Teachers know about and understand the goals, benefits, and use of

assessments. They know how about and use systematic observations,

documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible
way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positive
influence childrens development and learning. Although definitions vary, the
term assessment includes all methods through which early childhood
professionals gain understanding of childrens development and learning.
Observation, documentation, and other forms of assessments are central to
the practice of all early childhood professionals. Because so many young
children with disabilities are included in early childhood programs, and
because early identification of children with developmental delays or
disabilities is so important, all professionals need essential knowledge about
how to collect relevant information, including appropriate, including

appropriate uses of screening tools.

Assessment can be a positive tool for early childhood professionals; it has
also been use in inappropriate ways and harmful ways when you used the
wrong assessment or not age appropriate. Developmentally inappropriate
instructional practice, characterized by long periods of seatwork, high levels
of stress a fill-in-the blanks worksheets, placed many children at risk by
setting standards for attention span, social maturity, and academic
productivity that could not met by many normal five year olds. Especially
assessment should not be used to recommend that children stay out of a
program, be retained in grade, or be assigned to a segregated group based

on ability or developmental maturity.

Legal and ethical issues related to assessments: Educators must ensure that
they use clear, direct language in describing the policies and procedures in
effect in programs they represent. For the most part, the procedures used
in assessing, placing and instructing students in any program should be clear,
but some policies clearly deserve a closer analysis to assure that the policy
and practice are clear to educators and to ensure that there is no trend of
unintended harm. Teachers should use photographs or video tape of
childrens appropriately. Also confidentiality is very important, all children
confidential information is kept confidential among the team members and is
not released to anyone, unless the parent gives written permission.

Confidential information may be release to CPS or the local police without

written or verbal permission on the part of the parent or guardian.

Current educational concerns and controversies related to assessment of
young children, some of the assessments require time, effort, and children
might get bored or tired if the assessment is too long, children will score low
or they will not want to continue doing it. Another concern might be that
teachers in early childhood education classroom lack systematic training in
the new conceptions of assessments. They will need professional
developmental opportunities to learn the new skill and knowledge, and they
will need supervisory support and administrative support as they attempt to

implement an assessment.
Cultural diversity has different has different implications depending upon
your objectives and the role you play in the observation setting. Early
childhood educators and professional childcare providers are required to
deal effectively with children who come from different cultural and ethnic
backgrounds. The observer needs to interpret and understand childrens
behavior.