HD 482-01, Child Assessment and Evaluation

Fall 2009

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Instructor Information:

Teresa Ashford
McClaskey, Room 227
Phone: 360-546-9718
Fax: 360-546-9076
Office Hours: T, Th, 11:00 - Noon, or by appointment
Email:ashford@vancouver.wsu.edu or ashford_wsu@comcast.net
Home page: http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/adjunct/ashford/ashford.html

Course Information:

Schedule:

T, Th, 9:10-10:25 a.m.

Location:

Undergraduate Classroom Building, Room 124

Description:

This is a three credit, upper-division course focusing on the assessment and evaluation of young children in early childhood care and educational settings.

Course Objectives:

Students participating in this course will:

  • Understand the roles and types of assessment procedures appropriate for use with young children.
  • Increase awareness regarding the current state of assessment and standardized testing in the field of early childhood education.
  • Understand and demonstrate appropriate professional and ethical behavior regarding child assessment.
  • Demonstrate increased levels of resourcefulness and competence in identifying, creating, and evaluating assessment instruments for young children.
  • Engage in the implementation of assessment practice with children and gain skill in the application of assessment outcomes.

Prerequisites and Other Notes:

Six hours of social science.

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Required Texts and Materials:

  • Angel Learning at http://lms.wsu.edu/
  • McAfee, O., and Leong, D. J. (2007).  Assessing and guiding young children's development and learning (4th ed).  Boston, MA:  Allyn & Bacon.
  • Dodge, D. T., Colker, L. J., & Heroman, C. (2002). Connecting content, teaching, and learning (rev.ed.). Washington, D.C.: Teaching Strategies. (reserved text at WSU Vancouver Library)
  • Additional readings may be assigned in class and provided by the instructor.

Important Web Links:

(a) APA:

(b) Writing Center:

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Classroom Requirements:

Disability Accommodation:

Accommodations may be available if you need them in order to fully participate in this class because of a disability. Accommodations may take some time to implement so it is critical that you contact Disability Services as soon as possible.  All accommodations must be approved through Disability Services, located in the Student Resource Center on the Lower Level of Student Services Center (360) 546-9138.

Inclement Weather:

When students have questions about classes being held during inclement weather, please contact the faculty support for the department.  Faculty support will have information regarding class closures and will post that information on their voice mail messages.  For Human Development, use the faculty support telephone number listed:  Lynda Dezellem, 360/546-9721.  In case of class cancellation campus-wide, please check local media, the WSU Vancouver web page and/or http://www.flashalert.net/.  Individual class cancellations may be made at the discretion of the instructor.  Each individual is expected to make the best decision for their personal circumstances, taking safety into account.

Student Conduct and Academic Dishonesty:

Per the WSU Vancouver Student Handbook, students are, "Expected to show due respect for ... the rights of others". Students should be familiar with the Washington State University standards of conduct. The following website for the WSU Vancouver Student Handbook provides information on student conduct and the academic integrity process: www.vancouver.wsu.edu/ss/handbook/conduct.html.

Academic Integrity:

Academic integrity is the cornerstone of the university and will be strongly enforced in this course.  Any student found in violation of the academic integrity policy will be given an “F” for the assignment and/or the course (based on instructor’s discretion) and will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.  For additional information about WSU’s Academic Integrity policy/procedures please contact (360) 546-9573.

Important Dates and Deadlines :

Students are encouraged to refer to the academic calendar often to be aware of critical deadlines throughout the semester.  The academic calendar can be found at www.registrar.wsu.edu/Registrar/Apps/AcadCal.ASPX.  Questions regarding the academic calendar can be directed to the Office of Student Affairs in VSSC 100 or call 360-546-9559.

Electronic Mail:

All students are required to be on e-mail to further communication between students and the instructor and to communicate through Angel.  As of May 2009, all students are required to use a WSU Vancouver email address. Email will no longer be sent to non-WSU email accounts, nor will it be forwarded.  You can sign up for your WSU Vancouver email account by going to my.wsu.edu. If you have any questions during this process please contact the helpdesk in Pullman at email.wsu.edu or by phone at 509-335-4357.

Emergency Notification System

WSU has made an emergency notification system available for faculty, students and staff. Please register at myWSU with emergency contact information (cell, email, text, etc). You may have been prompted to complete emergency contact information when registering for classes on RONet. In the event of a Building Evacuation, a map at each classroom entrance shows the evacuation point for each building. Please refer to it. Finally, in case of class cancellation campus-wide, please check local media, the WSU Vancouver web page and/or http://www.flashalert.net/. Individual class cancellations may be made at the discretion of the instructor. Each individual is expected to make the best decision for her or his personal circumstances, taking safety into account.  Safety plan website - http://safetyplan.vancouver.wsu.edu/.

