ECED 2070
Developmental Assessment
3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:
A study of assessment for children from birth to nine years of age. Both formal and informal instruments will be discussed with the emphasis on tools that can be used by teachers of young children. Considerations in choosing, administering, and reporting results of assessments will also be addressed. Field experiences are required.

Course Objectives:

The student will:

  1. know and understand the legal and ethical responsibilities in assessments. (3a, 3c, 3d, 5b)

  2. know about and use observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches.(3b)

  3. identify and interpret specific terms and characteristics of different screening, and assessment tools.(3b)

  4. develop an understanding of collecting, recording, compiling, interpreting, and summarizing assessment information. (3a, 3b, 3c)

  5. select and recognize different ways of reporting screening and assessment results to parents/guardians. (3d)

  6. know about and understand culturally appropriate assessment.(3b)

  7. distinguish between the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). (3b)

  8. use informal strategies to plan and implement individual curriculum and teaching practices to meet the needs of individual children. (3c. 5c, SS foundational concepts, written & verbal communication skills)

  9. know about assessment partnerships with families and other professionals.(3d)

NAEYC Associate Degree Standards:

The following standards are addressed in this course:

Standard 3: Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families

            3a. Understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment

3b. Know about and use observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches

3c. Understand and practice responsible assessment

3d. Know about assessment partnerships with families and other professionals

Standard 5: Becoming a Professional

            5b. Know about and uphold ethical standards and other professional guidelines

            5c. Engage in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice

 Supportive Skills

  • Skills in mastering and applying foundational concepts from general education
  • Written and verbal communication skills

 
Prerequisites and Corequisites:
ECED  2020 or Department Approval
Course Topics:
Historical, social and educational review of assessment contributors
Review of developmental stages of children birth-nine
Types of screening and assessment tools: observation guides, portfolio assessment systems and tests that evaluate specific skills
Legal and ethical responsibilities in assessment
Linking assessment to curriculum, families and the children
Community resources and referral procedures
Specific Course Requirements:
The student must have access to young children (several young children within the age range of birth to nine) in order to complete field work assignments. This can be informal settings such as family or relatives, but preferably access to an early childhood program such as a child care center.   The student must have a working knowledge of how to operate in the WebCT environment.
Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements
Required Textbooks:
Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:
http://rodp.bkstr.com
Supplementary Materials:
          None Required
Hardware Requirements:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include...
Software Requirements:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm.
Instructor Information
Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours, instructor's commitment to feedback, and other communication information.
Assessment and Grading
Testing Procedures:
There are no exams in this course. Module Reflections replace exams.
Grading Procedure:

The grade for this course will be based on several types of assessment tools.

 

  1. Reflective module assignments.
  2. Child observation assignments
  3. Discussion forum to share perspectives, teaching strategies, and selected assessment objectives with classmates.  Discussion questions will be provided by the instructor.  
  4. Portfolio project  on a particular child will be completed

 

These assessment tools will be weighted as follows:

Reflections               120 points

Observations            100  points

Discussion Forum      80  points

Portfolio                   100 points

 

                  Total       400 points
Grading Scale:

90-100%  (360-400 pts.)         =  A  (Superior)

80-89%    (320-359 pts.)         =  B  (Excellent)

70-79%    (280-319 pts.)         =  C  (Average)

60-69%    (240-279 pts.)         =  D  (Passing, but below average)

0-59%      (    0-239 pts.)         =  F  (Failure)

 
Assignments and Participation
Assignments and Projects:
A sequenced list of assignments and projects arranged by course section or module with due dates is available within the course.
Class Participation:
Students must participate in all interactive aspects of the course. For example, students must communicate with other students through the discussion board, students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource, and students must check the course e-mail frequently for announcements.
Punctuality:
Each week of the course has specific elements that need to be accomplished in that week.  Each week's assignment builds on the materials in the previous weeks.  Therefore, you should work on the material in the order given in the schedule of assignments.  With the exception of the tests, there are no specific days or times that you need to participate.  You can work on this course at a time of day best suited to your needs.  The detailed due dates for the assignments are listed in the calendar for the course.
 
To receive full credit, assignments must be handed in on time.  10% of the score will be taken off for assignments turned in up to one week late; an additional 10% will be taken off for assignments turned in up to two weeks late.
 
Discussions must be posted during the week the module is scheduled. Discussions can not be submitted late.
 
Students should deliver assignments in Central Standard Time. 
Course Ground Rules
A list of basic assumptions and ground rules re noted below:
 
Complete assignments in the order and week assigned.
Participation is required.
Learn how to navigate in Desire 2 Learn.
Keep abreast of course announcements.
Use the assigned college or university e-mail address as opposed a personal e-mail address.
Address technical problems immediately.
Observe course netiquette at all times. 
Guidelines for Communications
Email:
  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members.
Discussion Groups:
  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.
Chat:
  • Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.
  • Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
  • Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.
  • Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
  • Be constructive in your comments and suggestion.
Web Resources:

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. 

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support

Telephone Support:
 
If you are having problems logging into your course,
timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the AskRODP Help Desk by calling

1-866-550-7637 (toll free)

or go to the AskRODP website at:

http://help.rodp.org