HDFS 421: Teacher/Professional Interview Report

Report of Early Childhood Professionals Views of Assessment

INTRODUCTION

For this report, we interviewed three teachers from various Early Childhood Education

settings in order to gain an understanding of how assessments are being used by these

professionals in real-world classroom settings. The data gathered allowed us to understand the

different kinds of standardized and non-standardized assessments that are being used , along with

being able to compare and contrast assessment usage and frequency across the three classroom

settings. The first teacher interviewed was Mrs. Horn, a Kindergartener teacher at Wilkshire

Early Childhood Center. She has been working in the field for 8 years and was chosen because of

our interest in how she screens all of her 23 students by herself in a period of time. Secondly, we

have Mrs. Stark, who is the Head Teacher for the 18 month classroom at the MSU Child

Development Laboratories - East Lansing. Prior to obtaining this position, she worked at the

CDL at Haslett for six years as the administrative assistant. We chose her because we were

interested in how she manages to assess her classroom when the needs of the age group that she

is teaching would have a wide variety of individual needs. Thirdly, we have Ms. Johnson from

the Peoples Church Preschool. She was interviewed as a way to compare and contrast

assessments used at the CDL and Haslett with that of another Early Childhood Education setting.

Post interview, we analyzed the similarities and differences in the professionals

responses and aimed to relate those comparisons to the professionals contexts, e.g. setting, child

ages. We then reflected on what we individually learned from the professionals responses and

our end result of analysis. At the end, we are able to have an idea on how assessments are being

used by professionals in real classroom settings.

INTERVIEW SUMMARY

MRS. HORN
1. What types of assessments do you use in your work with young children?
She uses a variety of assessments for her students. At the beginning, middle and end of the year,
she assessed her students in using DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)
for literacy and math. She also assesses her students using Reading Street Unit Assessments and
has an End of the Year assessment for her students as well. The students are also formally
assessed based on the Kindergarten Standards on the schools report cards for both literacy and
mathematics.
2. How often do you assess children?
The students are assessed three times a year for DIBELS. The school has formal assessments on
report cards that goes home to parents twice a year. She is constantly assessing and re-teaching
skills for students to master the standard.
3. How do you use the assessment information that you collect?
The assessment information that she collects is used for herself and RTI coaches. The assessment
data from DIBELS is used to identify students that need Title Support in literacy and/or math.
She uses Reading Street assessments, math assessments, report card assessments and any other
formal/informal assessment to drive student learning. She uses the information to group students
based on academic needs and strengths. She will take the skill and the students that need extra
practice to create small groups during literacy and math time to focus on the skill, reteaching and
allow the students extra time to practice the skill until it is mastered.
4. How do you share assessment information with parents?
She shares the assessment information with the parents in a variety of ways. DIBELS scores are
generally shared with parents during Parent/Teacher conferences. If the student qualifies for Title
Support, she would inform the parents of their scores before conferences. Assessment
information is also shared with parents on Report Cards. The standards are listed on the report
card along with an M for mastered, P for partially meets or N for needs improvement.
5. Do you use any technology in your assessment process? If so, how?
She uses only minimal technology in her assessment process. All of the data for DIBELS can be
accessed online, although the assessment itself is not online. She also records the scores for her
Report Cards online, but does not use technology for classroom assessment.
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6. Are you ever assessed as a professional? If so, how and how often? What kind of
feedback do you get?
Yes, she is assessed twice a year through a formal assessment with her Administrator. She has a
pre-conference, and her Administrator would observe a lesson and then they will have a follow-
up to discuss and reflect. During these meetings, her administrator will ask her if there is
anything specific she would like her Administrator to observe. After the lesson, they will discuss
strengths and areas of improvement if there are any. They also discuss what she can do to
become a better educator for her students. Lesson observation and student growth are included
on the Danielson Rubric which is the tool that the district uses for teacher assessment.
7. What are the biggest challenges you have faced in using assessments?
Her biggest challenge would be that there is NEVER enough time! As one assessment would
take time to be implemented, it is a challenge to assess children in multiple areas. For example,
the verbal assessments takes 18 days for her to assess her students on the standards on the Report
Card alone. At the end, its 36 days a year focused on FORMAL assessments. Not to mention the
time it takes for DIBELS three times a year, progress monitoring for students on Title Support
and all of the formal assessments she does daily to keep her students on track and making sure
that they are meeting the standards.
8. Does your teaching philosophy affect your usage of assessment? How?
She believes that students need lots of opportunities and experiences for them to learn a task. She
understands the importance of assessment but also understand that students will grasp concepts
at their own time and at their own pace. If she assesses students and they have not mastered the
task, she would make sure to spend extra time with the student to make sure they master the task.
9. What kind of assessments would you use more often? Quantitative or qualitative?
Which ones are more effective to inform your instruction?
She believes that a mixed method of assessment would give a better view at the whole child.
Quantitative assessments has given her the data she needs to know if the students have mastered
the task or now, in which it would be used to mark on report cards. On the other side, she uses
qualitative assessments to understand the whole child.
10. As there are education laws that professionals need to abide such as Section 504 and
Child Find, how do you manage to assess students in assuring that all of your students have
all their needs?
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She ensures that all student's needs are meet and accommodations are made based on the
students 504 plans or IEP's. Both are legal documents that must be followed if accommodations
are recommended for assessments.

