Hunter College School of Education
Key Assessment/Field Assignment and Rubric
Child Development CEDF 709
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 and NCATE: 1c) Professional
and Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills for Teacher Candidates (including the ways children
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 3 empirical journal articles published within the last 5 years (please obtain my
permission for earlier studies). The articles 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 studies 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 CEDF 709 Observation Report
Performance
Outcome
Above Standard
---4 points---
Meets Standard
---3 points---
Approaches
Standard
---2 points---
Below Standard
---0 to 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
Clear, comprehensive,
and compelling
description student
diversity with strong
attention to
developmental levels,
learning styles, cultural
differences, gender
differences, and
language differences.
Three or more
appropriate theories are
presented clearly,
accurately, and
comprehensively.
Relevant aspects and
key terms of theories
are presented and used
to explain the
developmental-related
issue in an accurate,
clear, comprehensive,
and compelling manner.
Solutions/strategies are
derived from theories
and comparison and
contrast are presented
in an accurate, clear,
comprehensive, and
compelling manner.
Relevant aspects of
articles are discussed
and used to defend
conclusions in an
accurate, clear,
comprehensive and
compelling manner.
More than the required
number is included.
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.
Description is not
clear or objective,
includes few relevant
details and is not
consistent with later
label
Diversity in the
Classroom (ACEI
Description is clear,
free of interpretation
or jargon, includes
sufficient relevant
details and is
consistent with later
label
Clear description
student diversity with
attention to
developmental levels,
learning styles,
cultural differences,
gender differences,
and language
differences.
Three appropriate
theories are presented
clearly and accurately.
Two appropriate
theories are presented
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
developmental-related
issue is not explicit
No more than one
theory is presented
and/or theory
presented is not
appropriate
Important aspects of
theory and key terms
are not presented
and/or are not linked
to the developmentalrelated issue
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 defend
conclusions in an
accurate and clear
manner.
Solutions/strategies are
derived from theory but
neither comparison nor
contrast are provided
Solutions/strategies
are not derived from
theory
Discussion of articles is
limited and/or explicit
link to conclusion is
absent
Article is not used to
justify conclusion
Required number is
included.
Articles are somewhat
relevant, empirical, and
many published prior to
last 5 years
Articles are not
relevant, are not
empirical, not recent
and/or not published in
journals
3.2, NCATE 4a)
Identification of
Relevant Theories
(ACEI 1, NCATE
1c)
Application of
Relevant Theories
to Developmental
Issue (ACEI 1,
NCATE 1c)
Proposed
Solutions/strategies
(ACEI 1, NCATE
1c)
Use of Research
Articles to Justify
Conclusions (ACEI
1, NCATE 1c)
Identification of
Empirical Journal
Articles
Articles are highly
relevant, empirical,
published in the last 5
years (or justification is
presented)
Articles are relevant,
empirical, most
published in the last 5
years (or justification
is presented)
Description about
student diversity is not
clear or includes few
relevant details
Performance
Outcome
Organization of
Report
Above
Standard
---4 points--Logical, sequential
organization is
clearly discernable
Meets Standard
---3 points--Organization is
discernable
Approaches
Standard
---2 points--Organization is
somewhat
discernable
Stays on topic
Stays on topic
Topic sentences,
transitions, headings
and subheadings are
effectively used
Writing Quality
Organization is not
discernable
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+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
Below Standard
Topic sentences and
transitions
effectively used
Below Standard
---0 to 1 point---
32
30-31
28-29
26-27
23-25
21-22
19-20
18-16
0-15