Prekindergarten Authentic and Developmentally Appropriate Assessments

Young children’s progress is regularly monitored using daily observations and anecdotal records. Key practices of authentic assessment and the assessment cycle are utilized to plan differentiated instruction for all students.

Key Practices of Authentic Assessment:

  • Ask questions
  • Collect information/evidence/data over multiple observations
  • Interpret and analyze the data
  • Create goals and action plan for each child
  • Repeat the cycle of reflective assessment practice

Screenings

The BRIGANCE Screen is used in all Early Head Start and Head Start classrooms to assist teachers in identifying children who are experiencing delays, are advanced in development, or who are developing at a typical rate. The initial results guide teachers as they plan activities to meet children’s unique needs, and allows for the identification of children whose progress will be closely monitored throughout the year. The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) is used in all Early Head Start and Head Start classrooms to measure the frequency of 27 positive behaviors and 10 behavioral concerns that address emotional and social problems. Teachers complete the rating scales for each child and implement individualized instruction based on the social-emotional needs of students. Students who are identified as having concerns receive individualized services and are monitored throughout the year.

Ongoing Assessment

Teaching Strategies GOLD (TSG) is the selected assessment tool used to monitor students’ progress in all Infant, Toddler, and Pre-K classrooms. TSG uses an ongoing, authentic process of assessing individual children’s progress and serves as a key tool to planning appropriate learning experiences that respond to children’s individual interests, learning styles, and abilities as well as provide information to parents about each child’s level of development. TSG encourage teachers to focus on the whole child and are most predictive of school success in the following areas: Social/Emotional, Physical, Cognitive, Language, Literacy, and Math Development. Additional ongoing progress monitoring assessments include Letter and Sound Knowledge, Concepts of Print, and Phonological Awareness. These selected tools emulate the District’s templates in Kindergarten.

The Battelle Developmental Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-2), is administered to SWD Preschool Child within thirty days of an identified eligibility and then again prior to entering Kindergarten. The BDI-2 is based on the concepts of developmental milestones and helps measure a child’s progress along this developmental continuum. The BDI-2 has five domains: Adaptive, Personal-Social, Communication, Motor and Cognitive. In Broward, three domains are administered to SWD Preschool Children: Adaptive, Personal-Social and Communication.

Prekindergarten Assessment Checklist

The following checklist is used to ensure data is collected and used to drive effective social emotional and early language and literacy instruction:

  • A system of collecting observational data and work samples is in place
  • Objective, factual observations are taken on each child weekly
  • Samples of children’s work and supporting notes are collected to document progress
  • Observations and notes are dated
  • Documented observations are entered into Teaching Strategies GOLD (TSG) weekly
  • Checkpoints in TSG are finalized for Fall, Winter, and Spring
  • Individualization is documented in the lesson plan weekly with goals for all students
  • Teachers are aware of students with IEPs/IFSPs and Individualization includes goals for those students
  • Confidentiality policies are maintained concerning information about children and families
  • Exceptional Student Education (SWD) records are kept locked or otherwise secured
  • Documentation, observations, and children’s assessment results are analyzed
  • TSG Class Profile and Individual Child Reports are generated

Prekindergarten Assessment Calendar

1st 45-Days (Head Start/Early Head Start)
  • BRIGANCE
  • DECA
  • Letter Knowledge, Letter Sounds, Concepts of Print
  • Leveled Writing Sample (random)
  • Self-Portrait
  • Enter ongoing documentation/student data in TSG online system.

