Wilmington University College of Education and Liberal Arts
EPY 317
Bachelor of Science in Early Care in Education
Course Number: EPY 217
Course Title: Assessment of Young Children
Faculty Contact Information:
Course Description: It is critical to understand how both formal and informal assessments, when developmentally appropriate in design and purpose, are beneficial for early childhood. This course focuses on the appropriate assessments and an understanding of the assessments when planning and effectively implementing educational services and programs for children ages three to five years old with various learning needs. Students will gain an understanding of appropriate strategies for assessing, recording results, rating systems, and the use of multiple assessment tools. Strategies will be learned and students will gain on understanding about accommodations and modifications for young children with disabilities. Students will be competent with the use of assessment strategies to describe a child's educational and learning strengths as well as instructional needs.
Use of Video: The use of technology is an integral part of the teaching / learning process and a necessary skill for success in teaching. As such, teacher candidates will engage in multiple forms of assessment including but not limited to creating and uploading digital recordings of various forms for evaluation and guidance. Candidate work is uploaded into secure sites and is not available to the public.
Minimum Time Requirements (in clock hours):
College Education Program Attributes
The manner in which we prepare educational personnel is informed by eight essential attributes:
1. ensuring that programs are knowledge-based;
2. viewing educational personnel as learners, including a focus on deconstructing past experiences as learners in coursework and field experiences and developing appropriate knowledge of the content and discourse of the disciplines to be taught;
3. contextual and cultural sensitivity;
4. facilitating inquiry and reflection, i.e., providing structured opportunities for critical reflection on and acting in one’s daily work;
5. enabling authentic participation, collegiality and collaboration;
6. building an ongoing developmental program that allows for continuous improvement, experimentation, and professional growth;
7. ensuring that programs are standards-driven; and
8. ensuring that programs promote the effective use of technology.
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Delaware Teacher Standards: Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC)
Specialized Professional Association Standards: NAEYC Professional Standard and Competencies
Technology Standards: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
Wilmington University Graduation Competencies: Undergraduate Educational Competencies
Dispositions: Model Code of Ethics for Educators
Delaware Teacher Growth and Support System: DTGSS
Global Awareness: Global awareness is knowledge of the interrelatedness of local, global, and international cultures. It is the understanding that our world is an interconnected system. Cultivating global awareness involves the ability to understand, respect, and get curious about challenges, trends, and systems present on a global level. College of Education and Liberal Arts Educator Preparation Programs foster global awareness by preparing and empowering teacher candidates to integrate that knowledge in their PreK - 12 classrooms.
Cultural Differences: Culturally responsive practices acknowledge and honor the experiences and perspectives of children and their families as a tool to support them more effectively. This practice emphasizes incorporation of different perspectives that create an inclusive, relevant, and supportive environment for learners from various backgrounds. The College of Education and Liberal Arts Educator Preparation Programs incorporate culturally relevant instruction that integrate a wide variety of instructional strategies connected to different approaches to learning.
Learning Methods: A variety of teaching methods including inquiry–based learning, game-based learning, personalized learning, differentiated instruction, collaborative projects, and class participation will be used in a student-centered approach to learning. Candidates will engage in observation, reflection and analysis of teacher practice. Candidates will utilize reflective practices in planning for and evaluating instruction. Candidates are encouraged to move from passive receivers of information to active participants in their own learning, where creativity and innovation are encouraged. The purposeful integration of technology is required.
Driving Question for the Course
Learning Outcome 1 – Promoting Child Development – candidates will demonstrate an understanding of the developmental period of early childhood, using this knowledge to support individual learning of children, to plan for interaction with families, and to make evidence-based decisions in support of children’s learning.
The candidate applies knowledge and understanding of the developmental period of early childhood from birth through age 8 across physical, cognitive, social emotional, and linguistic domains, including bilingual/multilingual development.
Candidates utilize their understanding and value each child as an individual with unique developmental variations, experiences, strengths, interests, abilities, challenges, approaches to learning, and with the capacity to make choices.
