Developmentally Appropriate Accountability
Assessment and communicating information about assessments is a focus in Chapter 12, but here it is important to note that early childhood educators are mindful of the developmental issues associated with accountability and standards. The NAEYC position statements provide clearly articulated guidance about:
- The types of assessment that are appropriate for young children
- How programs can and should communicate, incorporate, and share assessment information with families
- How assessments should be linked to curriculum
- How early learning standards can be developed to maintain fidelity to developmentally sound principles about how young children learn (NAEYC/NAECS/SDE, 2002)
For early childhood programs seeking national accreditation through the NAEYC (2018), standard 4 is devoted to the identification of criteria that programs must meet to document that they:
- Develop and use a written assessment system that describes the purposes, procedures, and uses of assessments and results
- Use developmentally appropriate methods aligned with curricular goals
- Are sensitive to and informed by family culture and home language
- Use the information gathered to plan and modify the curriculum
- Include information from families to inform the assessment process
- Provide regular opportunities for two-way communication with families about children’s progress
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