KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
KUTZTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION: Pre-K through 4 Program
EEU 225: ASSESSMENT I: OBSERVATION AND INFORMAL
I.
Course Description: EEU 225: Assessment I: Observation and Informal
This course examines the informal assessment of children from pre-kindergarten through
grade four. Both traditional and alternative assessment methods, including observation of
students, performance-based assessment, and portfolios will be instructed and developed.
Use of technology to support assessment and data management will also be addressed. (5
hours of required fieldwork in Pre-K setting) Prerequisite: EEU 130 3 s.h., 3 c.h.
II.
Course Rationale:
Observation and informal assessment are necessary skills used to design effective
instruction at the pre-K through grade four level. The content of EEU 225 should be
organized to provide candidates with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize
students having difficulty. Content should enable candidates to learn how to understand
and use the information gained about student learning and to use related technology
appropriately. Candidates should also use the knowledge acquired from parent
participation as a component of the assessment process. Content should also include
explicit attention to Pennsylvania's Early Learning standards and the state assessment
anchors for pre-K through grade 4.
III.
Course Objectives/ Student Learning Outcomes
A.
Relationship to Standards (see table)
Course Objectives/ Student Learning Outcomes and
Competencies
At the conclusion of the course, the candidates will be
able to
Types of Assessments and Purposes in a StandardsAligned System
Use of informal and formal assessment tools including
work and play samples, portfolios including electronic
portfolios, documentation panels, teacher-made tests/tasks,
checklists, observational schemes, and nontraditional
means to gauge a child's well-being and learning and the
relationship between teacher and child
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PDE
ECE
ACEI
INTASC ISTE
II.D.
4
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IV.B.
Identify, define, and interpret and demonstrate an
understanding of the types of valid and reliable education
assessments and their uses including: screening, diagnostic,
formative, summative, and authentic
Identifying group assessment techniques
Analyze and interpret curriculum based assessment, (CBA)
Effectively use systematic observations, documentation and
other effective assessment strategies
Use of Assessment for Instructional Planning
Implement approaches to child that acknowledge the
impact of assessment on child well-being and learning
Describe the impact of the state-wide student performance
testing and the influence on the program and child
Demonstrate the use of informal assessment data for
instructional, behavioral, and possible eligibility decisions
based on the type of assessment, level of the students being
assessed, and the point and quality of instruction
Demonstrate the use of appropriate electronic and print
media and technology to support instruction, assessment,
and management including computers and handhelds.
Create an instructional plan using assessment information
related to individual achievement
Systematically monitor student performance to best
identify areas of need
Legal and Ethical Practices
Establish, develop, and sustain the assessment partnerships
with families and other professionals
Demonstrate an understanding of ethical practice for
assessment
Recognize the need to consult with multi-disciplinary team
when cultural, economic, or linguistic differences are
present in order to avoid biased assessment.
Demonstrate an understanding of the IEP process, the legal
obligation, and the inclusion of a special needs student into
the regular education program.
B.
II.D.
4
8
II.D.
4
8
II.D.
4
8
II.B.
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1
II.D.
4
8
II.C.
II.D.
4
8
IV.B.
IV.B.
II.B.
3.1
4
II.D.
4
8
III.C.
III.D.
III.B.
5.2
5.1
10
9
II.C.
3.2
3
II.C.
3.2
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Relationship to Conceptual Framework:
EEU 225 demonstrates the following categories of the conceptual framework in
the following ways:
Content Specialization speaks to the importance of assessment, the reason we
assess, the variety of assessment, and the need for a specific individual course for
teacher candidates. Professional Methodology is determined by the way we use
specialized terms, vocabulary, definitions, and how we create, administer, grade,
and adjust our teaching based on the results of said assessment. Critical Thinking
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addresses how we know what to assess, when to assess, in what manner we
actually assess, and what conclusions we draw from the data gathered. Also, the
differentiation and accommodation for special students would be included here.
Communication speaks to the use of websites, news sources, government
programs, and journal articles to help candidates become familiar with specialized
terms and concepts necessary for discussion and understanding assessment theory.
Examples from professor's experience in the elementary classroom and
administration included. Integration of technology is helpful when researching
the use of rubrics, locating recent research on alternative assessment methods,
applying data collecting applications, and locating standardized test information
or norms. Scholarly inquiry allows teacher candidates to research Bloom.
Gardner, and/or NCLB to help understand their relevance and importance in the
teaching and assessment cycle. Reflective wisdom allows teacher candidates to
analyze the broad expanse of ability, self-motivation, varied interests, and
backgrounds of children in the classroom.
IV.
