Children Assessment Portfolio

Children Assessment Portfolio

Whenever the term assessment comes to my mind, I immediately think of an exam or text that measures or evaluates one’s knowledge in a course or subject. Therefore, what does the term assessment mean? McAfee, Leong & Bodrova (2016) defines assessment as any form of appraisal or measurement that evaluates what children know and can be done through interviews, observations, tests, and reports from knowledgeable sources, among other things. Assessments come in various types, from informal to formal tests, which are supposed to assist teachers and institutions in identifying areas challenging students.

Part 1: Purpose of Assessment

The primary focus of this portfolio assessment is to amass information about a particular student’s progress and knowledge. My role in assessing children is to collect vital information about learners. I can then utilize the information collected to decide the position and level of the student or child regarding knowledge and understanding. As a result, I will adapt my lesson plans to determine the student’s progress or collect additional information about a specific child. Pyle & DeLuca (2013) affirm that assessments should be continuously used in classrooms with multiple designs to produce different information for learners. In addition, evaluations are meant for state and district schools to collect evidence on administrative and teacher performance. Those institutions that get state funds are expected to evaluate learners effectively. McAfee, Leong, & Bodrova (2016) say that “assessments are to gauge whether children have received the necessary services they are to get and learn whatever they are required to at various grade levels” (p.98).

Another primary factor for assessing is to support learners with disabilities or special needs children. Special education funding is much more accessible because of the IDEA Act, which has been funding it since 1975. The laws and principles of IDEA have several consequences for the assessments of all children (McAfee, Leong, & Bodrova, 2016). Therefore, schools would not meet the needs of special needs learners without appropriate funding. The teacher’s role in assessing special needs learners is to ensure that all children, whether special or non-special, are assessed fairly. For example, to avoid bias, I will group special and non-special learners together while learning. I will also give special and non-special learners equal and additional time for assessment and learning. Any of the learners in need of extra help will be assisted as expected.

Consistently, how does a teacher ensure they uphold ethical, professional, and legal responsibilities when assessing learners? As a tutor, I have the legal and moral mandate to maintain dignity, be responsible, and be truthful and fair when conducting assessments. Most importantly, as a teacher, I am legally obligated not to share or read a learner’s results loudly because this goes against the Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA) policy, which safeguards the privacy of learners and describes that a teacher should manage all the child’s data including assessment results respectfully and privately that does not dignify the learner. Secondly, as a tutor, I will do everything within my ability to remain unbiased and fair in my assessments because this is ethically and morally the right thing to do as a tutor. The IDEA act requires me to uphold their ethics and integrity by treating and assessing both special needs and normal students fairly and giving both learners a conducive environment to attain their potential equally (McAfee, Leong, & Bodrova, 2016). It then means that my assessment should not be threatening to learners and strictly follow the directions and guidelines of tests. Therefore, I must also be aware of the distractions and environment that might disturb the tested student. Once the child has concluded the assessment, the teacher needs to check whether the results match the child’s overall performance.

Regarding how learners are assessed, the questions that come up are ‘why,’ ‘what,’ and ‘when’ do teachers require assessments, and why are they essential? First, teachers require assessments to test the learner’s level of understanding. When do we assess? According to the school calendar, assessments can be done anytime in class, as tests, small quizzes, or periodically. The specific times are at the start of the course, in the middle, and at the end. On what do we assess, I assess the cognitive, linguistic, physical, and social-emotional domains of learners. Why do we assess? I assess learners to track their progress, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and direct instruction so I can tailor my instruction to meet their needs. McLachlan, Fleer & Edwards (2018) say that using evaluations that give information on the child’s developmental accomplishments in critical domains of early learning can provide the teacher with the necessary information to deliver optimum learning practices for students. This means evaluations are vital in giving information about a child’s language, thinking, developmental, and physical development. With the correct records and information about these five fundamentals of a child’s development, I can immediately recognize any abnormalities or red flags for such children to get immediate help. Besides, the assessments are an excellent way to see where I can adjust my instruction to allow students to learn effectively and attain the required state criteria.

