Hunter College School of Education
Key Assessment/Field Assignment and Rubric
Child Development QSTB 202
Observation Report
This assignment addresses the following components of the Hunter College School of Education
Conceptual Framework: Preparation of reflective, knowledgeable, and highly effective teachers,
evidence-based practices, and educating a diverse student population)
This assignment addresses the following standards of the Association for Childhood Education
International (ACEI): 1) Development, Learning, and Motivation, 3.2) Diversity and NCATE:
1c) Professional and Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills for Teacher Candidates (including the
ways children and adolescents develop and the relationship to learning and the use of research in
teaching) and 4a. Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Curriculum and Experiences
(including dealing with diversity issues related to developmental levels, learning styles, culture,
gender, English language learners, and special needs students.)
As one requirement for this course, you will have a field experience in a public school
appropriate to your degree program. You will be expected, as a result of this field experience, to
complete an assignment designed to address the following objectives:



To prepare teacher candidates to objectively conduct a low-inference observation of a
child in a classroom setting.
To enhance teacher candidate knowledge and comprehension of how children from
diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds develop within the context of schools and
classrooms.
To enhance teacher candidate knowledge and comprehension of current research within
the field of child development as it pertains to the cognitive, socioemotional, linguistic,
and physical development of children in urban settings.
Toward these ends, please complete the following tasks using the format and sequence of the
items as they appear below.
Step 1: Identify one issue that you have found notable in your observation of a specific student.
The issue can be from any of the domains of child development or may involve a combination of
domains. The issue may be positive, for example a child who performs well above average or
seems to be well liked by most peers, or negative, for example a child who acts out during class
or one who seems to be socially isolated. The issue identified may concern a single child, a
small group of children in the class or a large group of children. The issue may involve
relationships among children or between children and adults. (ACEI 1, NCATE 1c)
Step 2: Describe what you observed in general, non-interpretive, non-judgmental, jargon-free
terms. Provide as much detail as necessary for the reader to grasp with clarity what you
observed. Include information about what you observe in regard to diversity in the classroom,
including ways instruction was adapted for different developmental levels, learning styles,
cultural differences, gender differences, language differences, and special needs. (ACEI 3.2,
NCATE 4a)
Step 3: Select 2 empirical journal article published within the last 5 years (please obtain my
permission for earlier studies). The article must be directly or indirectly relevant to the issue you
are analyzing. In either case you will have to explain the relevance between the results of the
study and the issue you are analyzing. The most relevant articles will address the variables of
interest to you and will include subjects in the general age group (and other demographic and
diversity characteristics) of concern to you. Articles from this course's curriculum are welcome.
For independent research you can start by identifying the key terms used to refer to the issue in a
thesaurus within a database such as Google Scholar (scholar.gooogle.com). (ACEI 1, NCATE
1c)
Step 4: Provide theoretical explanations for what you observed. Your observation should be
framed within the context of a theory. For this purpose, important theoretical concepts should be
presented, defined, and specifically related to what you observed. Do not assume that the
professor knows. Instead, write for an audience that knows very little about the subject. If the
issue you identified was a problem, then provide a possible solution to the problem, derived from
that theory. If the issue was a positive outcome, then provide one possible strategy for extending
that positive outcome to other children, derived from that theory. (ACEI 1, NCATE 1c)
Step 5: Support your theoretical explanations with empirical evidence from your selected
research articles. Integrate a summary of the articles into your theoretical analysis of the issue
and/or your proposed solution to the problem or your proposed strategy for extending a positive
outcome to other children. (ACEI 1, NCATE 1c)
Rubric for QSTB 202 Observation Report
Performance
Outcome
Above Standard
---4 points---
Meets Standard
---3 points---
Approaches
Standard
---2 points---
Below Standard
---1 point---
Description of
Classroom
Observation
Description is very clear,
free of interpretation or
jargon, is rich in relevant
details and is consistent
with later label.
Description is clear,
free of interpretation
or jargon, includes
sufficient relevant
details and is
consistent with later
label.
Description is not
clear or objective,
includes few
relevant details and
is not consistent
with later label
Diversity in the
Classroom (ACEI
Clear, comprehensive, and
compelling description
student diversity with
strong attention to
developmental levels,
learning styles, cultural
differences, gender
differences, and language
differences.
