Early Childhood Special Education: Assessment

observer drift

when the observer veers away from the original observation question due to an event or ongoing events that may be more interesting to the observer

internal consistency

a type of reliability measured by whether items that are designed to measure the same general construct actually produce similar scores

reliability

the extent to which the observation or assessment yields the same results on repeated trials

errors of transmission

errors that result from recording in an improper sequence

data driven decision making

a model in which teachers, principals, and administrators systematically collect and analyze various types of data to guide a range of decisions to help improve the success of students and schools

child find

the first step in the assessment process in which teachers screen all students for possible referral to special education. The purpose of this step is to distribute information to families about their child's development.

assessment

a process of gathering information for the purposes of making decisions

screening

used to identify children who may have a disability and who need further assessment

event recording

an observation that records a specific, discrete behavior each time that it happens

interval recording

an observation that records whether or not a behavior occurred during a specific amount of time

inter-rater reliability

the extent to which two or more individuals agree; addresses the consistency of the implementation of a rating system

FERPA

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; determines who can look in the child's folder

authentic assessment

the practice of assessing children in their natural environment, with materials that are part of that environment, by people with whom the children are familiar (AKA naturalistic; play-based)

ecological systems theory

a theory that describes the environment as having layers depicted by concentric circles with the child and family in the innermost circle; there is interaction within and between layers

Bronfenbrenner

created Ecological Systems Theory in 1979

Adult Learning Theory

theory that adults are self-directed learners, that life experience and knowledge contribute to adult learning, that adults learn when they perceive a need to know something, and that their learning must be relevant

Knowles

created Adult Learning Theory

family-centered practices

a set of beliefs, principles, and values for supporting and strengthening the capacity of families to promote and enhance the development of their children

Dunst

created the tenets of family-centered practices

assessment in special education

assessment that focuses on a specific process for determining eligibility, planning, and evaluating early intervention or special education services

observation question

should address what the teacher wants to know, define the behavior in observable terms, specify the location, and decide on the appropriate method

test re-test reliability

a measure of the consistency of a psychological test or assessment; used to determine the consistency of a test across time

informant

a family role in which the family provides information