Assessment is the practice of measuring both child progress and program quality.

Child Progress Assessment is the very necessary measuring of each individual child’s progress toward attaining the program’s educational goals and the determination of any need a child may have in that progress. As we move into a time of accountability and increase testing in our pubic school system, we (early educators) must be able to prove we are offering purposeful experiences resulting in high quality BUT DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE learning.  

Child Progress Assessment helps teachers find if there are significant delays or accelerations in development of individual children; helps them plan new learning experiences to be used for further progress, helps them to determine if they need to alter methods, materials, or environment for a particular child; and helps them decide whether or not outside assistance is necessary.

It gives parents a clear understanding of their children’s strengths and needs and can be used to track progress for each child as he moves through the stages of a single term of attendance, all through his years attending a single program, or on his educational journey to other programs and schools. 

Good teachers understand child development, know the children in their care, and both understand and agree with the expectations of the program’s curriculum.  With this knowledge they can proceed through an assessment system of their choosing to create factual and accurate pictures of each child’s progress. 

My philosophy on Child Progress Assessment is that there is a need to discover the child’s strengths and needs so the strengths can be used to continue progress, to improve areas of need, and to be used by teacher and parent to devise a written plan for that progress.

Emphasizing and using strength to meet need is the essence of positive assessment. 

Child Progress Assessment is not just an assigning of grades or number rankings, but answering the questions, “where is this child?” and “where does he go from here?

Next Blog: The OCDRP System