A comprehensive assessment structure is significant for tutors because it involves evaluating learners’ knowledge to advance learning and teaching. This means I should utilize multiple approaches to collect and share information on what learners recognize and understand where they are struggling and require the most help. Therefore, comprehensive assessments can be done in formative, summative, formal, and informal forms. First, summative assessments or testing entails looking at or scrutinizing all the information given as a whole. It is a type of assessment that occurs at the end of a course or unit. While referring to summative assessments, Maria & Erin (2007) affirm that this test enables tutors to monitor and reflect on the fundamental areas during teaching, checking learners understanding and effectively planning on the next action to assist their learners. In contrast, formative assessments often occur in classrooms. They might be asked questions or quizzes by the tutor in class to test their level of understanding as they discuss or teach a specific topic. MacAfee, Leong & Bodrova (2016) say ongoing formative tests keep educators and the programs responsive and sensitive to children. Other types of assessments are informal and formal assessments. These form better ways for educators to view a learner’s development in a class. Formal assessments are often more inflexible and have information that supports the testing, providing a clear picture of the learners understanding. The formal evaluations commonly used are rating scales, screeners, rubrics, and multiple choice tutors, which must be adequately used to understand the learner’s progress and growth fully. Informal assessments also must be used as they come in diverse forms, such as anecdotal records, observations, interviews, and checklists. Nonetheless, these informal evaluations are always unstructured and integrated with daily classroom activities. Most importantly, they are executed faster with little planning to assess the amount of information gained by the student.

Part 2: Documenting and Compiling Information

The child whose assessment portfolio is being made is Travis, a four-year-old preschool boy. Travis was presented in the video “One Morning in the Block Area.” In the video, Travis is shown spending most of his time at the block area or center making individual creations using blocks. Mostly, Travis is depicted playing individually but can freely interact with his mother while at the center. Surprisingly, two other children join Travis at the block center, and he does not interact effectively with them even if he allows them to join him. Travis later resorts to independent play, and the other two girls play together as he makes his block alone.

The informal and formal assessments I created for Travis were as follows. The rating scale was the first assessment tool I made for Travis. A rating scale is an assessment tool that states specific criteria to use on a learner and allows me, as a teacher, to collect information about a learner. McAfee Leong & Bodrova’s (2016) rating scales check or scrutinize more than one area. As such, it is suitable for more than a single group. It also uses clearly demarcated and detailed accounts. In addition, they list performance reports in one column and the range of achievements in expressive terms without or with numbers in a different column. For example, in the case of Travis, the rating scale would be used to check different things, such as whether he appears to enjoy interacting with peers, which he would get a 2, meaning he never enjoys. Was Travis able to enter playing groups successfully? He would also get a two, meaning he does not join playgroups successfully. Another issue would be whether Travis communicates effectively with his peers, which would also be never with a rate of two. Is Travis comfortable with playing? He would get a rating of four. Generally, the rating scale would show that Travis is not an average student who can interact freely and play with other children comfortably. He would typically get a three on the entire rating scale.

Observation is the other assessment tool I used for Travis, who was playing in the block area, comfortably relating with her mum and two girls. The type of assessment used for informal is child systematic observation. This kind of systematic observation requires me to look at the child’s behavior on an activity with a keen eye and effectively document what is viewed. In this assessment, I am not allowed to add any thoughts or feelings; I should only record what I have observed (Rolfe, 2020). Below is a sample of systematic observation executed on Travis.

An additional assessment that I would use on Travis is a sixty-second interview Assessment. In this case, as a tutor, I will ask the child a few questions and then record the answers the way he answers them. Lonigan, Allan & Lerner (2011) insist that the educator is not permitted to direct or persuade the child’s response for interviews. It should be exactly as the child answers. Below is a picture of the questions I would ask Travis for this assessment

Part 3: Interpreting and Using Information

The role of a tutor is to evaluate and assess children and facilitate ways of assisting children effectively in learning and growing. The most imperative way I can do this is to create workable goals for a child after close observation and evaluation. These goals need to be attainable without significant challenges or difficulties. In addition, the goals should relate to the problem the tutor is looking to correct and help the child understand further. In the case of Travis, I should implement a few goals to assist him in his progress. The primary one is to ensure Travis joins a group of peers and can sustain play. The other goal is to work on Travis’s communication with his peers and finally help Travis interpret and understand other people’s feelings.

