Synopses & Reviews
To ensure the best possible outcomes for young children with and without disabilities, early childhood educators must enter the classroom ready to conduct all types of early childhood assessment—including determining if children need additional services, planning and monitoring instruction, and determining program effectiveness. They'll get the preparation they need with this comprehensive textbook, an in-depth blueprint for high-quality assessment in today's age of inclusion, standards-based education, and accountability.
Developed by prominent early childhood special education experts Jennifer Grisham-Brown and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, this book is a natural followup to the bestselling, widely adopted Blended Practices for Teaching Young Children in Inclusive Settings. Future educators of young children will get the research and recommended practices they need to
- conduct authentic assessment during children's natural routines and play activities, so their true abilities can be accurately measured
- use assessment to inform effective program planning, both for individual children and groups
- ensure that their practices are aligned with DEC and NAEYC recommendations
- involve families as collaborative partners in the whole assessment process, from planning the assessment to determining if the results represent the child's abilities
- select and use assessment instruments with documented evidence of technical adequacy
- conduct eligibility assessments and identify children for special services under IDEA
- assess children with diverse abilities, including children who have severe or multiple disabilities, are from diverse cultural backgrounds, and are dual or multi-language learners
- engage in assessment to plan and revise quality instruction
- collect reliable program evaluation data at classroom, program-wide, state, and national levels
Guiding future educators through every aspect of skillful assessment, this textbook gives readers vignettes of common dilemmas teachers may encounter, classroom examples featuring diverse children, and practical aids such as assessment checklists and excerpts from select tools.
An essential textbook for all preservice early childhood educators, this book is also a key resource for a wide range of in-service professionals-from principals and consultants to teacher study groups. Educators will learn how to confidently implement high-quality assessment and reap its benefits: inclusive, family-centered programming that improves outcomes for all children.
A featured book in our Successful Screening and Assessment Kit!
Review
"A comprehensive and valuable resource for early childhood practitioners . . . addresses both the process and purpose for assessment of all children in inclusive classroom settings". Dathan Rush, Ed.D., CCC-SLP
Synopsis
This comprehensive textbook gives early childhood educators a blueprint for successful assessment in the age of inclusion, standards-based education, and accountability. A companion to the bestselling Blended Practices for Teaching Young Children in Inclu
About the Author
Jennifer Grisham-Brown, Ed.D., is Professor in the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education program at the University of Kentucky, Lexington. She received her doctorate in Education from the University of Kentucky. She is also Director of the Early Childhood Laboratory at the University of Kentucky, an inclusive early childhood program for children from birth to 5 years of age.
Dr. Grisham-Brown directs research projects on topics including linking assessment and instruction, early care and education program quality, and individualizing instruction for young children with disabilities. In addition, she has conducted research on the effectiveness of instructional procedures that are embedded into developmentally appropriate activities, use of distance learning in personnel preparation programs, and assessment strategies for students with significant disabilities. Dr. Grisham-Brown provides training and technical assistance through the United States on these topics.
Dr. Grisham-Brown is co-founder of a children’s home and preschool program in Guatemala City called Hope for Tomorrow, where she accompanies students for the education abroad program.
As the president of B2K Solutions, Ltd., Dr. Pretti-Frontczak extends her expertise in the preparation of personnel to a global market with the aim of improving the implementation of effective practices and services by those who work with young children with diverse abilities. She is a gifted speaker, strong applied researcher, and is known for creating solutions to complex problems. She has presented to diverse audiences in countries such as Singapore and Australia as well as to early education providers in virtually every state in the US. Dr. Pretti-Frontczak is a Past President of the Division for Early Childhood, was a professor at Kent State University for 16 years, and has worked as an early childhood consultant and trainer since 1990.
Stephen J. Bagnato, Ed.D., NCSP, is a developmental school psychologist and professor of pediatrics and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine and Education. Dr. Bagnato holds joint appointments in psychology in education/applied developmental psychology and clinical/developmental psychology at the university. He is Director of the Early Childhood Partnerships Program at the university and Core Interdisciplinary Leadership Team Faculty Member for The University, Community, Leaders, and Individuals with Disabilities (UCLID) Center at the University of Pittsburgh.
In 1986, Dr. Bagnato received the Braintree Hospital National Brain Injury Research Award for his research on the impact of interdisciplinary intervention for young children with acquired and congenital brain injuries. In 2001, he was recipient of the University of Pittsburgh Chancellor's Distinguished Public Service Award for the innovation and community impact of his consultation and research programs in early childhood partnerships, and in 2008, Dr. Bagnato received The Pennsylvania State University Excellence in Education Alumni Award for his career of innovative national and international service and research in education and psychology. Dr. Bagnato was recently appointed to Governor Rendell's Pennsylvania Early Learning Council, a task force to influence early childhood intervention policy and practices through systems integration efforts among education, public welfare, and health.
Dr. Bagnato specializes in authentic curriculum-based assessment and applied program evaluation research for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at developmental risk and with neurodevelopmental disabilities and neurobehavioral disorders and their families. He has published more than 120 applied research studies and professional articles in early childhood care and education, early intervention, early childhood special education, school psychology, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and developmental neuropsychology.
Dr. Bagnato is Director of Early Childhood Partnerships (ECP; http://www.earlychildhoodpartnerships.com), a community-based consultation, training, technical assistance, and research collaborative between Children's Hospital and The UCLID Center at the University of Pittsburgh with community partners. For more than 10 years, Dr. Bagnato and his ECP program have been funded by the Heinz Endowments to conduct longitudinal research on the impact and outcomes of high-quality early childhood intervention programs on nearly 15,000 high-risk children in 30 school districts and regions across Pennsylvania (e.g., Early Childhood Initiative, Pre-K Counts).
Dr. Bagnato is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) in Division 16 and he received the 1995 Best Research Article Award from Division 16 of APA (with John T. Neisworth) for his "national study on the social and treatment invalidity of intelligence testing in early childhood intervention." He is coauthor of the professional "best practice" policy statements and standards on early childhood assessment, evaluation, and early intervention for The National Association of School Psychologists and the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children.
Table of Contents
About the Authors
Contributors
Foreword
Stephen J. Bagnato
Preface
Acknowledgments
- Introduction
Jennifer Grisham-Brown and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak
Section I. Recommended Practices- Authentic Assessment
Whitney A. Stevenson, Jennifer Grisham-Brown, and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak
- Family Involvement in the Assessment Process
Anna H. Hall, Julie Harp Rutland, and Jennifer Grisham-Brown
- Recommended Practices for Assessing Children With Diverse Abilities
Sandra Hess Robbins, Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, and Jennifer Grisham Brown
- Recommended Practices for Determining Technical Adequacy
Kristie Pretti-Frontczak and Nicole Shannon
Section II. Reasons for Conducting Assessment- Recommended Practices in Identifying Children for Special Services
Jennifer Grisham-Brown, Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, and Sophia Hubbell
- Assessment for Program Planning Purposes
Sarah R. Hawkins, Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, Jennifer Grisham-Brown, Teresa L. Brown, and Lydia Moore
- Performance Monitoring within a Tiered Instructional Model
Carrie Pfeiffer-Fiala, Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, Lydia Moore, and Ashley N. Lyons
- Program Evaluation
Jennifer Grisham-Brown and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak
References