Building Evacuation

A map at the entrance of each classroom shows the evacuation point for each building. Please locate the information and follow the instructions if a building evacuation should occur.

Procedure for Submitting and Retrieving Papers and Assignments:

The Human Development Department maintains a drop box for students submitting assignments to HD faculty. Students use the student drop box on the second floor of the McClaskey Building. Directions are located on the top of the box.The box is checked several times daily and the contents distributed according to the faculty name you have placed on the envelope. DO NOT submit assignments by putting them in the file cabinet. The file cabinet is used only for returning graded assignments to students and for students to pick up copies of non-graded class materials such as class notes, etc. All graded material will be returned in an envelope with each student's name and the course number on the outside and placed in the alphabetical files by LAST name. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT A COPY OF ALL ASSIGNMENTS TURNED IN BE SAVED ELECTRONICALLY AND THAT YOU ALSO KEEP A PAPER (HARD) COPY. All student papers will be maintained in the HD file cabinet for six weeks following the posting of grades at the end of each semester. After six weeks, all papers, tests, etc. will be shredded. 

Late Assignments:

All assignments will be considered LATE (a loss of 10% of the overall earned score per day late) if they are not received by the START OF CLASS on the date specified on the syllabus. All assignments may be faxed, please put the instructor’s name on your fax cover page.

A Note About Plagiarism and Cheating (Adapted from University of Iowa):

Plagiarism and Cheating are serious offenses that may be penalized severely. You are plagiarizing or cheating if you:

  • present someone else's words or ideas as your own, in writing or in speaking
  • present ideas without citing the source
  • paraphrase without crediting the source
  • use direct quotes with no quotation marks
  • use direct quotes without footnotes or other textual citation of the source
  • present work in a group project that is not your own or the work of the group
  • submit the same paper for credit in more than one course without discussing this option with the instructors involved
  • submit material written by someone else as your own (this includes purchasing a term or research paper)
  • submit a paper or assignment for which you have received so much help that it is no longer your own work
  • do not do an equal part of the work on a group project
  • copy someone else's exam or graded homework
  • purposefully allow another student to copy your work or submit work you have written as his/her own

Student Responsibilities:

  • Record and keep all of your completed assignments in the event of a grade discrepancy.
  • Review and abide by the classroom conduct information sheet.
  • Be prepared to turn in all assignments at the beginning of class.
  • Check Angel Learning frequently (at least TWICE a week at minimum) for course updates/changes.
  • Ask plenty of questions!

Extra Credit:

It is not to be assumed that extra credit will be offered within this course. We will see how the semester plays out, and I will make a decision based upon group performance and overall need.

Grade Appeals:

All grade appeals must be submitted to the instructor by e-mail within five working days after the return of the assignment.  The appeal should describe in detail what your concerns are, state how many points you feel should be added to the grade, and provide justification for the grade change.  Appeals will be evaluated as much on the justification in the appeal as on the original assignment.  Grades will not be changed based on verbal appeals.  Final course grades must be appealed within 5 working days after receipt of the grade.

Other Class Policies:

  • If an assignment is emailed to the instructor, it is the student’s responsibility to confirm receipt. If the student does not receive a “confirmation email” from the instructor, the student is to assume the instructor did not receive said assignment.
  • I am always available to answer students’ questions, however, it is my policy to not answer any questions the day of an assignment or exam due date. This means that you should start planning ahead for completing these assignments/exams so that you can ensure you have enough time to ask questions as needed.

Required Assignments:

In-class Assignments:

There will be 50 points of in-class work that will NOT be announced. These may include small group exercises, pop quizzes, in-class writing, and/or short essays. You will be given time to complete these assignments in class. In-class assignments MAY NOT be made up.

Assessments of Knowledge:

Students will be required to complete an “assessment of knowledge” for each chapter. Each assessment of knowledge is worth 15 points. There are 11 chapters in the text and you will only be required to complete 10 “assessments of knowledge.” You may choose which chapter to exclude. You will answer the following questions:

  1. Based on your reading of the chapter, what was the most valuable information you gained for your knowledge base? Identify and describe a minimum of 2 key points that you learned. Address whether this was new knowledge gained or prior knowledge. If it was prior knowledge, how did the information help to further your comprehension? 
  2. How might this information be useful or valuable in your area of study and/or employment?
  3. What, if any, main points remain unclear to you? What questions do you have after reading this chapter?

(a) Your assessments of knowledge should be a minimum of ONE FULL page.
(b) Your name, the date, & course title should be indented on the top, right side of the page and single-spaced. A cover/title page is not required.
(c) Your paper must be word-processed with a standard font (12 point) & double-spaced using proper APA format. Useful APA links are included on page one of the syllabus. I HIGHLY recommend you review APA during the course of this class.
(d) All entries must be spell-checked and edited for proper grammar.
(e) Please use the question number to delineate between responses.