Remarkably, the three objectives highlighted above will assist Travis in becoming more successful with peer communication and social interaction. To ensure Travis effectively engages a team of peers and sustains playing, I need to begin coaching and modeling Travis. This means that whenever Travis plays independently at the block center, I should supervise him and closely monitor his play for a few minutes (Marcella & Howes, 2014). Next, I should begin commenting positively on whatever Travis is undertaking; for example, I can say, “Hello, Travis. I see you are building a great tower. Please teach me how you did it.” Once he replies, I can respond by saying, “I love how you build. Can I join you so we build together?” If I  repeat this approach each time, Travis will be modeled on how to join a group and play effectively. Besides, I can continue doing this to other groups surrounding Travis so he can see, hear, learn, and start doing the same.

The second goal is to improve Travis’ communication with his peers. The best way to assist Travis is through reading stories on effective peer communication and engaging in role-playing. Using role-playing, I can ask Travis to act out a situation as other kids observe, and I can help by asking quizzes and encouraging other kids to try various solutions. Similarly, reading books will teach Travis how to communicate with friends because he will hear and see pictures of how people interact. Travis’s last goal is to interpret and understand other people’s feelings, especially his peers. The best strategy to help Travis achieve this goal is by utilizing emotional flashcards. I will make flashcards portraying emotions such as anger, fear, silly, happiness, and sadness. Then, I would prepare a lesson on emotion. After the class, I will spend extra time with Travis, show each card to him, and ask him to tell the kind of emotion depicted on the card (Lonigan, Allan & Lerner, 2011). Additionally, I can ask him to try to explain a scenario that might make one feel that emotion; for example, Travis might feel sad if his classmates scorn him. Flashcards are significant as they will enable Travis to effectively learn an idea because he practically sees what is being taught.

Moreover, communication with families about their child’s progress is vital. Since assessments are part of learning, parents need to communicate about their children’s education and developmental progress at school. Therefore, it is essential to show families their children’s progress to assist them at home and school for success in all areas. Epstein (2019) affirms that they can attain their objectives whenever families and teachers collaborate with frequent communication. The means of communication are several. I can communicate with parents through an open platform, like a parent meeting or an open school forum, where families can ask questions periodically and openly and provide feedback. In addition, parents can be given phone numbers and e-mails of teachers or the school e-mail so they can communicate through them. In addition, the parents should be given copies of students’ assessments quarterly, sent via e-mail, or delivered home so that they can track their children’s progress, learn what is challenging them, and find a solution. I would communicate the students’ assessment to the parents using two strategies. I would invite a parent and child to discuss the child’s progress. In addition, I would share the results during parents’ meetings by preparing data visualizations to show the parents a complete and precise performance of the entire class and each student.

Lastly, developing good relationships with families is vital as it enables teachers to be friendly and easy to converse with. Hargreaves (2019) affirms that having discussions at pick-up and drop-off are great ways to share critical information. Besides, effective collaborations between teachers and families would help families amass any ideas or feedback to help their children succeed. It is the most significant benefit of communicating with families.

Conclusion

The assignment has dwelled on assessment. Ideally, assessments occur in different forms. They can be in the form of observations, quizzes, or tests. However, tutors must evaluate children to understand their understanding and knowledge. Goals must be set immediately after assessments are finished for the child to meet. Everything is possible with the assistance of teachers, administration, and families. The assignment has explained various assessments like formal, informal, summative, and formative, and discussed why, what, and where assessments occur. Besides that, it has evaluated a child named Travis, a four-year-old preschool kid who exhibited independent play with few interaction and communication challenges. It then explained the formal and informal assessment used to assess the child in question. The assignment ended with highlighting three goals for the child Travis, their intervention, and how to communicate with families about children’s assessments.

References

Epstein, J. L. (2019). Theory to practice: School and family partnerships lead to school improvement and student success. In school, family and community interaction (pp. 39-52). Routledge.

