Evaluating Early Childhood Assessments A Differential Analysis

Assessment is fundamentally a positive process that holds the potential for enhancing teaching and improving learning. This chapter provides an analytical discussion of the field by adhering to the National Education Goals Panel typology that categorizes four uses or roles for assessment in the preschool years: (1) identification, (2) instructional improvement, (3) program evaluation, and (4) accountability. The chapter also describes a number of achievable challenges: identifying children at risk for developmental delay or school failure; obtaining evaluative information from classroom settings that can be used to inform instruction and improve learning; and designing evaluations that reflect the wide range of influences that affect child growth and development.