Discusses the purposes of assessment in programs for young children and the role of assessment in the context of children's lives, parents' concerns, and teachers' and administrators' situations. Also discusses how observation-based assessment can be used as part of a developmentally appropriate assessment process serving children, parents,…

Interest in assessment of young children increased after readiness testing abuses in the 1980s. The pressure of demonstrating educational accountability through children's standardized test performance increased the use of skills-driven curricula. It also created an inappropriate learning environment in which readiness tests were used to remove…

Addresses teachers' frustration in reconciling appropriate education for young children with the practice of grading to assess and report progress, contending that research on unreliability in grading and the efforts of committed parents and professionals are necessary to change the practice. Summarizes research suggesting that grading is…

Five position statements of the Southern Association on Children Under Six are presented in this document. The statement on developmentally appropriate assessment includes such topics as testing practices that harm young children; limitations of standardized testing; misuses of test data; and assessment criteria. The statement on continuity of…

The use of standardized tests to evaluate young children has been widely criticized. Alternative methods for assessing the emerging literacy development of young children through functional meaningful activities is needed. Assessment must accommodate the developmental needs of each child. Guidelines for the appropriate use of standardized tests…

Proposes measures intended to help the nation meet the national educational goal of having each child start school "ready to learn" by 2000. Measures concern children's health; quality preschools; parent participation; responsive workplaces; educational television; proposed "neighborhoods for learning"; interactions across…

Maintains that new practices such as performance-based assessment that are consistent with the early childhood profession's process goals need to be developed and that testing of young children that is not developmentally appropriate constitutes misassessment. Promotes observational assessment that uses anecdotal notes and that complements…

Presents guidelines that teachers and supervisors can use to make decisions about curriculum content and assessment in programs serving young children three through eight years of age. These decisions concern appropriate curriculum content and assessment; evaluation of curriculum and assessment practices; and the advocacy of appropriate…

Discusses the narrative report, which is an alternative to the traditional report card for reporting children's development and progress to parents. Examples of entries in a narrative report are included. (BB)

This article discusses assessment and intervention efforts for young children with disabilities, based on an approach to children's peer-related social competence which stresses developmentally appropriate practices. Application of the model to children with Down's syndrome illustrates the model's appropriateness to the special needs of children…

Expanding on previous collections, this book compiles 16 essays on pedagogical and child development issues stimulated by interaction with teachers, child caregivers, and early childhood teacher educators during the preceding 20 years. The essays were written in response and reaction to particular educational events or contexts that were…

This booklet focuses on understanding authentic learning and assessment practices and their effect on students and teachers at the middle level. After an examination of what is meant by authentic learning, five guidelines are suggested for use in selecting authentic content for middle level students. Specifically, authentic materials: (1) should…

The present "factory" model of schooling is over 100 years old and continues many practices unsupported by research. School districts could implement research and development centers that investigate optional learning environments and lifestyles, implement unused research results, and offer a climate for developing new approaches and materials…

Following the introduction of the middle school in the 1960s with its advocacy of a 5-8 or 6-8 grade configuration, no comprehensive statement appeared to crystallize the educational beliefs inherent in this emerging educational reform effort. This paper is not just a revision of the 1982 position statement, but a "re-vision" of middle…

In 1995, the National Middle School Association published a position paper defining foundational characteristics of developmentally responsive middle schools and program components that would create the kind of schools young adolescents need and deserve. This book provides a comprehensive, whole vision of schooling for the middle grades and makes…