Candidates demonstrate an understanding of the ways that child development and the learning process occur in multiple contexts, including family, culture, language, community, and early learning setting, as well as in a larger societal context that includes structural inequities.
Candidates use multidimensional knowledge—that is, knowledge about the developmental period of early childhood, about individual children, and about development and learning in cultural context to plan meaningful learning experiences
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Learning Outcome 2- Use of informal observation as well as formal assessment practices as a basis for decisionmaking and planning for instruction and support to all learners.
Candidates use their knowledge that the primary purpose of assessments to inform instruction and planning in early learning settings.
Candidates use observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment approaches and tools.
Candidates use screening and assessment tools in ways that are ethically grounded and developmentally, culturally, ability, and linguistically appropriate to document developmental progress and promote positive outcomes for each child.
Candidates build assessment partnerships with families and professional colleagues
Beginning special education candidates use multiple methods of assessment and data sources in making educational decisions.
Beginning special education candidates select and use technically sound formal and informal assessments that minimize bias.
Beginning special education candidates use knowledge of measurement principles and practices to interpret assessment results and guide educational decisions for individuals with exceptionalities.
Beginning special education candidates, in collaboration with colleagues and families, use multiple types of assessment information in making decisions about individuals with exceptionalities.
Learning Outcome 3 - Using Developmentally Effective Approaches - Early childhood educators apply their understanding that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages and characteristics and on the settings in which teaching and learning occur.
Candidates explain the connections between positive, caring, supportive relationships and interaction supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with young children
Candidates understand and use teaching skills that are responsive to the learning trajectories of young children and to the needs of each child.
Candidates plan multiple forms of stimulating play to foster the development of symbolic and imaginative thinking, peer relationships, social skills, and problem-solving skills
Candidates plan opportunities for children to develop imitative and social reference in play
Candidates use a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate and culturally and linguistically relevant, anti-bias, and evidence-based teaching approaches that reflect the principles of universal design for learning.
Candidates plan for indoor and outdoor environments to specifically support physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development.
Candidates reflect on their own practice in order to promote positive outcomes for each child.
Beginning special education candidates understand how exceptionalities may interact with development and learning and use this knowledge to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences for individuals with exceptionalities.
Beginning special education candidates understand how language, culture, and family background influence the learning of individuals with exceptionalities.
Beginning special education candidates use understanding of development and individual differences to respond to the needs of individuals with exceptionalities.
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Week Week at a Glance Essential Questions
1 How can educators use different types of assessments and approaches required in an Early Childhood classroom?
2 How do educators use informal and formal assessment as a part of the data-driven decision-making process for children with and without exceptionalities?
3 How can educators utilize data to plan and assess instruction, intervention, and at times, to determine eligibility for support services?
4 How can educators use assessments and data to plan behavioral interventions and support?
5 How can factors such as neurological impacts or trauma and adverse childhood events impact cognitively, socially, behaviorally, and linguistically?
6 How can educators use an understanding of ACES to provide trauma-based instructional practices to support early learners?
7 How can educators utilize universal screeners, benchmark assessments, curriculum-based measurements, and progress monitoring to assess the learning and progress of young children?
Assignments and Grading
1. Class Discussions (20%)
2. Assignments (50%)
3. SEA (30%)
These required projects are briefly described in the “Learning Outcomes” section of the syllabus. Additional details and resources, including Open Educational Resources (OERs), and the course outline, can be found on the course site.
Academic Policies
Procedure/Guidelines for Receiving Special Accommodations
College of Education and Liberal Arts Attendance Policy:
In the College of Education, faculty must approve all requests for absences that are exceptions to the University policy. Vacations are not considered legitimate reasons for missing classes. Faculty must be contacted prior to class in all cases except valid emergencies. Failure to obtain approval for exceptions may result in lowering the final passing grade or assigning a FA (failure due to absence).
Students who have registered for a course and never attended the class at all will receive a grade of NA (never attended). Early departures and late arrivals will be cumulative toward class absences. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain and complete assignments on the due dates. Students who register and enter the course on the drop/add date have four days to complete the first week’s assignments.
