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…

This guide was developed for North Carolina teachers in early childhood education and focuses on how play-based center activities in kindergarten teach literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, and the arts. Development of the guide was based on educators' experiences and their understanding of how children learn. The guide's introduction…

The purpose of this research is to explore the role of a director of a preschool program who mentors and trains high school students to teach and work directly with preschool children in the context of individual lessons, small group activities, and large group instruction. This participant-observer research study also examines how the director…

This paper has been developed by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children to serve as a companion document to the 2003 joint position statement "Early Childhood Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation-Building and Effective, Accountable System in Progams for Children Birth through Age 8" of National…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) More Than "Making Nice": Getting Teachers to (Truly) Collaborate (Laura Pappano); (2) "Doing the Critical Things First": An Aligned Approach to PreK and Early Elementary Math;…

This book details a process for using student portfolios to support improved learning for children, teachers, and families, with the goal of encouraging reflection and goal-setting by individual learners and engaging parents in assessment and evaluation through frequent and varied communication. The book provides three major features: portfolio…

This guide for educators presents an educational continuum encompassing traditional approaches to developmentally appropriate practice. Children, parents, teachers, and the classroom are discussed in terms of resources they provide for the learning experience and the movement towards developmentally appropriate practice. For example, children can…

This report is intended to inform policymakers, administrators, and teachers regarding the development of standards or benchmarks addressing language and literacy skills in prekindergarten programs. The report notes that although standards and benchmarks can bring clarity to what should be expected of young children, there are challenges in…

This article emphasizes the importance of providing appropriate services to meet the needs of individual gifted students and the need to first diagnose the level of giftedness to administer the right "therapeutic dose." A chart is provided that defines levels of intellectual giftedness by IQ ranges and by prevalence. (Contains 5…

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…

Issue papers that focus on improving and expanding quality early childhood services in Louisiana are presented in this report. Each paper includes a description of current practice, several questions and answers concerning the issue, and a list of recommendations and strategies. Following an executive summary and introduction (which includes a…

Educators use the term "authentic assessment" to refer to the practice of realistic student involvement in the evaluation of student achievement. Authentic assessments are performance-based and instructionally appropriate. One method of authentic assessment is the assembly and review of a portfolio of a student's work. The portfolio is a…

This practicum was designed to provide an assessment instrument that would serve as an alternative method of documenting the progress of kindergarten students. The portfolio approach to assessment of student progress was implemented in a kindergarten class and applied as an ongoing process. During a 12-week period, teacher and student selected…

This program advisory provides direction to school districts and providers of preschool and early primary programs in California who are implementing the recommendations of the School Readiness Task Force Report, "Here They Come: Ready or Not!" The Task Force Report addressed the issue of what kind of education would be necessary during…

Forty-eight portfolio projects were completed by 65 urban, infant-toddler childcare workers who participated in a professional development program designed to increase the quality of childcare for children with and without disabilities. Results indicated a significantly higher number of strengths-based themes in child stories written after…