Assessment of Young Children

Dr. Moses Mutuku, Northern Illinois University

0
What is Assessment?
In general, assessment is the process of gathering information for the purpose of
making a decision (McLoughlin and Lewis (2008, p.!
"hese researchers argue that, although e#er$one engages in assessment, it is
particularl$ important skill for those of us who work with children with special
needs %ecause, the instructional plans for students with disa%ilities must %e highl$
indi#iduali&ed, which means that special education teachers re'uire precise
information a%out the student(s strengths and weaknesses.
In special education)
Assessment an !e defined as "the systemati #roess of gathering
eduationally relevant information to make legal and instrutional deisions
a!out the #rovision of s#eial servies$ %M&oughlin ' &e(is, )**+,
Note it is ongoing %ontinuous,
-ystemati . to ans(er im#ortant /uestions
0duationally relevant
-#eial eduation assessment is #ur#oseful
*ssessment should not %e confused with testing which is onl$ one other the
assessment techni'ues that we use in assessment, or with diagnosis which is a term
%orrowed from the medical field (normall$ results in a la%el such as autism and
of course a treatment!. In education, such designation is onl$ for the purpose
of determining eligi%ilit$ to ser#ices. +ence in special education we are likel$ to
conclude that a student has needs in the area of reading, rather than la%eling the
student as d$sle,ic.
Assessment 1ast and #resent
-p to the 800s, the measurement of personalit$ and other ps$chological factors
were the topics of stud$, %ut in the .00s the work of *lfred /inet and others led to
ma0or de#elopments of assessment techni'ues to meet a #ariet$ of needs such as
the e#aluation of militar$ personnel, screening of students in pu%lic schools.
1entral to the assessment choices was the contro#ers$ o#er the nature of
intelligence) for e,ample, is intelligence one entit$ or is it made up of a set of
factors2 3urthermore, is intelligence is fi,ed or modifia%le2 3or a long time,
educators were hampered %$ the medical model in the assessment of students with
special needs. 4e sought a 'uick fi, after the diagnosis5 a treatment (a cure!.

1ontemporar$ focus is assessment of the indi#idual student, his or her strengths

and weaknesses, and the wa$s the instructional en#ironment can %e adapted to
address the student(s needs.
4ith the end of 4orld 4ar 2 and the %a%$ %oom in the .60s, ser#ices for students
with disa%ilities grew tremendousl$, with a su%se'uent growth in assessment
procedures, particularl$ tests. 7pecific indi#iduali&ed tests were designed in all
academic areas 8 and in language, social skills, #ocational skills 8 with the help of
commercial pu%lishers.
-nfortunatel$, these tests were e'uall$ misused and a%used, invalid and
unrelia!le measures were used sometimes used %$ untrained individuals. 7ome
assessments were too narrow in nature5 some discriminated on the %asis of
student2s language, ultural !akground, or gender. 7u%se'uentl$, the results
were used inappropriatel$, with students erroneously la!eled "handia##ed
N3405
Most professionals consider intelligence a product of the interaction %etween
people and their en#ironment and, therefore, su%0ect to change. In this regard,
assessment in special education has to take into account, the en#ironment, as well
as the person(s a%ilities.
"he passage of 9L .:8:2 in .;6 (the <ducation for all +andicapped 1hildren *ct!
was a welcome mo#e in the field of special education. "he change introduce in that
federal law are maintained and e,tended throughout the $ears %$ new #ersions
such as 9L 088::=, the Indi#iduals with >isa%ilities <ducatio Impro#ement 200:
(I><* 200:!.
6asially, this la( guarantees that students (ith disa!ilities shall
reeive a 7800, A118318IA40, #u!li eduation in the least
restritive eduational environment
In the area of assessment, the la( mandates a set of due #roess
#roedures to #rotet students and their #arents, and detailed
guidelines to orret #ast #ro!lems. -tudents (ith s#eial needs
must !e ade/uately assessed !y a team and an individuali9ed
0duational 1lan %I01, must !e develo#ed.
ID0A )**: em#hasi9es students2 involvement (ith and #rogress
in the general eduation urriulum
2
6asi 1rini#les of Assessment
3indings of "he ?ational 3orum on *ssessment, a group of more than 80
educational and ci#il rights organi&ations)
"he primar$ purpose of assessment is to im#rove student learning.
Important assessment decisions must %e %ased on multi#le means of assessment
gathered o#er time rather than a single test score.
9rofessional olla!oration and de#elopment support assessment.
*ssessment is a ommunity issue as (ell as an eduational one %ecause it
in#ol#es parents, communit$ mem%ers, and students.
