Recommended Practices for Assessing Young Children
in Early Childhood Settings

NECTAS convened a web-enhanced conference call on Recommended Practices for Assessing Young Children in Early Childhood Settings (birth to eight years). Parents and professional have advocated for fundamental changes in the style and materials for assessment in early childhood and early intervention settings. The traditional approach to early childhood assessment has relied on standardized norm-referenced models that are based on an adult-oriented psychometric format. A more developmentally-appropriate and authentic assessment approach aligns best with the content and style of behavior shown by infants, toddlers, and preschool children. An authentic approach matches professional recommended practice standards of most interdisciplinary organizations, especially the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Drs. John T. Neisworth and Stephen J. Bagnato presented information during this teleconference which addressed the following content and objectives:

• To justify fundamental changes in the process and practices of assessment in early childhood and early intervention settings.
• To present an overview of the DEC and NAEYC recommended practice standards for early childhood assessment.
• To define 8 overarching benchmarks that characterize a more developmentally- appropriate assessment approach and which enable professionals and parents to critique and select assessment materials and methods.
• To identify several specific assessment instruments and methods that best match the 8 benchmarks.