End of October
  • Fall Checkpoint – Complete TSG Child Assessment Portfolio

Beginning of November
  • For Flagged Students Only: Submit follow-up results for the DECA

Mid-November
  • For Monitor and Refer Students Only: Submit results of second BRIGANCE

Beginning of February
  • Winter Checkpoint – Complete TSG Child Assessment Portfolio
  • Letter Knowledge, Letter Sounds, Concepts of Print, and Phonological Awareness
  • Leveled Writing Sample (random)
  • Self-Portrait

Mid-May
  • Spring Checkpoint – Complete TSG Child Assessment Portfolio
  • Letter Knowledge, Letter Sounds, Concepts of Print, and Phonological Awareness
  • Leveled Writing Sample (random)
  • Self-Portrait

 

Prekindergarten Literacy Assessment Plan and Scoring Guidelines

When

What

Teaching Strategies GOLD (TSG) Objectives

August - May

Daily Observations & Assessment Activities
  • All objectives

August/September
December/January
April/May

Concepts of Print
  • 17a Uses and appreciates books
  • Question 1 - Orients book correctly (Level 4)
  • Questions 3 & 4 - Knows some features of a book (i.e., title, author, illustrator) (Level 6)
  • 17b Uses print concepts
  • Questions 7 & 8 - Indicates where to start reading and the direction to follow (Level 4)
  • Questions 10, 11, 14, &15 - Shows awareness of various features of print (Level 6)

August/September
December/January
April/May

Letter Knowledge Assessment
Letter Sound Assessment
  • 16a Identifies and names letters*
    16b Uses letter-sound knowledge*

December/January
April/May

Phonological/Phonemic Awareness Assessment
Listening, Rhyming, Alliteration, Segmenting, Blending, Onset and Rime, Phoneme Identification
  • 15a Notices and discriminates rhyme*
  • 15b Notices and discriminates alliteration*
  • 15c Notices and discriminates smaller and smaller units of sound*

August/September
December/January
April/May

On the Spot
(Daily Observations & Assessment Activities)
  • Objectives 4-7 Physical Development only

August/September
December/January
April/May

Writing and Drawing Samples
(Small Group or Choice Samples)
  • Objective 7a - Writing and drawing samples
  • Objective 19a - Writing sample with a child’s written dictation
  • Objective 19b - Writing sample (refer to Stages of Writing for scoring)

*See TSG levels

Assessment Guidelines for Teaching Strategies GOLD (TSG) Indicators

TSG Objective

Assessment

Level 2

Level 4

Level 6

Level 8

15a. Notices and discriminates rhyme

Phonological/Phonemic Awareness Assessment

Classroom
Observations

Classroom
Observations

4/5 correct on
Rhyming Section

4/5 correct on Rhyming Section AND ability to generate rhyming words

15b. Notices and discriminates alliteration

Phonological/Phonemic Awareness Assessment

Classroom
Observations

Classroom
Observations

4/5 correct on Identifying Initial Sounds section

4/5 correct on Identifying Initial Sounds section AND isolates and identifies beginning sounds

15c. Notices and discriminates smaller and smaller units of sound

Phonological/Phonemic Awareness Assessment

Classroom
Observations

Classroom
Observations

4/5 correct on Blending Words section

4/5 correct on Blending Words section AND 4/5 correct on Phoneme Segmentation section

16a. Identifies and names letters

Letter Knowledge
Assessment

Recognizes and names 2 or more letters in own name

Recognizes 5-10 letters, especially those in own name

Identifies and names
11-20 uppercase AND 11-20 lowercase letters

Identifies and names ALL upper and lowercase letters

16b. Uses letter- sound knowledge

Letter Sound
Assessment

Identifies the sounds for 2 or more letters

Produces correct sounds for 10-20 letters

Produces correct sounds for 21-26 letters AND shows understanding that sequence of letters represents sequence of spoken sounds

Produces correct sounds for 26 letters AND applies letter sounds correspondence when attempting to read and write

17a. Uses and appreciates books

Concepts of Print
Assessment

Classroom
Observation

Correct response 2

Correct response 2,
3, 4

Correct response 2,3,
4 AND demonstrates intentional use of books

17b. Uses print concepts

Concepts of Print
Assessment

Correct response 6

Correct response
6, 7 & 8

Correct response
6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, &
15

Correct response 6,
7, 8, 10, 11, 14, & 15
AND attempts to read the words with one- to-one matching