Sometimes families need support at home and not just at school Children do not always live in the best family situations. Children are able to learn better when they have the emotional support from their family life (Dewey & Mitchell, 2014). The more stable a home environment is for a child, the better prepared they will be when they enter school and the classroom. Addressing the needs of the family and the child outside of school help to create that stable environment the student needs to succeed in class (Dewey & Mitchell, 2014).

Families and Their Children Families know when they are in need of help Families know information that can help teachers and schools Communication skills and trust are needed for these families Families know their children and what their child can accomplish. Communication with teachers and schools will enable the teachers to help students outside of educational support. When a family trusts an educator information about family life can come to light. Loss of a loved one, family member in prison, or even abuse in the past all have effects on a student and their family (Dewey & Mitchell, 2014). These are issues that a teacher needs to know about to be able to help the student’s whole self and not just the educational aspect. Listen to the families and what they are telling you about themselves because it also tells you about their children. This is where that sort of information leads to outside interventions for the family and child.

How to Communicate Assessment Data to Families Create communication openings Help families make the connections between assessments and the standards Create a family/school journal Invite families to meetings about assessments and their results Use as many opportunities as possible to create an open opportunity for you and the family to communicate. Conferences, meetings, and conversations during pick-up times. Support families in their learning of assessments and the connection to standards. Teachers and families can interact through a journal by asking and answering questions and giving important dates and information. Families should be invited to meetings about the assessments and their results (Caspe, Seltzer, Kennedy, Capplo, & DeLorenzo, 2013).

Diversity and Multiculturalism Get to know the families in your classroom Promote positive relationships Create activities for families to complete together using their customs Supply instructions in a language understood by the family The first way to support diversity in the classroom is to get to know the families. Get to know where they are from and the customs that are part of their family lives. Support the learning and positive relationships with all families. Activities like a literacy pack that focuses on different cultures and customs can be sent home for families to work on together (Hammack, Foote, Garretson, & Thompson, 2012). Make sure the instructions are in a language that is understood by the family. Classroom information can also be sent in the home language if needed.

References Caspe, M., Seltzer, A., Kennedy, J. L., Capplo, M., & DeLorenzo, C. (2013). Engaging families in the child assessment process. Young Children, 68(3), 8-14. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=dc36250d-177d-4863-8605-c412609c13cb%40sessionmgr4007&hid=4102 Dewey, E., & Mitchell, E. (2014). Engaging with schools: National family resource centers. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 23(2), 31-34. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=95037dae-beec-4e64-8297-1f4355425964%40sessionmgr4008&hid=4102 Elicker, J., & McMullen, M. B. (2013). Appropriate and meaningful assessment in family-centered programs. Young Children, 68(3), 8-14. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=23812fbf-127b-4c4f-967c-da6c5777212f%40sessionmgr120&hid=117

References Gullo, D. F. (2013). Improving instructional practices, policies, and student outcomes for early childhood language and literacy through data-driven decision making. Early Childhood Education, 41, 413-421. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10643-013-0581-x Hammack, B. G., Foote, M. M., Garretson, S., & Thompson, J. (2012). Family literacy packs: Engaging teachers, families, and young children in quality activities to promote partnerships for learning. Young Children, 67(3), 104-110. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=30bd1735-0cd4-4906-b052-e8dfbd3a7eb3%40sessionmgr4007&hid=4102 Seefeldt, C. (2002). Assessment: Partnering with parents. Early Childhood Today, 17(1), 15-17. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=f7283e46-fefa-4897-9f28-b8ff182ba03f%40sessionmgr4010&hid=4113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=9219633&db=a9h