Testing and Assessment of Young Children

Testing of young children has become an integral part of the U.S. educational system.  The No Child Left Behind Act (2002) requires children to be tested in math, reading and science throughout the elementary school years.  There are benefits to testing in that children with learning disabilities may be identified and have supports made available to them.  “High quality assessment can reveal important information that will support not only individual child learning, but will provide educational accountability data at the district, state, and national level.”  (Stevens and DeBord, 2001, para. 8) 

I believe that it is critical to recognize assessment beyond standardized testing as these tests can only measure academic proficiency.  It is important to consider, social emotional development and creativity in addition to academics.  “Alternative forms of assessment may be completed either by adults or children, are more open-ended, and often look at performance over an extended period of time. Examples include structured observations, portfolio analyses of individual and collaborative work, and teacher and parent ratings of children’s behavior” (Epstein, et al, 2004, p.2)

I would also consider the potential negative impact of standardized testing upon young children.  Because they tend not to be developmentally appropriate, test can result in decreased self-esteem among others.  It would seem to me that we should focus more on teaching to the child instead of teaching to the test by employing proven strategies.  Stevens and Debord (2001, para. 16) suggest that “tutoring, mixed-age classrooms, and smaller class size are a few of the strategies to building stronger educational systems.”  In building stronger educational systems, we positively influence the development and education of children.

Policy makers in England face similar issues in their educational system.  Children are also tested using standardized methods which are also hotly debated.  As in the U.S., there is agreement for the need to monitor student success.  However, “the key issue now is how to balance the need for accountability with the urgent need to develop a fairer and more humane assessment system that genuinely supports good learning and teaching.”  (House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Committee, 2008).  The phrase teaching to the test is common in both countries as we continue to attempt to balance the need for accountability with what is right for young children.

Epstein, A. S.,  Schweinhart, L. J., DeBruin-Parecki, A. & Robin, K.B.  (2004, July). Preschool Assessment: A Guide to Developing a Balanced Approach. Retrieved June 11, 2011, from National Institute for Early Education Research: http://nieer.org/resources/policybriefs/7.pdf

DeBord, G. G. and DeBord, K. (2001). Issues of Assessment in Testing Children Under Age Eight. Retrieved June 11, 2011, from The Forum for Family and Consumer Issues: http://www.ncsu.edu/ffci/publications/2001/v6-n2-2001-spring/issues.php

House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Committee. (2008). Testing and Assessment . Retrieved June 11, 2011, from Parliament, U.K.: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmchilsch/169/169.pdf