Janie Schutte

Chapter 2: Review and Reflection

Purposeful Assessment

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1. Define and discuss the various purposes of assessment as it relates to

an overall system. (4 pts.)

Planning Instruction: As the instructor, there are a few guidelines in

regards to planning instruction including what, where and how to

teach. If you are the instructor, what are you teaching, where will it be

(what type of classroom is this?), and how will the lesson be taught. An

instructor should be using proper teaching methods and known

techniques while following through with every lesson plan. In this, I

would also advise that instructors look into the 10 effective DAP

teaching strategies from NAEYC.

Revising Instruction: When revising instruction, an instructor is able to

understand what is working and what is not. This means that the

instructor is able to identify what can be revised and improved, if in

any case the current instruction is not working. In example, if the

instructor is teaching a planned lesson about bugs but the students

have no interestit is time to move forward into revising the lesson. If

there is anything I have truly learned about revised instruction so far,

its always remember to take the childrens advice.

 Program Evaluation: Several aspects are looked into from professionals

when it comes to program evaluation. It could be if the school is

meeting the childs needs through data, or even how people [such as

the families] are satisfied with the program. Its key for all Early

Childhood Education programs to do their best to stay on their game,

and to understand what the program evaluators are looking for.

Accountability: Programs are held accountable for helping children to

fulfill their educational needs. Accountability involves agencies, in

example No Child Left Behind and National Head Start Association. I

am currently interning in a Head start, and accountability is taken very

seriously. Instructors must be held accountable for what they are

teaching, if the material is leading to a childs success, and if their

work needs to be revised.

2. Compare and Contrast individual-focused screening and community

focused screening. (4 pts.)

Individual-focused screening and community focused screening both come

together in ultimately aiding in early childhood assessment. In contrast,

however, individual-focused screening focuses more so on an individuals

childs medical risks versus the risk at a community level. In an individual-

focused screening, only one child be held accountable rather than a large

group. In example, the individual-focused screening could refer to a toddlers

medical risks, whereas in a community focused screening risk is held on to

the community overall. Both types of screening focus on the medical and

developmental needs of a child/children.

 3. Explain the importance of testing for diagnostic purposes. (4 pts.)

The importance of testing for diagnostic purposes is to understand whether

or not there will be reason for intervention. For example, diagnostic testing

could be done for a child with a behavioral issue. The instructor can come to

understand if there is need for intervention, and understand how the

intervention could further the childs educational success.

4. Describe how assessment information is used to guide intervention. (4

pts.)

When using assessment information for guided intervention, it gives the

instructor a clear idea of what will be necessary through in this process.

Information gathered for assessment is what will help an instructor know if

interventions are necessary or not. In referring back to the child with a

behavioral issue, say the instructor has gathered enough assessment

information to validate this child needs intervention. The intervention could

lead to discussion with parents, teachers, therapists, etc. and has the childs

success as a student completely at heart.

5. The authors list several guidelines for appropriate use of assessments.

Choose 2 you feel are most important. List them and explain why you chose
these 2 guidelines. (4 pts.)

Assessments should benefit children: In my opinion, what is the true

point of assessing a child if isnt going to benefit them. Through my

experience in watching assessments, the goal is always to lead to a

childs continued success. Its a high expectation to expect all of your

 preschoolers to know how to write their names in the beginning of the

school year. Through assessment, as the year goes on, the teacher will

recognize a difference in the nameshopefully a significant and

positive difference. I have watched so many children only better

themselves after being assessed. I was observing the teacher I am

currently volunteering with complete some assessments this week. She

was assessing them on rhyming words, and I noticed her help and

encouragement if the children were not following along. Assessments

should always benefit children.

Assessments should be age appropriate or

developmentally/individually appropriate: An instructor should not be

teaching/assessing anything that is beyond a childs understanding.

Just in example, you cant expect to teach preschoolers the

multiplication and division table. Every child has to start somewhere,

and that somewhere should not be beyond [or even behind] where

they should be. Everything should remain at a level that is age,

developmentally, and individually appropriate for a young child.