Hargreaves, A. (2019). Teacher collaboration: 30 years of research on its nature, forms, limitations, and effects. Teachers and Teaching, 25(5), 603-621.

Lonigan, C. J., Allan, N. P., & Lerner, M. D. (2011). Assessment of preschool early literacy skills: Linking children’s educational needs with empirically supported instructional activities. Psychology in the Schools, 48(5), 488–501. Retrieved from https://doi-org.proxylibrary.ashford.edu/10.1002/pits.20569.

Marcella, J., & Howes, C. (2014). Using naturalistic observation to study children’s engagement within early childhood classrooms. Handbook of Research Methods in Early Childhood Education Volume 2.

Maria Araceli Ruiz-Primo & Erin Marie Furtak. (2007) Exploring Teachers’ Informal Formative Assessment Practices and Students’ Understanding in the Context of Scientific Inquiry. Journal of Research in Science Teaching Vol. 44, NO. 1, PP. 57–84. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tea.2016.

McAfee, O., Leong, D. J., & Bodrova, E. (2016). Assessing and Guiding Young Children’s Development and Learning (6th ed.). Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu.

McLachlan. C, Fleer. M & Edwards. S (2018). Early Childhood Curriculum Planning Assessment and Implementation. Cambridge University Press.

Rolfe, S. A. (2020). Direct observation. In Doing Early Childhood Research (pp. 224-239). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003115397-18/direct-observation-sharne-rolfe.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

As you have learned throughout this course, “Teachers in schools and centers throughout the United States assess children’s development and learning in a wide variety of ways and use that information for different purposes” (McAfee, Leong, & Bodrova, 2016, p. 8). In your Assessment Portfolio Project, you will have the opportunity to combine all the learning you have done regarding why, what, and when to assess to develop an assessment portfolio. This Assessment Portfolio Project is a great way to showcase your assessment skillset to future employers. As you complete this final, remember that you will upload this project to your online portfolio (Folio) account for future employers to see. This is your opportunity to build a professional portfolio that you will be proud to include on job applications.

Children Assessment Portfolio

To prepare for this assignment,

Please refer to the Week 5 Instructor Guidance for further tips and examples that will support your success in this discussion.
Read Chapter 8: Using Assessment Intervention.
Review the ECD 405 Week 5 Assignment Template. Download the ECD 405 Week 5 Assignment Template.
If you have not set up a Folio account, view the Folio Quick Start Guide Links on an external site.to set one up.
Including the following three parts in your eight- to 10-page paper,

Part 1: Purpose of Assessment

Explain your role in assessing children. (Refer to your Week 1 discussion forum: What Role Do I Play in Assessment for support.)
Discuss how you will ensure that you uphold legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities when assessing.
Summarize why, what, and when you will assess.
Include a copy of your graphic organizer from your Week 2 discussion forum: Why, What, And When? for
Explain how you will use a comprehensive assessment system, including formative, summative, informal, and formal assessments.
Refer to your Week 2 discussion forum: Formative Versus Summative, Week 3 Informal Assessment Tools (Role Play) discussion forum, and Week 3 Formal Assessment Tools discussion forum.
Part 2: Documenting and Compiling Information

Introduce the child for whom you are developing your assessment portfolio. (This should be the same child you observed and completed your assessments in Week 3 and Week 4. Include their name, age, grade, and any other information you feel is relevant. You can make one up if the child’s name is not mentioned.)
Include the informal and formal assessment tool you created and completed in your Week 3 Determining Appropriate Assessments assignment.
Develop and complete one new assessment tool (informal or formal) for the child you chose from the video.
Part 3: Interpreting and Using Information

Create three objectives (goals) for the child. (These goals should be based on areas of need from your assessments. If you need assistance creating effective learning objectives, please view the Objectives section of the ECE/CD Lesson Planning Handbook. Download the ECE/CD Lesson Planning Handbook. Refer to your Week 4 discussion forum: Analyzing Assessments for support.)
Generate an intervention strategy for each of the three objectives you created.
Summarize how you will communicate with families about the assessments and the information gained from them.
Your summary should include how you will connect with the family and the type of information you will share with the family. Refer back to your Week 5 discussion forum: Communicating With Families (Scenario) for support.