Two or more appropriate
theories are presented
clearly, accurately, and
comprehensively.
Clear description
student diversity with
attention to
developmental levels,
learning styles,
cultural differences,
gender differences,
and language
differences.
Two appropriate
theories are presented
clearly and accurately.
Description is
somewhat clear,
includes some
jargon/
interpretation, and
some relevant
details and/or is
somewhat
consistent with later
label
Vague description
about student
diversity.
One appropriate
theory is presented
Theory presented is
not appropriate
Relevant aspects and key
terms of theories are
presented and used to
explain the developmentalrelated issue in an accurate,
clear, comprehensive, and
compelling manner.
Relevant aspects and
key terms of theories
are presented and used
to explain the
developmental-related
issue in an accurate
and clear manner.
Some relevant
aspects or key terms
of theory are not
presented and/or
link of theory to
developmentalrelated issue is not
explicit
Solutions/strategies
s are derived from
theory but neither
comparison nor
contrast are
provided
Important aspects of
theory and key
terms are not
presented and/or are
not linked to the
developmentalrelated issue
Discussion of
articles is limited
and/or explicit link
to conclusion is
absent
Article is not used
to justify conclusion
3.2, NCATE 4a)
Identification of
Relevant Theories
(ACEI 1, NCATE
1c)
Application of
Relevant Theories
to Developmental
Issue (ACEI 1,
NCATE 1c)
Solutions/strategies are
Proposed
Solutions/Strategies derived from theories and
(ACEI 1, NCATE
1c)
Use of Research
Articles to Justify
Conclusions (ACEI
3.2, NCATE 4a)
comparison and contrast
are presented in an
accurate, clear,
comprehensive, and
compelling manner.
Relevant aspects of articles
are discussed and used to
defend conclusions,
including the needs of
diverse learners, in an
accurate, clear,
comprehensive and
compelling manner.
Solutions/strategies
are derived from
theories and
comparison and
contrast are presented
in an accurate and
clear manner.
Relevant aspects of
articles are discussed
and used to address
the needs of diverse
learners in an accurate
and clear manner.
Description about
student diversity is
not clear or includes
few relevant details
Solutions/strategies
are not derived from
theory
Performance
Outcome
Identification of
Empirical Journal
Articles
Organization of
Report
Above Standard
---4 points---
Meets Standard
---3 points---
Approaches
Standard
---2 points---
Below Standard
---1 point---
More than the
required number is
included.
Required number is
included.
Articles are
somewhat relevant,
empirical, and many
published prior to
last 5 years
Article is not
relevant, not
empirical, not recent
and/or not published
in journal
Organization is
somewhat
discernable
Organization is not
discernable
Articles is highly
relevant, empirical,
and published in the
last 5 years (or
justification is
presented)
Logical, sequential
organization is
clearly discernable
Articles are
relevant, empirical,
and most published
in the last 5 years
(or justification is
presented)
Organization is
discernable
Stays on topic
Stays on topic
Topic sentences,
transitions, headings
and subheadings are
effectively used
Writing Quality
Topic sentences and
transitions
effectively used
Tangential issues
are discussed
Tangential issues
are discussed
extensively
Topic sentences and
transitions used
sometimes
Topic sentences and
transitions are rarely
used
Not consistently
APA style
APA style is not
used
Citations and
reference list are
APA style
Citations and
reference list are
generally but not
exclusively in APA
style
0
-1
-2
-3
Meets acceptable
standards with
respect to spelling,
punctuation,
sentence structure,
grammatical
accuracy, and
fluency.
1-2 errors with
respect to spelling,
punctuation,
sentence structure,
grammatical
accuracy, and
fluency.
3-5 errors with
respect to spelling,
punctuation,
sentence structure,
grammatical
accuracy, and
fluency.
6-8 errors with
respect to spelling,
punctuation,
sentence structure,
grammatical
accuracy, and
fluency.
Total: ______ out of 32 Points.
Assignment Scoring Scale
A+
32
A
30-31
A28-29
B+
26-27
B
23-25
B21-22
C+
19-20
C
18-16
Below Standard
0-15