What are appropriate assessment strategies and considerations for assessing early learners?
Some States have legislation that prohibits the testing of young children with standardized, paper and pencil, large group tests. This legislation is based on research on the needs and development of young children and reflects the guidelines for assessing young children published by such groups as the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Some States, such as South Carolina, have worked with districts to develop their own sets of guidelines for assessing young children. While it is important to consider developmental differences in young children, it is also essential to avoid using those initial differences as excuses for students not making adequate progress. Keeping content and performance standards in mind, assessment approaches need to be designed so that teachers can determine and communicate student achievement with respect to the standards rather than in relation to where students start. The latter focus may result in students falling further behind with ea