MRS. STARK
1. What types of assessments do you use in your work with young children?
Anecdotal records. COR to track scores to help plan and implement DEGs. Ages to Stages
questionnaire filled out by parents. This is used in every CDL classroom if alarming scores,
theyre assessed four weeks later by the teacher. PQA, to make a list of changes needed to
increase the quality of care and the environment because it is valid and reliable.
2. How often do you assess children?
Weekly updates to COR and multiple observations daily.
3. How do you use the assessment information that you collect?
To look at ability of class as a whole. To create a portfolio for conferences twice a school year.
Daily sheets for parents/caregivers stating something that happened or interactions that day.
4. How do you share assessment information with parents?
Every day they give/share an experience or anecdotal record if not weekly. Then, they print out a
portfolio twice a year.
5. Do you use any technology in your assessment process? If so, how?
Yes, an iPad for the classroom, the COR app and website to keep track of individual childs
developmental growth in each domain of the MSU curriculum.
6. Are you ever assessed as a professional? If so, how and how often? What kind of
feedback do you get?
Yes, Im assessed annually by the director Laurie Linscott and provided professional
development so things like, clothing, attendance and how they can be better supported etc. PQA
assesses the classroom environment and the quality of the program. Ms. Lin goes through the
PQA in each class before the real thing so that we can make the adjustments needed to provide
the best care for the children and score well.
7. What are the biggest challenges you have faced in using assessments?
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Time consuming things happen so fast in class so you can miss opportunities to take notes.
Maybe an off day for the classroom so if its assessed by the PQA, the scores might be bad.
Having time to actually use the observations to plan after assessing.
8. Does your teaching philosophy affect your usage of assessment? How?
Yes, I believe children learn hands on and through their interest. The observations I take help me
learn their interest and capabilities so the interactions with the children can be thoughtful and
meaningful.
9. What kind of assessments would you use more often? Quantitative or qualitative?
Which ones are more effective to inform your instruction?
I use anecdotal records mostly, because they are objective and you are just writing exactly what
you see.
10. As there are education laws that professionals need to abide such as Section 504 and
Child Find, how do you manage to assess students in assuring that all of your students have
all their needs?
By using the MSU curriculum and developmental milestones. Simplifications and extensions are
used to support all the childrens learning. An example of this would be an activity where
children are to stack blocks. Simplification for that would be for them to just explore the blocks
with senses and an extension would be stacking multiple blocks.

MRS. JOHNSON

1. What types of assessments do you use in your work with young children?
This school follows the Creative Curriculum and uses an online program called Teaching
Strategies, which provided information on how to teach and assess children, report findings and
how to continue professional development and encourage family engagement. Teachers also use
observation and reporting and portfolios to assess children in the classroom.
2. How often do you assess children?
Children are assessed daily by teachers in forms such as taking anecdotes and collecting data on
ipads for childrens portfolios. Children are also assessed in the fall and spring of each year in
preparation for parent-teacher conferences.
3. How do you use the assessment information that you collect?
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The assessment information collected is shared with parents and is used to create for children
between both parents and teachers. Individual child plans can also be created from these data
results, along with generating or changing lesson plans based on the results of the assessment.
4. How do you share assessment information with parents?
General information is shared with parents daily through verbal communications, through
electronic reports, through email and Facebook, and posting information in the designated
communication board for parents in the school. Assessment information is shared by meeting
with parents and discussing assessment results, especially if the results are a cause for concern.
5. Do you use any technology in your assessment process? If so, how?
Minimal technology is used in the classroom except for teachers using ipads to record pictures
for anecdotes. Teachers use the online program Teaching Strategies LLC and TADPOLES for
recording daily reports on children.
6. Are you ever assessed as a professional? If so, how and how often? What kind of
feedback do you get?
Since she is the Director of the program, she is assessed by her superiors individually and the
program is assessed by Licensing every year, and NAEYC every five years. Although NAEYC
only comes every five years, yearly reports must me taken and kept to make sure that the
program is still following NAEYC standards. The program is also assessed by Nature Explore
and Michigan Five Star Rating.
7. What are the biggest challenges you have faced in using assessments?
One of the biggest challenges is that assessments can be time consuming if it is to be done
correctly. It is also very difficult for teachers to gather information in the classroom, while also
having to have complete focus on the children at all times.
8. Does your teaching philosophy affect your usage of assessment? How?
This program follows the Creative Curriculum and children are assessed in the Language,
Physical, Social-Emotional, Creative and Cognitive Domains. Children are assessed in each
domain through anecdotes on a daily basis.
9. What kind of assessments would you use more often? Quantitative or qualitative?
Which ones are more effective to inform your instruction?
Anecdotes are the most used tool of assessment in the classroom because they provide a way to
record observed activities.
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10. As there are education laws that professionals need to abide such as Section 504 and
Child Find, how do you manage to assess students in assuring that all of your students have
all their needs?
Parents and teachers collaborate to make sure that childrens needs are being met both in and
outside of the classroom. Parents are provided daily reports, for example through anecdotes, as a
way to monitor childrens progress in the classroom.
HDFS 421: Teacher/Professional Interview Report

