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Field Experience Assessment Narrative

Assessment is an important, yet challenging task in a child development classroom. It

allows teachers and other decision makers to determine the developmental and academic

standing of students. After speaking with my cooperating teacher and observing her in the

classroom, I understand more about the importance of assessments and the strategies used in

preschool.

To begin, standardized testing of the students is done before entering the program, and at

the beginning, middle and end of the school year. Two separate screenings are used to indicate

the developmental progress and academic abilities of students. The screening assessment called

DIAL 4 is a one-time assessment used to determine acceptance into the program. DIAL 4 stands

for the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning- Fourth Edition and it tests

motor skills, conceptual skills, and language skills. This assessment is an individually

administered screening test that is designed to identify young children with insufficient academic

skills (Pearson). The students identified by the test as needing more help are usually the ones

admitted into the child development program. When students are in the program, they are then

required to take another screening test, called PALS, at the beginning middle and end of the

school year. PALS is a state-mandated test that stands for Phonological Awareness Literacy

Screening. This test “provides a comprehensive assessment of young children’s knowledge of

the important literacy fundamentals that are predictive of future reading success (pals resource

center, 2020).”

Currently, there are no periodic district assessments. My cooperating teacher said that the

district used to mandate a test similar to PALS, but recently the state took control of the districts,

requiring all child development students in South Carolina to take PALS.

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Grade level assessments are done through the computer program Ignite. Each week,

students are required to spend at least 10 minutes on the program. It is designed to create an

individualized experience for learners that will propel children toward kindergarten readiness. It

uses interactive games to help children build fundamental skills. Teachers and administrators use

this platform to access progress data and gain an unbiased view of a child’s skill development

(Hatch, 2020).

Most of the classroom assessment is done in small groups using checklists. The checklists

are used as a guide to assessing learning and development. My cooperating teacher uses the

checklists to inform and direct classroom instruction. Checklists are most effective because she is

able to understand the students as individuals and as a group.

Although I have not been able to see or experience the standardized tests that the students

in my field experience have had to take, I have seen evidence of effective assessment strategies.

Both the Ignite program and the checklists help my cooperating teacher develop an

understanding of students’ development and skills. Since some of the disadvantages of using

checklists are the amount of time that they consume and the inability to indicate various levels of

mastery, Ignite helps provide a balance (Wartham & Hardin, 2020). Ignite is a quick way to

observe student progress through data, and it allows the teacher to see the different levels of

mastery that students in the class have. On the other hand, the checklists are easy to use and very

helpful for parents (Wartham & Hardin, 2020). I think the two assessment strategies work well in

conjunction with one another to help the teacher prepare students for the mandated standardized

assessments and Kindergarten.

In summary, students in my field experience classroom are assessed in a variety of ways.

Two different standardized screenings are used to indicate developmental progress and academic
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abilities. While periodic district assessments are not present, children are still periodically testing

by the state-mandated-standardized test called PALS. Grade level assessment is done through a

computer program called Ignite that provides an individualized learning experience to children

and keeps track of their progress. Lastly, classroom assessments are predominantly done through

the use of checklists. Each of these assessments provide information about student progress and

learning, and they work together to help teachers and administrators prepare students for the next

level.
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References

Hatch. (2020). Preschool Adaptive Learning Platform: Ignite by Hatch. Retrieved from

https://www.hatchearlylearning.com/technology/ignite-by-hatch

pals resource center. (2020). About PALS Assessments. Retrieved from

https://palsresource.info/assessments/

Pearson. (n.d.). DIAL-4 Score Report. Retrieved from

http://downloads.pearsonclinical.com/images/Assets/DIAL4/DIAL-4-Sample-Score-

Report-English.pdf

Wortham, S. C., & Hardin, B. J. (2020). Assessment in early childhood education. Boston:

Pearson.