Screening and ongoing assessment are integral to supporting children’s development and learning. Screenings are used to identify possible developmental delays or disabilities; ongoing assessment is used to identify strengths, areas of growth, and children’s progress. Both are conducted in ways that are strength-focused and consistently include children’s home languages, varieties of English dialects, and cultural backgrounds.
Developmental screening is an initial check to identify children who may need further evaluation to determine if they have a delay or disability. Screenings typically look at developmental, behavioral, motor, language, cognitive, social, and emotional skills.
Ongoing child assessment provides information about children’s developmental levels and progress toward individual child goals, as well as program school readiness goals. In Head Start programs, child assessment tools and program school readiness goals are aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. Ongoing assessment information, along with input from parents and families, helps staff determine a child’s strengths and needs. Staff and families then adjust strategies to better support individualized learning and curriculum implementation. The information also helps improve teaching practices in center-based, home-based, and family child care settings, and home visit strategies in programs.
Communication Modalities and English Dialects
Linguistic practices including the use of two or more languages, Indigenous languages, signed languages such as American Sign Language, and the use of non-standardized English dialects such as African American English (also known as Black Language) and Appalachian English[3]. All languages, modalities, and varieties of English are valid and appropriate forms of communication that can be centered as assets vital to creating a sense of belonging for children and families[4],[5],[6]. Linguistic equity refers to fostering learning environments and engaging in interactions that foster these different ways of communicating, without assuming that one language or variety is superior to others[6].
To meet the needs of all children, assessors must be aware of their own potential bias when interpreting the results of screenings and ongoing assessments. They also consult with families and other community insiders to ensure their interpretations are valid.
Equity Indicators
To gather the best picture of children’s current level of performance, including their strengths and areas for growth, it is important to use valid screenings and ongoing assessments that are culturally and linguistically responsive to Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian, and other children of color, as well as children with disabilities.
Screenings and ongoing assessments that are culturally responsive and sustaining are conducted using relevant and appropriate measures (e.g., observation, direct assessment, parent input) in children’s home language and English, such as Black or Appalachian Language, when appropriate.
| Indicators | Examples | HSPPS | MCPs |
|---|---|---|---|
Education staff conduct screenings for all children, including children who are DLLs and speakers of different dialects of English. They also conduct ongoing assessments for all children, including children who are DLLs with and without disabilities or suspected delays, in their home language and English. When there are no staff who speak the language or dialect, programs use an interpreter or community member to help conduct screening or ongoing assessment. Education staff gather multiple sources of information (e.g., observations, direct assessments, parent input) to identify children’s strengths and areas for growth, as well as to identify potential delays. Education staff use ongoing assessment data to identify children’s areas of strength as well as areas of need. Staff interpret assessment data using asset-based framings. Staff understand how bias can impact their interpretation of children’s performance on screenings or ongoing assessments and ways to minimize its effect. | Education staff assess children in Arabic and English using observations, checklists, parent input, etc. When using a screening or direct assessment tool, education staff do not count a child’s response in African American English as incorrect. Education staff use a teach-test-retest approach to measure the developmental progress of a child with disabilities. Education staff gather input from parents, early intervention specialists, therapists, and special education teachers when determining the performance of a child with disabilities. | Culture is an asset. Each person’s racial, linguistic, and cultural identity is a strength to be developed and sustained while they acquire the skills they need to function in our diverse society. Dual language instruction supports young learners. Effective programs promote the continued development of languages spoken in the home, while facilitating the acquisition of English. |
Resources
- Screening Children This chapter of the Disability Services Coordinator Orientation Guide reviews on how programs screen recently enrolled children with disabilities or suspected delays.
- Screening Dual Language Learners in Early Head Start and Head Start: A Guide for Program Leaders This resource provides program leaders the tools to plan, implement, and evaluate their screening processes for children from birth to age 5, who are DLLs.
- Ongoing Child Assessment: A Guide for Program Leaders The appendices talk about assessing children who are DLLs (p. 48-49) and assessing children with disabilities (p. 50-51).
- Teacher Time Series Webinars
- Infant/Toddler Effective Practice Series: Using Ongoing Child Assessment to Support Effective Teaching Practices This episode of Teacher Time explores the ongoing assessment process and offers tips and strategies to help collect, analyze, and use data to inform and improve infant and toddler teaching practices. It includes considerations and approaches for conducting ongoing assessment of infants and toddlers who are learning languages other than English at home.
- Preschool Effective Practice Series: Using Ongoing Child Assessment to Support Effective Teaching Practices This episode of Teacher Time explores the ongoing assessment process and offers tips and strategies to help collect, analyze, and use data to inform and improve preschool teaching practices. Similar to the Infant/Toddler series, the Preschool series includes considerations and approaches for conducting ongoing assessment of preschool children who are dual language learners.
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Resource Type: Article
National Centers: Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning
Last Updated: May 20, 2024