Early Childhood Assessment

Ongoing assessment of learning and development is a best practice for educators who guide students' learning in preschool and early elementary.

High-quality early childhood assessment practices provide families and teachers with information to support individual learning needs and ensure every child’s success in school. Assessment may look different for younger children than for older children.

Colorado strives to support early childhood assessment practices by using valid, reliable, and research-based assessment tools to advance student learning and development and promote strong partnerships with families.

The Purpose of Early Childhood Assessment

There are three main purposes for early childhood assessment, each playing a specific role in improving educational quality and supporting long-term student achievement.

Assessments Guide Teacher Planning

The purpose of assessment in early childhood is to determine students’ strengths and set goals for instruction. Assessments in early childhood guide teachers in providing individualized instruction and activities for students to support student learning and development.

Assessments Support School and Family Partnerships

Early Childhood assessment helps teachers and parents share important milestones in students’ learning and development. It also creates an opportunity for teachers and parents to work together to support children as they grow.

Assessments Provide Information for Evaluating Program Quality and Inform Policy

One of the hallmarks of a quality education system is the practice of continuously monitoring children’s learning and development and responding to those learning needs. By analyzing information from assessments in early childhood, educators can identify and address trends in student learning over time (Jensen, et al., 2021). This information informs educators' decisions on instruction, school resources, staff learning, and community and family partnerships to improve their ability to support all students. Additionally, this information can guide state-level partnerships and policy decisions to further the support of every child and every school.

What makes a good assessment?

Strong assessment tools are valid, reliable, and research-based.

Reliability

Reliability means an assessment tool consistently measures the same intended skill or concept every time the assessment is given.

Validity

Validity means an assessment tool accurately measures the skill or concept it is intended to measure when given in similar situations.

It is the combination of reliability and validity working in tandem that makes assessments work. This is because when an assessment is both valid and reliable, then one can assume the assessment not only accurately measures what it intends to measure (validity), but does so consistently over time (reliability).

Research-based

A research-based assessment tool is based on practices or methods proven to be effective through research.