Making Inclusion W ork: Focus on Ongoing Assessment Mary McLean, Ph.D.

1. Making Inclusion Work: Focus on Ongoing Assessment Mary McLean, Ph.D.

2. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/teaching National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning

3. AGenda • How is information collected for all children relative to EC standards or curriculum • How is information collected about progress toward IEP goals/IFSP outcomes?

4. AGenda • How does planning for assessment happen? • How is assessment information used to inform teaching? • How is assessment information shared?

5. FRAMEWORK FOR EFFECTIVE PRACTICE SUPPORTING SCHOOL READINESS FOR ALL CHILDREN

6. Using Assessment Information to Inform Teaching Partnering with Families Collecting & Using Video Overview of Ongoing Assessment & Documentation Ongoing Child Assessment for Children with Disabilities Using Samples of Children’s Work Administrative Support Anecdotal Records Using Checklists to Collect Data Planning for Assessment

7. Purposes of assessment • Screening • Evaluation to determine eligibility for special education • Assessment for program planning • Monitoring child progress • Program evaluation

8. “Thinking about your program”document Think about an inclusive program you work in or are aware of as we consider five questions about the assessment system that currently exists.

9. Question #I How is information about children collected for monitoring progress toward general early childhood standards or curriculum goals? • What data reporting requirements exist? • What instruments are used and when?

10. From the Head Start Performance Standards • Program Evaluation • Support Learning

11. FROM THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDSSTEPS TO ACHIEVE SCHOOL READINESS GOALS1307.3 (b)(2)(i) • (i) Aggregating and analyzing aggregate child-level assessment data at least three times per year (except for programs operating less than 90 days, which will be required to do so at least twice within their operating program period) and • using that data in combination with other program data to determine grantees' progress toward meeting its goals, to inform parents and the community of results, • to direct continuous improvement related to curriculum, instruction, professional development, program design and other program decisions;

12. from the performance standardssteps to achieve the school readiness goals 1307.3 (b)(2)(ii) • (ii) Analyzing individual ongoing, child-level assessment data for all children birth to age five participating in the program and • using that data in combination with input from parents and families to determine each child's status and progress with regard to, at a minimum, language and literacy development, cognition and general knowledge, approaches toward learning, physical well-being and motor development, and social and emotional development and • to individualize the experiences, instructional strategies, and services to best support each child.

13. Characteristics of Measures from the Head Start Act641A(b)(2)) Measures shall • be developmentally, linguistically and culturally appropriate for the population served; • be reviewed periodically, based on advances in the science of early childhood development; • be consistent with …professional and technical standards related to the assessment of young children; • Be valid and reliable in the language in which they are administered;

14. Characteristics of Measures from the Head Start Act641A(b)(2)) Measures shall • be administered by staff with appropriate training for such administration; • provide for appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities and children who are limited English proficient; • Be high-quality research-based measures that have been demonstrated to assist with the purposes for which they were devised; • 641A(b)(2)

15. Resources • Understanding and Choosing Assessments and Developmental Screeners for Young Children Ages 3-5: Profiles of Selected Measures http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/mr/opre/screeners_final.pdf • Resources for Measuring Services & Outcomes in Head Start Programs Serving Infants & Toddlers http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/ehs/perf_measures/reports/resources_measuring/res_meas_title.html

16. Question #1 (cont’d) • How is data collected? • Who collects the data?

17. Suggestion: Ongoing Child Assessment A system of ongoing, authentic assessment that is embedded into the typical routines and planned activities of the Head Start classroom

18. House Foundation • Ongoing child assessment informs instruction and facilitates program evaluation.

19. Ongoing Assessment An initial and continuous system of assessment that informs instruction including: • Decisions about what to teach • Decisions about how to teach • Decisions about when to make changes in teaching

20. Ongoing assessment is authentic assessment Ongoing assessment information can be used to inform teaching and used to rate an assessment instrument on a periodic basis

21. Authentic Assessment Resources • Neisworth, J.& Bagnato, S. (2005). DEC recommended practices: Assessment. In Sandall, Hemmeter, Smith & McLean (Eds) DEC recommended practice: A comprehensive guide for application. Longmont, CO: Sopris West Publishing Co. • NAEYC and NAECS/SDE (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/cape.asp • DEC (2007). Promoting positive outcomes for children with disabilities: Recommendations for curriculum, assessment and program evaluation. www.dec-sped.org • Snow, C. & VanHemel, C. (2008). Early childhood assessment: Why, what and how? Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

22. Direct _________________________ AuthenticAssessment Assessment

23. “…the science of the strange behavior of children in strange situations with strange adults for the briefest possible period of time” Bronfenbrenner (1977) (direct assessment)

24. “The best way to understand the development of children is to observe their behavior in natural settings while they are interacting with familiar adults over prolonged periods of time.” Bronfenbrenner, 1977 (authentic assessment)

25. Procedures for consistency in administration and scoring are built in Behavior sampled may not be representative of child’s typical behavior Consistency depends on teacher training and monitoring of implementation Behavior measured is child’s typical behavior Increased utility for instruction (Mathematica Policy Research, 2007) Direct AssessmentAuthentic Assessment

26. How to assess:Assessment strategies

27. Question #2 How is information about progress toward IEP goals/IFSP outcomes collected: • how ? • who? • when?

28. Suggestion: Embed assessment of IEPgoals and IFSP outcomes Assessing progress toward many IEP goals/IFSP outcomes can be embedded in the ongoing assessment system.

29. Question #3 How is planning for assessment completed?

30. Suggestion: Embed Plannning Planning for assessment can be embedded into planning for instruction.

31. “Why” is a very Important Question! “If I knew what you were going to use the information for, I would have done a better job of collecting it” Introduction to Data Analysis Handbook Academy for Educational Development http://ece.aed.org/publications/mshs/dataanalysis/WebDataAnalysis.pdf

32. ECSE Teachr Teacher “If I knew what you were going to use the information for I would have done a better job of collecting it.”

33. Planning What to Assess • Universal learning targets for all curriculum areas for the whole class • Specific targets for children who may need a bit of extra help to stay on track • Specific goals or skills for children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), (IFSPs) or Behavior Support Plans (BSPs)

35. Planning When to Assess:Assessment Matrix

36. Activity Matrix/Data Sheet

37. Question #4 How is assessment information used to inform teaching: • How is it organized? • Who reviews it and makes decisions? • How frequently?

38. Organize and Analyze the Data

42. Individual Child Progress 24

43. An Assessment System with High Utility • Informs program planning and progress monitoring and program evaluation • Informs general early childhood planning/monitoring and IFSP/IEP planning/monitoring

44. The Assessment-Instructional Cycle Observation Instruction Documentation Interpretation - Hypothesis setting

45. Schedule Time to Review the Information you have Gathered

46. Suggestion: Schedule time to review the data Schedule regular meetings for the purpose of analyzing and reviewing data to inform teaching

48. Question #5: How is assessment information shared?

49. Family involvement expands the validity of assessment information and the effectiveness of intervention Gathering and sharing information with families

50. Strategies for Gathering and Sharing Information with Families • Utilize home visits as a strategy to connect with families • Make periodic requests for information from families (describe specific skills to watch for at home.) • Use assessment tools that have family report forms: AEPS, HELP, GOLD • Use existing informal communication mechanisms (traveling notebook, daily conversations, e-mail, telephone.)