Course Materials: No Textbook Required 4 | Page
Structured External Assignment: For your Structured External Assessment for this course your final project (SEA) will be a behavior change project to demonstrate you can use assessment data to provide instruction, chart the results (data) of your interventions and discuss the outcome of your intervention on the student’s behavior.
CHECK EACH WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS IN CANVAS FOR MORE SPECIFICS:
In week 1, you one gain permission to work with a child between the ages of 24 and 60 months and provide a description of the student and can begin your observation if possible.
In week 2: You are to do a minimum of 3 different assessments. You may use the tools provided or may add one that you use in your program (if you are in an early childhood classroom). You may not use the same format for all your assessments. Once you have done this, create a document with the results by domain. Then review your information from this and your other assessments and write a report determining areas of strengths and weaknesses based upon the data you have.
In Week 3: write an intervention plan focusing on a behavior or skill that needs improvement.
Identify the area improvement is needed in:
describe the behavior or SE skill lacking in observable terms;
what you believe the function of the behavior is;
what is the antecedent and the consequence of the behavior
what is the replacement behavior you want to introduce;
the steps you will take to teach this behavior remembering that behavior can be taught through the different developmental domains;
what you will do to reinforce the desired behavior or social skills
include base line data as to the frequency, intensity and/or duration of the behavior collected over the last 3 weeks;
how progress will be monitored.
In week 4: you will begin providing your intervention to your chosen child a minimum of twice a week (for a minimum of 15 min). You will keep notes of your intervention, the child’s reactions and take data regarding each session. You will submit your progress monitoring form for review. (If you need to make changes to your plan, talk with your instructor).
In weeks 5-6 you will continue providing your intervention and documenting progress. Note any adjustments you make.
In week 7 you will submit a comprehensive report which covers the following areas:
description of your student and the social-emotional or behavioral concerns you noted;
a summary of the assessments you gave and the results with a statement as to how you feel these results affect your chosen child;
description of the antecedent, behavior and consequences and the replacement behavior that serves the same function as the behavior of concern;
summary of description of your intervention;
o positive and negative reinforcers or consequences
o a chart with baseline and weekly data recorded;
a summary of progress or lack of progress made based on your weekly notes, and a statement of the effectiveness of intervention plan based on result.
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SEA Rubric
Description of child
CEC 1
INTASC 2
description of your student and the social-emotional or behavioral concerns noted
NAEYC 1
Novice Emerging Proficient (meets expectations)
Candidate provides a description of the student based on their observation of child. Candidate lists behaviors which are atypical in relation to others in the class or setting or are not DA.
Candidate provides a description of the student based on their observation of child. Candidate lists typical and atypical behaviors which are age or developmentally inappropriate.
Candidate provides a description of the student based on their observation of child, including information from any teacher or parent reports. Candidate discusses typical and atypical behaviors, stating which are age or developmentally inappropriate.
Candidate provides thorough description of the student based on their observation of child, including information from any teacher or parent reports. Candidate discusses typical and atypical behaviors, which are age or developmentally inappropriate and any possible relationship to information gained through observation.
Description of Assessments given
CEC 4
INTASC 6
NAEYC 3
Candidate uses less than 3 assessments and lists the results without referencing the appropriate domain OR does not provide copies of the assessments.
Candidate administers, names and lists the 3 DA assessments given and briefly discusses the results but does not draw attention to the appropriate domain. Candidate provides copies of the assessments.
Candidate administers, names and describes 3 DA assessments given and discusses the results in the appropriate developmental domain. Candidate provides copies of the assessments
Candidate administers, names and describes 3 or more DA assessments given and discusses the results in the appropriate developmental domain. Candidate provides copies of the assessments and draws specific connections between the assessments and student performance
Candidate identification of a behavior of concern
CEC 1,2
INTASC 2, 3
NAEYC 2
Candidate identifies a behavioral concern or lacking social-emotional skill but does not state how this impedes either the student learning or the learning of others.
