Early Childhood Assessment and Accountability: Creating a Meaningful System

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Early Childhood Assessment and Accountability
Creating a Meaningful System
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The Purpose of Results Matter

• To positively influence the lives of children
  and families by using child, family, and system
  outcomes data to inform early childhood practices
  and policy.

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Colorado Landscape

• Strong interagency collaboration
• Blended programs, braided funding
• A commitment to unified initiatives for children
  with and without disabilities

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Colorado Landscape

• A positive history with use of authentic
  assessment systems in preschool and child care
  programs
• Program quality standards that include the use of
  ongoing assessment to monitor progress and plan
  instruction

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Converging NeedsEmerging Trends

• Need for data to support local and state systems
  building work
• Emphasis on data driven decision making
• Accountability movement emerges
• RTI implemented with older students
• OSEP outcomes mandate
• Desire to expand the use of authentic assessment

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Beliefs Driving Results Matter

• Ongoing observation and documentation is an
  essential best practice
• Authentic assessment is the best choice for
  assessing young children
• The results of child assessment should be useful
  for multiple purposes at multiple levels of the
  system
• Early childhood accountability systems must use
  multiple sources of data including longitudinal
  child outcomes data and program quality data

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Key Characteristices

• Comprehensive
• Meets multiple needs and purposes
• For all children and programs in the system
• Engages families in the documentation and
  assessment process
• Uses authentic assessment
• Driven by technology
• Strong professional development system

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National Partners in Results Matter

• Since 2005, Results Matter has been working to
  develop a national model of early childhood
  accountability with financial and technical
  support from the
• Early Childhood Outcomes Center
• US Department of Education
• National Early Childhood Technical Assistance
  Center

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Scope of Involvement in Results Matter

• 40,000 children, birth to five
• 800 care and education sites
• Public Schools
• Early Intervention
• Early Head Start/Head Start
• Child Care
• Campus Child Care
• Teen Parent Programs

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Part B Part C in Colorado

• IDEA Part C
• Early Intervention Colorado
• Colorado Department of Human Services/ Division
  for Developmental Disabilities

• IDEA Part B/619
• Colorado Department of Education

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Comprehensive System

• Child Progress Monitoring
• Child Outcomes Short Term and Longitudinal
• Family Outcomes
• Program Quality Measures
• Professional Development

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Multiple Purposes

• Progress monitoring
• Child and group centered planning
• Accountability outcomes reporting
• Policy planning and advocacy

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Global Child Outcomes

• Children have positive social relationships.
• Children acquire and use knowledge and skills.
• Children take appropriate action to meet their
  needs.

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Authentic Assessment Systems

• Ounce/Work Sampling System
• Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum
• High/Scope Child Observation Record
• Assessment and Evaluation Programming System
  (AEPS) Part C Early Intervention only

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Online Access to Assessments

• Linkages to curriculum and planning resources
• Variety of reports immediately accessible at
  teacher, administrator, program and state level
• Digital portfolio capabilities
• Parent access

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How is assessment data used?

• describe child progress
• inform and influence day-to-day interactions and
  interventions provided by the adults in a childs
  life
• make data driven program and policy decisions
• demonstrate the efficacy of programs and services
  available to Colorados children and families

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Extensive Work with Publishers

• Results Matter staff members continue to work
  extensively with assessment authors, researchers
  and publishers to
• refine assessment products
• develop a process to convert assessment results
  to global outcomes
• create professional development opportunities
• increase functionality of online systems

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Longitudinal Data

• Linking early childhood outcomes data to K-16
  data
• of students on Individual Literacy Plans in
  Kindergarten, First and Second Grades
• Special education entrance and exit data
• Retention rates
• of children scoring proficient or above on the
  Colorado K-12 Student Assessment Program
• Continued engagement with the education system
  (graduation, completion of 2 or 4 year degree
  program)

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Family Outcomes

• Families understand their childrens strengths,
  abilities and special needs.
• Families know their rights and advocate
  effectively for their children.
• Families help their children develop and learn.
• Families have support systems.
• Families are able to gain access to desired
  services, programs, and activities in their
  community.

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Program Quality Data

• Environmental Rating Scale Scores
• Accreditation Data
• Qualistar Ratings
• Parent Satisfaction Survey (in
  development)

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Professional Development

• Training for Teachers and Trainers on the
  Assessment Systems
• Technology Training
• Inservice Training on Assessment and Planning
  Skills
• Administrator Training on Data and Program
  Improvement
• Ongoing Technical Assistance

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Central Outcomes of Results Matter

• The use of ongoing observation driven assessment
  becomes standard practice in participant programs
• Decisions regarding instruction and intervention
  as well as program policy are informed by data
• Accountability reporting requirements are met
  through embedded everyday practices

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Benefits Reported by Participants

• Increased depth of understanding of child
  development
• Improved communication with families
• Increased sense of professionalism
• Increased sense of working toward common goals

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A Work in Progress

• Colorado is one of the states leading the nation
  in early childhood outcomes and accountability
  work.
• We now collaborate with other states who have
  adopted similar models including Nebraska, West
  Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and
  Kentucky.

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• Not everything that can be
• measured counts, and not
• everything that counts can
• be measured.
• --Albert Einstein

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Questions Contact Information

• Nan Vendengna
• Results Matter Coordinator
• Colorado Department of Education
• [phone]
• Vendegna_N_at_cde.state.co.us
• Colleen Head
• Part C Community Coordinator
• Early Intervention Colorado CDHS/DDD
• [phone]
• Colleen.Head_at_state.co.us