7$stems of assessment must %e revie(ed and im#roved regularly.
7ource) Lewis, *. (..=!. 4ashington seen . . . <ducation >igest, = (=!, ;2.
4hree &evels of Assessment
Instrutional ; teachers meeting needs of students or class, make grouping
decisions, grade students, e#aluate instruction, and e#aluate themsel#es as teachers.
Instrutional leadershi# and su##ort @ principals e#aluating programs,
allocating resources, and e#aluating teachers5 other administrators such as
curriculum coordinators e#aluate program 'ualit$5 counselors and ps$chologists
identif$ children with special needs and suggest support s$stems.
1oliy level @ superintendents e#aluate programs, principals, and allocate
resources. 7chool %oards e#aluate programs and superintendents. 7tate
>epartments of <ducation e#aluate programs, as do citi&ens and legislators
(7tiggins, ..6, p. 2:0!
1lassroom8le#el assessment re'uires powerful, high8resolution microscopes
focused on indi#idual students, while polic$8le#el assessment re'uires wide8angle
A
#iew of general indicators of achie#ement summari&ed across large num%er of
students (7tiggins, ..6, p. 2:0!.
4hree main targets of assessment5
students can use their knowledge to reason and sol#e pro%lems
students are a%le to de#elop and demonstrate important skills
students use their skills to create high8'ualit$ products
(7tiggins, ..6, p. 2:!
1erformane 6ased Assessment
1ur#oses5
e#aluate the child(s progress in de#elopment
make the connection %etween curriculum and assessment
e#aluate the school program
(4ortham, 200!
4y#es5
work samples
inter#iews
gameBsimulations
portfolios
:
(4ortham, 200!
%4he #o(er.1oint 3n tools you an use!
6
&0A8N08 C<A8AC408I-4IC- 43 60 0=A&UA40D
. Cnowledge @ information stored in the %rain which will help with making sense
out of life e,periences.
2. 7elf8confidence @ the #alue a person places on hisBher self8image5 what a person
thinks a%out herBhimself.
A. Denerati#e @ this in#ol#es %eing creati#e and coming up with new ideas %ut
also producing new solutions to pro%lems or responding differentl$ %$ restating
ideas de#eloped %$ others.
:. Eisk8taking @ a willingness to tr$ new #entures. It in#ol#es educated reasons
for actions and is not 0ust recklessness. Learning in#ol#es mo#ing into new
territor$, territor$ that is unknown or unfamiliar.
6. "houghtful @ this in#ol#es curiosit$, reflection, insight, and critical 0udgment.
1uriosit$ is a need to know and a willingness to find out. Eeflection in#ol#es
thinking things o#er. Insight in#ol#es understanding of wh$ things are so.
1ritical 0udgment is appl$ing known criteria to a situation to make a decision.
=. Eesourcefulness @ the capacit$ to %ring personal e,periences and resources to
%ear on a pro%lem. Dathering and using those resources effecti#el$ is our
purpose.
;. Frgani&ation @ this in#ol#es putting resources to work in such a wa$ as to
achie#e a solution to a pro%lem.
8. 1olla%orati#e @ %eing a%le to work with others to achie#e personal goals, %ut in
a wa$ that is also helpful to others. "his is also %eing a%le to assist in achie#ing
collecti#e goals, and %eing sensiti#e to the feelings of other mem%ers of the
group.
.. Industrious @ this is hardworking, and persistent e#en in the face of failure.
"r$ing again and seeing a 0o% through to its completion.
*dapted from Eo%ert *nthon$(s presentation at the Maplewood ?ongraded
1onference, *ugust, ..2.
=
C8I408IA 738 AU4<0N4IC C&A--833M A--0--M0N4-
1lassroom assessments are more authentic if the following criteria are esta%lished)
* #ariet$ of authentic assessments are used throughout the $ear
7tudents are gi#en some choices on the assignments
* #ariet$ of learning modalities are pro#ided (auditor$, #isual, kinesthetic!
1ontent o%0ecti#es and targeted thinking skills are listed
7tudents are pro#ided opportunities to engage in pro%lem8sol#ing, decision8
making, and higher8order thinking skills.
7pecific criteria for the assignment is gi#en to students (length, t$ped or
written, materials, outside help, in8class time, re'uired sources, etc.!
>ue dates are listed (it is %etter to %reak down parts of the assignments with
different due dates rather than 0ust the final due date for the entire
assignment!
7tudents are gi#en a chance to think a%out how the$ approach learning tasks
and to communicate how the$ plan, monitor, and e#aluate their thinking
(reflection and metacognition!