ANALYSIS
Upon reviewing the answers provided by each interviewer, we were able to see some

similarities and differences from their way of assessing their students. However, due to the

location and the age group that each educator works with, there were apparent differences in how

they use assessments, since they each follow different curriculum and programs. As both Mrs.

Johnson and Mrs. Stark assess their students on a daily if not weekly basis, Mrs. Horn only

assess her students at a certain period of time, due to having minimal time to assess all of her

children at all times. Since Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Stark are professionals who work with the

younger ones at a child care center, the role of assessment seems to play a prominent role in

informing the teachers instruction for scaffolding the childs development, which makes it

crucial for them to constantly observe them.

Another difference that we noticed regarded the focus of their assessments. For Mrs.

Horn, she would assess her Kindergarteners through DIBELS on their Literacy competency. This

would inform her of students who might need more guidance due to any developmental delays

on any aspect that might affect the childs academic performance. Moreover, it would seem that

the professionals who work at the child care center focus on the childrens developmental

milestones, while the professional who work at a school focus more on the childrens academic

performance such as Mathematics and Literacy. As of result, Mrs. Horn would have RTI coaches

to screen for any special needs that her students might have as Ms. Stark and Mrs. Johnson

would be able to screen their students themselves, due to their major focus on the childrens

developmental progress.

Similarly, it was discovered that all the educators use assessment tools to create lesson

plans that are tailored to the needs of their students. Mrs. Horn use the assessment data collected

from DIBELS to identify students who need Title Support. Ms. Stark uses anecdotal records and
HDFS 421: Teacher/Professional Interview Report

COR in order to inform their instruction to scaffold the childrens development appropriately and

Mrs. Johnson uses Teaching Strategies to assess students progress and generate the required

next steps that would scaffold children to move on to the next step. Another similarity found was

that all professionals share the students progress at conferences with the parents, but each of

them present the information to the parents differently from each other. For conferences, Ms.

Stark would compile all of her anecdotal records and pictures to be presented to the parents, Mrs.

Johnson would also compile all of assessment and observational record as a portfolio, and Mrs.

Horn would inform parent on the DIBELS result for each child in the form of a report card.

As we compare the answers that our professionals gave, one major difference discovered

is the way each interviewee is assessed based off the position they hold and the ages they teach.

Since Mrs. Johnson is the director of the school, she is assessed by her superiors individually and

the program of her school is assessed by licensing each year, and also NAEYC every five years.

Yearly reports are still taken and kept to make ensure the NAEYC standards are being upheld.

She is also assessed by Nature Explore and Michigan Five Star Rating. The director assesses

Mrs. Stark annual same with PQA, which helps assess both her professional development and the

quality of the overall program in her classroom. An administrator assesses Ms. Horn twice a year

on her professional development, including the strengths and areas for improvements on a lesson

they observe Mrs. Horn implementing. The district also assesses Mrs. Horn using the Danielson

Rubric. They all agreed that the biggest challenge using assessments and observations is that

they are time consuming and could cause them to miss out on other important experiences. They

also had comparable answers when asked how their teaching philosophy influenced their usage

of assessments, citing either the ranking of the assessment or curriculum they use.
HDFS 421: Teacher/Professional Interview Report

REFLECTION
One of the aspects that we have learned from the teachers responses is that one teacher

would need to use multiple assessments to assess the children in order to get the whole picture of

the childrens skill, whether the child has mastered the standard or not. As we thought that

assessments are majorly used for summative assessment, the formative assessments that are used

throughout the academic year is as important as the summative one. As a matter of fact, the

formative ones play an important role in informing teachers on the students progress, which

leads to instructions to scaffold the students ability fulfill the standards. It is astonishing that a

teacher would need to use multiple kinds of assessments in order to get the information that is

required and needed for them to be able to inform the students parents. From the information

gathered, we have gained a sense of how important assessments are in early childhood

classrooms and to what extent assessments need to be performed in order to gain reliable data.
HDFS 421: Teacher/Professional Interview Report

APPENDIX I
INTERVIEW SHEET OF MRS. HORN
HDFS 421: Teacher/Professional Interview Report
HDFS 421: Teacher/Professional Interview Report
HDFS 421: Teacher/Professional Interview Report

APPENDIX INTERVIEW SHEET OF MRS. JOHNSON