Standard 4: Topics

Each of the standards has two or more components that further describe what is meant by the standard for a total of 27 components across the seven standards. This section identifies, what learners should know and be able to do based on that component to facilitate positive outcomes for children and families.

Component 4.1

Learners understand the purposes of formal and informal assessment, including ethical and legal considerations, and use this information to choose developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate, valid, reliable tools and methods that are responsive to the characteristics of the young child, family, and program.

Learners who have mastered this component know and understand:

  • Purposes of formal and informal assessment, including screening, diagnosis/eligibility, planning for intervention and instruction, progress monitoring, and evaluation
  • Ethical considerations in assessment, including the potential for bias
  • Federal, provincial, and state regulations related to eligibility for EI and ECSE
  • Authentic assessment

Learners who have mastered this component are able to:

  • Choose developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate assessment measures and methods
  • Choose reliable and valid assessment measures and methods
  • Choose assessment measures and methods that are responsive to the characteristics of young children and their families
  • Use informal authentic assessment strategies, such as naturalistic observation, curriculum-based measures, and observation-based methods

Component 4.2

Learners develop and administer informal assessments and/or select and use valid, reliable formal assessments using evidence-based practices, including technology, in partnership with families and other professionals.

Learners who have mastered this component know and understand:

  • Informal assessment
  • Formal assessment
  • Play-based assessment
  • Psychometric properties of assessment measures, including types of reliability and validity
  • Role of specialized assessments by related service providers

Learners who have mastered this component are able to:

  • Develop informal assessments
  • Evaluate the psychometric properties of formal and informal assessment measures
  • Administer informal assessments using evidence-based practices
  • Administer formal assessments using evidence-based practices
  • Administer formal and informal assessments using technology, as appropriate
  • Use play-based assessment methods as appropriate
  • Interpret the results of specialized assessments
  • Collaborate with families and other professionals in the administration of informal and formal assessments
  • Work with cultural mediators and/or interpreters on the assessment team

Component 4.3

Learners analyze, interpret, document, and share assessment information using a strengths-based approach with families and other professionals.

Learners who have mastered this component know and understand:

  • Similarities and differences in assessment techniques used in early intervention, preschool, and primary grades

Learners who have mastered this component are able to:

  • Analyze assessment information
  • Interpret assessment information
  • Document assessment information
  • Share assessment information using a strengths-based approach with families and other professionals
  • Use communication skills in interviews and conferences with families, including active listening, furthering responses, paraphrasing, demonstrating non-judgmental attitudes, responding to affect, questioning, and summarizing
  • Practice confidentiality

Component 4.4

Learners, in collaboration with families and other team members, use assessment data to determine eligibility, develop child and family-based outcomes/goals, plan for interventions and instruction, and monitor progress to determine the efficacy of programming.

Learners who have mastered this component know and understand:

  • Factors that may influence the accurate interpretation of assessment results, such as:
    • Limitations of formal and informal assessments (e.g., bias, test constructs)
    • Contextual factors (e.g., SES, family structure, prior intervention)
    • Child characteristics
  • Eligibility rules for receiving EI or ECSE services
  • Individualized planning
  • Data-based decision making

Learners who have mastered this component are able to:

  • Collaborate with families and other team members use assessment data to determine eligibility, develop child and family-based outcomes/goals, plan for interventions and instruction, and monitor progress to determine the efficacy of programming
  • Collaborate with families and other team members to integrate formal, informal, and authentic assessment data to develop child and family-based outcomes/goals and individualized plans
  • Use formative assessment to make a data-based intervention and instructional decisions
  • Use ongoing informal assessment to adapt and enhance intervention and instruction