Assessing Young Children in Inclusive Settings: The Blended Practices Approach

1. Assessing Young Children in Inclusive Settings: The Blended Practices Approach Implications for Providers Jennifer Grisham-Brown, Ed.D University of Kentucky jgleat00@uky.edu

2. Professional Development Leadership Plan Data-Driven Decision Making Progress Monitoring Activities & Instruction Assessment Scope & Sequence A Curriculum Framework – Linking assessment and intervention Collaborative Partnerships

3. Professional Development Leadership Plan Data-Driven Decision Making Progress Monitoring Activities & Instruction Assessment Scope & Sequence EMPHASIS Assessment Collaborative Partnerships

4. Assessment Guide Authentic Family Resources, Priorities, Concerns Baseline Interests and Preferences Developmental and Content Areas Comprehensive

5. Determine what to teach, how to teach, and how to evaluate instruction using authentic assessment strategies

6. Tell me…. • Why do you presently “do” assessment? • What strategies do you use?

7. Purposes of Assessment Assessments can be used for: • Identifying concerns that may require focused intervention for individual children; • Making decisions about teaching and learning; and • Helping programs improve their education and developmental interventions

8. Why Conduct Programmatic Assessments? • To gather relevant information about a child’s level of functioning across settings, time, materials and people • To develop meaningful individualized plans • To plan curriculum/instruction • To make better instructional decisions

9. Methods for Gathering Assessment Information • Interview • Structured • Unstructured • Observation • Anecdotal records • Running records • Category Sampling • Language Sample • Use of Curriculum-Based assessments tools • Work samples/artifacts

10. Professional Organizations National Association for the Education of Young Children • Division for Early Childhood The Office of Head Start

11. DEC Assessment Practice Example A24. Professionals assess not only immediate mastery of a skill, but also whether the child can demonstrate the skill consistently across other settings and with other people. and on the grass….. The team assesses the child’s ability to walk in the classroom, on the playground, to and from the car…..

12. Administer following recommended practices(Bagnato, Neisworth, & Pretti-Frontczak, 2010) ACCEPTABILITY–Social worth & detection AUTHENTICITY–Natural methods & contexts COLLABORATION–Parent-professional teamwork EVIDENCE–Disability design/evidence-base MULTI-FACTORS–Synthesis of ecological data SENSITIVITY–Fine content/measurement gradations UNIVERSALITY–Equitable design/special accommodations UTILITY–Usefulness for instruction

13. Summary of Recommended Practices 1) assessment should be ongoing and closely related to curriculum development and program planning; 2) assessment should cover all relevant domains, measure developmentally appropriate skills, learning strategies, and learning styles, and be conducted in natural, authentic situations; 3) assessment should result in information that is useful in planning children’s experiences and making decisions; and 4) assessment should use multiple approaches and should involve multiple informants.

14. Steps • Gather information from families • Plan observations • Conduct observations in familiar settings • Document observations

15. Step 1: Gather Information from Families • Roles • Consumer • Informant • Team member • Advocate • Unstructured • Example: Routines-based interview • Structured • Example: Reach for the Stars Chapter 3

16. Example of Unstructured Approaches • The Routines-Based Interview (RBI) • Prepare families to report on routines • Family reports on their routines • Interviewer reviews concerns and strength areas • Family selects outcomes • Family puts outcomes into priority order • McWilliam 2001

17. Effective Communication Strategies Ask for use not meaning (give me an example, vs. what do you mean) Open ended vs. dichotomous Restate vs. paraphrase or interpret Summarize Single question at a time Avoid leading questions Avoid “why” questions

18. Open-Ended Questioning

19. Reach for the Star’s Maps Assessment Images for the Future Gifts and Contributions What Works/What Doesn’t Work All About Me Scope and Sequence Skills I want to Learn My Education Plan Haynes and Grisham-Brown 2011 19

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22. Step 2: Plan Observations Page 175

23. Assessment activities • Option 1 • Use existing classroom or home based activity/ routine • Outline activity/routine into steps • Consider what you want children to learn or gain from engaging in the activity/routine • Align the activity to assessment items • Create document to record for one or more children • Identify materials • Option 2 • Consider assessment items • Choose to create an activity addressing one or more areas • Create an activity that is engaging for children and that will elicit assessment items • Outline activity into steps and align with items • Create a document to record scores/notes for one or more children • Identify materials that will create opportunities to assess the items

25. Step 3: Conduct Observations • Functional/Generative skills – High quality curriculum based assessment • Frequency • Accuracy • Duration • Latency • Endurance

26. Frequency: Number of Times/How Often Number of times a child initiates Number of time child manipulates Number of times a child is successful Number of times a child participates On each occasion Each morning Daily During most structured activities

27. Accuracy:How Well/How Intended Independently Recognizably Correctly Quickly Intelligibly Functionally Purposively Precisely • Number correct • Number of steps completed • 80% of trials

28. Latency:Length of Time to Respond Time between direction and child response Time between cue and child response Time between request and child response Time between high emotional response and child regaining composure to a more neutral response Within the allotted time Within the given time Within a reasonable time

29. Duration:How Long Behavior Lasts How long a child participates How long a child cries How long a child works How long a child plays near peers Across the majority of the school day Throughout supper While at Target As long as expected As long as others

30. Endurance: How Many Times Behaviors is Repeated Takes 10 steps Communicates for 2 or more exchanges Counts 10 objects Remains seated for 3 minutes With persistence or perseverance By overcoming challenges and increased difficulty During most of the activity or event

31. Characteristics of High Quality Curriculum Based Assessments • Technical adequacy • Functional goals • Multiple domains • Diversity of learners (age and ability) • Yields quantitative AND qualitative information • Multiple methods • Family involvement

32. Examples • Assessment and Evaluation Programming System • Work Sampling System • Creative Curriculum • Child Observation Record • Brigance • Hawaii Early Learning Profile • Learning Accomplishment Profile 3 • Transdisciplinary Play Based Assessment

33. Step 4: Document Observations • CBA scoring protocol • Assessment activity protocol • Written descriptions (e.g., anecdotal notes) • Permanent products • Counts and tallies