Assessment
Assessments of each teacher candidate’s level of accomplishment with reference
to the course objectives will be based on a subset of the following:
 Content specific tests and quizzes
 Assessment resource project: a short paper that synthesizes
research information on an assessment topic related to this course
 Observation hours and reflective journal that document FIVE
hours of classroom benchmark assessment in grades 3-4
 A reflective journal entry that documents Pre-K to grade 2 lesson
using formative assessment and instructional change as a result of
the formative assessment
 Creation of a checklist that records students’ responses to a
standards-based lesson
 Development of a parent survey instrument to be used in
collaboration with a teacher survey instrument
 Creation of a developmentally appropriate holistic and/or analytic
rubric that assesses one type of portfolio assessment
V.
Course Outline
A.
Course Outline
Types of Assessments and Purposes in a Standards-Aligned System
1.
Appropriate Assessment for pre-K through grade 4
a.
Matching assessment methods to an early childhood setting
b.
Theories embedded in instructional and assessment practices
c.
Defining and creating a comprehensive assessment system
d.
Current issues in the assessment of young children
2.
Observation as the Key Method in the System
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a.
3.
Observation in the assessment system: planning, deciding,
recording
b.
Advantages and disadvantages of using observation
c.
Types of observation
Using Alternative Assessment Strategies
a.
Role of alternative assessments: checklists, rating scales, and
rubrics
b.
Play-based assessment
c.
Structured questions
d.
Dynamic, ecological and functional assessment
e.
Curriculum-based language assessment
f.
Portfolios
g.
Performance assessment
Use of Assessment for Instructional Planning
4.
Using Basic Concepts of Measurement
a.
Importance of basic concepts of measurement for teachers
b.
Terminology
c.
Different types of scores
e.
Reliability and validity when using informal assessment
5.
Issues in Pre-Kindergarten Assessment
a.
Pre-Kindergarten assessment issues
b.
Choosing a screening instrument
c.
Planning for instruction
d.
Referral for special services
e.
Transition to kindergarten or first grade
6.
Special Issues in Primary Grades
a.
Primary assessment issues
b.
Transitioning from pre-school/kindergarten
c.
Assessing teaching level
d.
Portfolios
e.
Standards-based teaching
f.
Achievement testing
g.
Textbook tests
h.
Individualized academic tests
i.
Test prep
Legal and Ethical Practices
7.
8.
Building a Child Study
a.
Child studies in the assessment system
b.
Purposes of child study
c.
Elements of a child study
d.
Conducting a child study to determine teaching or intervention
strategies
e.
Examples of child studies
Developing Family Partnerships in Assessment
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a.
9.
VI.
Family partnerships in the assessment system: a collaborative
model
b.
Methods for obtaining information from families
c.
Ongoing communication
d.
Parent's rights
Record Keeping, Reporting, and Collaborating with Families and Others
a.
Record keeping and reporting in the assessment system
b.
Maintaining confidentiality of assessment information
c.
Conferencing with parents
d.
Grading in the early years
e.
Preparing report cards
f.
Multidisciplinary staffing
g.
Reporting to other stakeholders
Instructional Resources
American Educational Research Association. (2000). Ethical standards of the American
Educational Research Association. Washington, DC: Author.
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. [videorecording] (1997). The
assessment-instruction connection: How to use standards to inform assessment and
instruction in the classroom Alexandria, VA: Author.
Barnett, D., Macmann, G., & Carey, K. (1992). Early intervention and the assessment of
developmental skills: Challenges and directions. Topics in Early Childhood Special
Education, 12(1), 21-43.
Berlin, L. J., Brooks-Gunn, J., McCarton, C., & McCormick, M.C. (2004). The effectiveness of
early intervention: Examining risk factors and pathways enhanced development. In M.
Batshaw (Ed.), Children with disabilities. (5th ed). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom
assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139-148.
Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind,
experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Chen, J. (2007). Bridging: Assessment for teaching and learning in early childhood classrooms,
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Cohen, R., Stern, V., & Balaban, N. (1997). Observing and recording the behavior of young
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Drummond, M. J., (1994). Learning to see: Assessment through observation. York, ME:
Stenhouse.
Elliott, S. N. (1993). Creating meaningful performance assessments: Fundamental concepts.
Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.
Fromberg, D. P. (2002). Play and meaning in early childhood education. Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
Gardner, H. (1993). Frames of mind: Theory of multiple intelligences (10th anniversary ed.). New
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64(3), 8-13.
The High/Scope child observation record [kit]: For ages 2 1/2 - 6. (1992). Ypsilanti, MI:
Author.
Losardo, A., & Notari-Syverson, A. (2001). Alternative approaches to assessing young children.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
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Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D., & McTighe, J. (1993). Assessing student outcomes: Performance
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supervision of Curriculum Development.
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Author.
Pikulski, J. J., & Shanahan, T. (Eds.). (1982). Approaches to the informal evaluation of reading.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
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Resnick, L.B. (2006). Making accountability really count. Educational measurement: Issues
and practice, 25(1), 33-37.
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students with exceptional learning needs. Intervention in School and Clinic, 41(2), 105109.
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