The Early Childhood Personnel Center

Component 4.1 Learners understand the purposes of formal and informal assessment, including ethical and legal considerations, and use this information to choose developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate, valid, reliable tools and methods that are responsive to the characteristics of the young child, family, and program.

Learners Who Are Competent in this Component Know and Understand:

• purposes of formal and informal assessment, including screening, diagnosis/eligibility, planning for intervention and instruction, progress monitoring, and evaluation.
• ethical considerations in assessment, including the potential for bias,
• federal, provincial, and state regulations related to eligibility for EI and ECSE, and
• authentic assessment.

Learners Who Are Competent in this Component Are Able To:

• choose developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate assessment measures and methods,
• choose reliable and valid assessment measures and methods,
• choose assessment measures and methods that are responsive to the characteristics of young children and their families, and
• use informal authentic assessment strategies, such as naturalistic observation, curriculum-based measures, and observation-based methods.

Component 4.2 Learners develop and administer informal assessments and/or select and use valid, reliable formal assessments using evidence-based practices, including technology, in partnership with families and other professionals.

Learners Who Are Competent in this Component Know and Understand:

• informal assessment,
• formal assessment,
• play-based assessment,
• psychometric properties of assessment measures, including types of reliability and validity, and
• role of specialized assessments by related service providers.

Learners Who Are Competent in this Component Are Able To:

• develop informal assessments,
• evaluate the psychometric properties of formal and informal assessment measures,
• administer informal assessments using evidence-based practices,
• administer formal assessments using evidence-based practices,
• administer formal and informal assessments using technology, as appropriate,
• use play-based assessment methods as appropriate,
• interpret the results of specialized assessments,
• collaborate with families and other professionals in the administration of informal and formal assessments, and
• work with cultural mediators and/or interpreters on the assessment team.

Component 4.3 Learners analyze, interpret, document, and share assessment information using a strengths-based approach with families and other professionals.

Learners Who Are Competent in this Component Know and Understand:

• similarities and differences in assessment techniques used in early intervention, preschool, and primary grades.

Learners Who Are Competent in this Component Are Able To:

• analyze assessment information,
• interpret assessment information,
• document assessment information,
• share assessment information using a strengths-based approach with families and other professionals.
• use communication skills in interviews and conferences with families, including active listening, furthering responses, paraphrasing, demonstrating non-judgmental attitudes, responding to affect, questioning, and summarizing, and
• practice confidentiality.

Component 4.4 Learners, in collaboration with families and other team members, use assessment data to determine eligibility, develop child and family-based outcomes/goals, plan for interventions and instruction, and monitor progress to determine the efficacy of programming.