Screening and Child Assessment Samuel J. Meisels, University of Michigan Samuel J. Meisels is a professor in the University of Michigan School of Education and a research scientist at the Center for Human Growth and Development. His research focuses on the development of alternative assessment strategies in the early childhood and early elementary years; the impact of standardized tests on young children; developmental screening in early childhood; and developmental consequences of high-risk birth. He has published more than 120 articles, books, and monographs. Meisels is the co-author of the Work Sampling System, the Early Screening Inventory-Revised, and The Handbook of Early Childhood Intervention. He is President-Elect of the Board of ZERO TO THREE. A member of the National Academy of Science’s Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy and an advisor to the Office of Head Start, Meisels is also a senior investigator for the national Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort, sponsored by the National Center for Educational Statistics, and the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA) funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Meisels also spent several years as a teacher of children in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. "We should be able to keep track, to follow, to watch, and to observe children over such a continuous period that we really do know how they’re doing. And when they’re having problems… we’re in a position to move quickly to try to help them." — Samuel J. Meisels Presentation Highlights Assessment must be viewed as an ongoing collaborative process of systematic observation and analysis, and should be used to improve the teaching/learning process. This presentation focuses on the definition of assessment, the types and purposes of assessment in early childhood education, and the role of assessment as related to the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework. Defining Assessment Assessment can be defined as the process of obtaining information for the purpose of making evaluative decisions. Assessment can be a positive educational process - one that has the potential to enhance teaching and learning, and that corresponds to the values we live by. The Key to Effective Assessments High stakes testing is characterized by rewards and punishment. One example of the problems associated with this type of testing is measurement-driven instruction. The key to effectiveness is to identify assessments that help us meet children’s needs and build upon their strengths, rather than focus on weaknesses. The Purpose of Assessment The purpose of assessment is to serve as a tool for answering specific questions about various aspects of children’s knowledge, skills, behaviors, and personalities. Types of Screening and Assessment Four types of screening and assessment used with young children are: Developmental screening; Diagnostic evaluation; Readiness tests; and Observational/performance assessments. Assessment and the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework is highly consistent with functional/observational forms of assessment. The purposes of the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework are to serve as: A guide for programs in their ongoing assessment of the progress and accomplishments of children; and A means for helping Head Start programs analyze and use data on child outcomes for program self-assessment and continuous improvement. Presentation Handout Print version of Samuel J. Meisels' 4-page Handout Using Assessments to Enhance Teaching and Improve Learning Samuel J. Meisels University of Michigan Head Start Child Development Institute December 4, 2000 Assessment Defined The process of obtaining information for the purpose of making evaluative decisions High-Stakes Tests Tests that are: directly linked to decisions regarding promotion or retention used for evaluating or rewarding teachers or administrators associated with the allocation of resources to school districts connected to changes in the curriculum Measurement-Driven Instruction In which testing programs result in: a narrowing of the curriculum a concentration on those skills most amenable to testing a constraint on the creativity and flexibility of teachers a demeaning of teachers' professional judgement Why I Oppose Conventional Testing in Early Childhood Young children are not experiences test takers; High stakes tests may have long-term negative consequences for children; Currently available tests are narrow and one-dimensional; Teaching and learning can be negatively affected by a focus on test results; Children's opportunities to learn are vastly different in the early childhood years The Purpose of Assessment A tool for answering specific questions about various aspects of children's knowledge, skill, behavior, or personality Types of Assessments Used With Young Children Developmental Screening Identifies children who are likely to be at high-risk for school failure Diagnostic Evaluation Confirms the presence and extent of a disability Readiness Test Ascertains a child's relative knowledge of specific skills and information Observational/Performance Assessment Provides ongoing information for instructional or program development purposes and for documenting children's learning Developmental Screening A brief assessment procedure designed to identify children at high risk for delayed development or school failure. Screening tests should be: What Screening is NOT Source of a diagnostic label School entry test Achievement test Pre/post accountability exam Practices to Avoid in Assessment 1. Young children should not be separated from their parents or familiar caregivers during assessment. 2. Young children should not be assessed by a strange examiner. 3. Assessments are incomplete if they are limited to easily measurable areas, such as certain motor or cognitive skills. 4. Normative tests or milestone scales should not be the cornerstone of the assessment of an infant or young child. Our Challenge To transform assessment information into instructional solutions Assessment as a Continuing Process Assessment should be an ongoing, collaborative process of systematic observation and analysis. This process involves formulating questions, gathering information, sharing observations, and making interpretations in order to form new questions. Functional Assessment Focuses on everyday, naturally occurring, practical behaviors and accomplishments: Easily recognized by parents and service providers Central to the emergence of infant and toddler competence Learned and assessed in context Part of the fabric of the relationships between infants and their primary caregivers Elicit, support, and extend children's skills, abilities, and accomplishments Performance Assessment Methods that enable children to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and personality through performing tasks that are part of their daily experience. Performance Assessment and Intervention Performance assessments do not call for the application of one set of assessment procedures in order to determine "correct" interventions. Rather, in authentic performance assessment we assess within the context of intervention or teaching in order to learn how to intervene or teach still more effectively. Purposes of the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework A guide for Head Start programs in their ongoing assessment of the progress and accomplishments of children. A means for helping Head Start programs analyze and use data on child outcomes for program self-assessment and continuous improvement. Characteristics of the Head Start Outcomes Framework Reflects a developmental continuum Shows progress over time Aligned with curriculum Covers 8 domains of development and learning Includes data on child progress and child performance Incorporates legislatively mandated indicators Makes use of such multiple sources as teacher observations, analysis of children's work samples, documentation of performance, parent reports, and direct assessment By linking assessment and intervention, more information is available to answer our questions about children's learning, and the questions themselves are embedded in a process of continuous refinement. The best way to evaluate a child's performance is to study performance, not something else. Some Maxims for Early Childhood Assessment Testing is not a monolith. Tests should only be used for their intended purposes. High stakes testing does not promote learning in early childhood. Understanding the child within context is key to understanding the child. Well Begun is Half Done "The importance of early childhood for the intellectual, social, and emotional growth of human beings is probably...one of the most revolutionary discoveries of modern times.... where emotional and mental growth are concerned; well begun is indeed half done." — Jerome Bruner, 1980 References Bruner, J. (1980). Under five in Britain. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope. Greenspan, S. I. & Meisels, S. J. (1996). Toward a new vision for the developmental assessment of infants and young children. In S. J. Meisels & E. Fenichel (Eds.), New visions for the developmental assessment of infants and young children (pp. 11 -26). Washington, DC: ZERO TO THREE. Meisels: S. J. (1996). Charting the continuum of assessment and intervention. In S. J. Melsels & E. Fenichel (Eds.), New Visions for the developmental assessment of infants and young children (pp. 27- 52). Washington, DC: ZERO TO THREE. Meisels, S. J. & Atkins-Burnett, S. (2000). The elements of early childhood assessment. In J. P. Shonkoff & S. J. Meisels (Eds.). The handbook of early childhood intervention (second ed., pp. 231- 257). New York: Cambridge University Press. © Samuel J. Meisels, 2000 Video of Presentation Presentation Highlights Presentation Handout List of Curriculum and Assessment presenters/presentations Information on how to view videos and view/download handouts

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