Candidate identifies a behavioral concern or lacking social-emotional skill that impedes the child academic, social emotional or functional progress and attempts to tell how it does so.
Candidate describes a behavioral concern or lacking social-emotional skill that impedes the child academic, social emotional or functional progress and tells how it does so in general terms.
Candidate describes in detail a behavioral concern or lacking social-emotional skill that impedes the child academic, social emotional or functional progress AND states how the behavior of concern was exhibited during the observation or assessment sessions. Description
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antecedent, behavior and consequences
CEC 2.0, 4.0, INTASC 3, 6
ECSE 2
and intended, or unintended consequences of the student’s behavior which does not seem aligned with previous information given.
Identification of Function behavior and Replacement Behavior
CEC 2.0, 4.0,
INTASC 3, 6
NAEYC 4
Little, few or limited = less than 74%
Some or loosely = 74% or more
Most = 80% or more
Clearly or directly=90% or more
Candidate is partially successful at proposing a replacement behavior that loosely serves the same function as the problem behavior.
description of the antecedent and intended and unintended consequences of the student’s behavior.
description of the antecedent, intended and unintended consequences of the student’s behavior, relating to the assessments or observations.
description of the antecedent, intended and unintended consequences of the student’s behavior relating to the assessments and observations.
Behavior or socialemotional goal
CEC 5
INTASC 8
NAEYC 4
Intervention plan
CEC 2,5
INTASC 3, 8
Candidate writes a general behavior goal.
Candidate hypothesizes a function of the behavior and identifies a replacement behavior that somewhat serves the same function as the problem behavior.
Candidate hypothesizes a function of the behavior, identifies and briefly discusses a replacement behavior that serves the same function as the problem behavior.
Candidate hypothesizes a function of the behavior, identifies a replacement behavior that serves the same function as the problem behavior and explains how it does so.
Candidate writes a goal that identifies the behavior and conditions or criteria.
Candidate writes a measurable specific goal that identifies the conditions, behavior and criteria.
Candidate provides a intervention plan somewhat related to the behavior of concern which may not provide interventions in a developmentally appropriate
Candidate provides a DA intervention plan appropriate to the behaviors or skill deficits which lists interventions that include play based and or are provided
Candidate describes their DA step by step intervention plan appropriate to the behaviors or skill deficits which includes interventions that include play based and are provided across
Candidate writes a measurable, specific and observable goal that identifies the conditions, behavior and criteria.
Candidate describes their DA step by step intervention plan appropriate to the behaviors or skill deficits which includes a continuum of interventions that include play based and 7 | Page
NAEYC 4 manner. across developmental domains. developmental domains. are provided across developmental domains. Candidate includes peer interaction in the plan. chart with baseline and weekly data recorded;
CEC 4
INTASC 6
NAEYC 4
Analysis of effectiveness of intervention plan.
CEC 4
INTASC 6
NAEYC 4, few or limited = less than 74%
Some or loosely = 74% or more
Most = 80% or more
Clearly or directly=90% or more
Candidate provides assessment data in a graph or chart that includes the baseline data, and progress charted by week but not by session.
Candidate provides assessment data in a graph or chart generally related to the skill that includes the baseline data, and progress charted by week but not by session.
Candidate provides assessment data in a graph or chart related to the skill that includes the baseline data, and progress charted by session.
Candidate provides assessment data in a graph or chart directly related to skill or behavior and includes the baseline data, fluency, intensity data and progress charted by session.
Candidate identifies and is partially successful in analyzing the effectiveness of the intervention plan but does not reference data.
Candidate somewhat discusses the effectiveness of the intervention plan referencing data or improvement in student outcomes.
Candidate discusses the effectiveness of the intervention plan referencing data or improvement in student outcomes and briefly discusses why/how it met the needs of a preschooler or why it was unsuccessful.
Candidate explains in detail the effectiveness of the intervention plan referencing data or improvement in student outcomes and explaining why/how it met the needs of a preschooler or why it was unsuccessful.