Case Study Activity:

Students are required to complete multiple forms of assessment of a child (3 to 5 years of age). The assessments will be completed through the observation of a child at the Child Development Program (CDP) at WSU Vancouver.  Two students will be assigned by the instructor to one child at the CDP. Your observation sessions will begin on October 27th. The Case Study Activity will be composed of (but is not limited to) the following activities:

(a) Completing the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test with your assigned child & class partner. A subsequent reflection & outcome paper will be included in the follow-up.
(b) Completing the Early Screening Inventory (ESI) with your assigned child & class partner. A subsequent reflection & outcome paper will be included in the follow-up.
(c) Naturalistic observation of your assigned child at the CDP.
(d) Compiling a Case Study Summary Report of your assigned child using The Creative Curriculum Goals & Objectives.
(e) Preparing for and engaging in a Case Study Conference.
(f) Engaging in a mid-case study conference with your instructor.

The Case Study Activity is worth 200 points. More information will be forthcoming as the semester progresses.

Requirement Summary:

Assignment Points Total Points Grade
Percentage
Case Study Activity 1 @ 200 200 50%
In-class Assignments total of 50
 50 12.5%
Assessments of Knowledge 10 @ 15 150 37.5%

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Grading:

Grading Scale:

The standard Human Development grading scale:

Grade Percent
A 100-94
A- 93-90
B+ 89-87
B 86-83
B- 82-80
C+ 79-77
C 76-73
C- 72-70
D+ 69-67
D 66-60
F 59 or below

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Schedule:

Tentative Course Outline - Subject to change with advance notice

Week Date Topic/Reading Assignments
1
 Aug 25 Introduction  
  Aug 27 Assessment in Early Childhood
Chapter 1 		Chapter 1 Assessment of Knowledge Due
2
 Sept 1 Legal, Ethical, and Professional Responsibilities in Assessment
Chapter 2 		Chapter 2 Assessment of Knowledge Due
  Sept 3 Why, What, and When to Assess?
Chapter 3 		Chapter 3 Assessment of Knowledge Due
3

Sept 8

Standardized Tests
Chapter 10 		Chapter 10 Assessment of Knowledge Due
  Sept 10 Standardized Tests, continued
Chapter 10 		 
4
 Sept 15 Guest Speaker: Carol Hall, ESD 112  
 

Sept 17

    
5
 Sept 22 Collecting Information
Chapter 4
Connecting Content, Teaching, & Learning (p 2-25) 		Have Appendixes A, B, & C of Connecting Content, Teaching, & Learning photocopied - Bring to class remainder of Semester
Chapter 4 Assessment of Knowledge Due
  Sept 24 Recording Information
Chapter 5 		Chapter 5 Assessment of Knowledge Due
6
 Sept 29 Compiling, Summarizing, and Interpreting Information
Chapters 6 and 7 		Chapters 6 and 7 Assessments of Knowledge Due
 

Oct 1

Field Trip to CDP
Guest Presenter from the CDP 		 
7
 Oct 6 Using Assessment Information
Chapter 8 		Chapter 8 Assessment of Knowledge Due
  Oct 8    
8
 Oct 13 Organizing for Assessment
Chapter 9 		Chapter 9 Assessment of Knowledge Due
 

Oct 15

    
9
 Oct 20 Communicating and Collaborating Usine Assessment Processes and Results
Chapter 11 		Chapter 11 Assessment of Knowledge Due
  Oct 22 Guest Presenter: Deanna Doerk, Family Support Specialist, ESD 112  
10
 Oct 27 Case Study Observation Days at CDP  
  Oct 29 Case Study Observation Days at CDP  
11
 Nov 3 Case Study Observation Days at CDP  
  Nov 5 Case Study Observation Days at CDP  
12
 Nov 10 Case Study Observation Days at CDP Mid-case Study Conferences (by appointment)
  Nov 12 Case Study Observation Days at CDP Mid-case Study Conferences (by appointment)
13
 Nov 17 Case Study Observation Days at CDP Mid-case Study Conferences (by appointment)
  Nov 19 Case Study Observation Days at CDP Mid-case Study Conferences (by appointment)
  Nov 23-27 NO SCHOOL ALL WEEK  
14
 Dec 1 Case Study Observation Days at CDP  
  Dec 3 Case Study Observation Days at CDP  
15
 Dec 8 Case Study Conference Days Case Study Reports and Conferences Due (by Appt)
  Dec 10 Case Study Conference Days Case Study Reports and Conferences Due (by Appt)
16
 Dec 14-18 There will be no final exam within the context of this course
Case Study Conference Days 		Case Study Reports and Conferences Due (by Appt)

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Useful Links:

You may find some useful information at web sites listed on the department resources page.