TEACHERSCOLLEGE COLUMBIAUNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM AND TEACHING January 14, 2014 Dear Parent Thank you so much for

your interest in learning more about the course and process involved in the child evaluations we complete. I teach a course in the Assessment of Young Children in the Early Childhood Program of the epartment of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College! Columbia "niversity. Every semester! teams of #asters level students work with families and instructional teams at various schools under my supervision completing comprehensive evaluations of individual children. It is an opportunity for students to hone their observation and formal report$writing skills. The process involves first meeting with the family to complete a family interview %at a location of the family&s choice' in which the child&s development! preferences! interests and routines are discussed as well as family priorities and (uestions that then drive the evaluation. )nce this is completed! students engage in a number of observations in a variety of conte*ts %the classroom! the playground! the community! the home $$ if this is convenient $$ and so on.'+rom that the students get a sense of how the child learns in a variety of environments and with a variety of different people. The students also interview the teacher%s' to get a sense of the child&s development! preferences! strengths and needs. +inally! the student teams complete a published assessment! which they often choose and share with the family! and a published play$based assessment. +amily members can be present for all! some or none of the observations and assessments! as they prefer. epending on family preferences! students can share sections of the evaluation as they go along! or share the completed report of findings %typically ,-$./ pages' at the end of the process. The students or I typically videotape parts of the assessment! and we always give a copy of the videos as well as the report to the family at the conclusion of the assessment period. I always advise my students that the best reports are those in which families recogni0e their child and learn more details about the child&s e*periences in school and in the community. I was

gratified that families from various schools we work with often tell me how pleased they were that the students had 1captured1 their child in their comprehensive report and their ama0ement that this was the work of students. 2e have been fortunate in having families entrust us with their children for many years now and! hopefully! we continue to earn that trust. Please feel free to contact me with any other (uestions at any time at %,3,'456$7857. I am also available at %,3,'.3/$43,5 and my cell is %835'6--$4,,5.

S!n"ere#y, Cathy Rikhye Cat$er!ne R!%$ye, E&'D' De(art)ent *+ Curr!"u#u) an& Tea"$!n, Ear#y C$!#&$**& E&u"at!*n Pr*,ra)