7pecific criteria for e#aluation are listed
"eacher feed%ack is prompt, positi#e, and specific
7tudents ha#e a chance to share their work with others
4ork is displa$ed in room or school
;
*77<77M<?"B<G*L-*"IF?BE<9FE"I?D
we use to . . . but . . . so now . . . because . . .
9lace more emphasis on what
students could not or should not
do
4e learned that this focus
undermined the confidence of
man$ students and that we could
%e more supporti#e of their
accomplishments
4e %egin with what students
can do, then consider their
learning needs
"his helps to de#elop confidence
and gi#es a foundation for
%uilding and further refining
skills and knowledge
3ail students who did not meet
pre8set e,pectations for %eha#ior
or a%ilit$ to do tasks
4e found that some students
dou%ted their a%ilit$ to learn and
this increased the pro%a%ilit$ of
them dropping out of school
"eachers gi#e students the
support needed to allow them
to make continuous progress
"his maintains their self8esteem
and confidence, thus prompting
further learning %$ strengthening
the disposition to learn
-se pencilBpaper tasks as the main
wa$ of assessing and e#aluating
students
4e now know that this ga#e a
limited #iew of what students
could do
4e encourage students to
represent their learning in a
#ariet$ of wa$s (show what
the$ know!
"his pro#ides opportunities for
more students to demonstrate
their intelligence and to %e
successful learners
1ompare learners to each other "his made comparisons more
important than the actual
learning
<ach learner is e#aluated on
what he or she can do in
relation to the widel$8held
e,pectations and skills are
continuall$ refined and
applied purposefull$
"his helps each child feel #alued
as a learner and %uilds on
indi#idual strengths, which
encourages a good start toward
lifelong learning
-se checklists for students( report
cards
"he$ ga#e limited information
a%out what students could do
4e use information from
o%ser#ations, conferences and
collections of students( work
to de#elop anecdotal reports
"he$ gi#e more comprehensi#e
information a%out what students
can do
-se letter grades for reporting
students( progress (*,/,1!
(D,7,?I!
Letter grades were dependent on
teacher and parent interpretation
and often focused on surface
knowledge rather than
understanding
4e use anecdotal reports to
descri%e students( learning
"he$ gi#e a more detailed
picture of what students can do
and identif$ future learning goals
<,clude students from the
assessment and e#aluation process
"his did not encourage the
de#elopment of self8e#aluation
skills
7tudents are encouraged to
take a more acti#e role in
assessing and e#aluating their
own progress and, with the
help of the teacher, set future
learning goals
*s students construct meaning of
the world around them, this
process encourages self8
e#aluation, independent learning
and a commitment to further
learning
9lan conferences for parents and
teachers to e,change information
"his often o#erlooked the people
with the most rele#ant
information @ the students as
"eachers are %eginning to
plan wa$s to include students
in the conference with parents
"ogether, the$ can de#elop a
shared understanding of
students( a%ilities, interests and
learning needs, resulting in the
8
de#eloping learners. setting of realistic learning goals
108738MANC0 A--0--M0N4 D07IN0D
7ignificantl$, the word assessment, which we so often associate with e#aluating, measuring, and 0udging comes
from the 3rench #er% assidere which means to sit %eside (+erman, *sch%acher H 4inters, ..2!.
Ff all the assessment options a#aila%le to educators, performance assessment is uni'uel$ well8suited to e#aluating
comple, tasks (7tiggins, ..6!
9erformance assessment implies that)
7tudents are acti#e participants rather than passi#e o%0ects
<#aluation and guidance occur simultaneousl$ and continuousl$
9rocesses as well as products are e#aluated
>e#elopment and learning are cele%rated
Multiple indicators and sources of e#idence are collected o#er time
Eesults of the assessment are used to plan instruction, impro#e classroom practice, and optimi&e children(s
learning
"he assessment process is colla%orati#e among parents, teachers, children, and other professionals as needed
(/lack H 9uckett, ..=5 Isen%erg H Ialongo, ..=5 "ierne$, ..!.
"here are some wa$s to tell if a program is using performance assessment. In these programs, $ou would certainl$
see)
! Joung children using their knowledge to reason.
2! Joung children arri#ing at multiple solutions to challenging acti#ities.
A! Joung children de#eloping proficiencies that the$ did not pre#iousl$ possess.
:! Joung children demonstrating significant skills.
6! Joung children learning to appl$ those skills to create high8'ualit$ products.
=! Joung children learning to e#aluate their own work.
Theory Into Practice: Research on the Human Brain
7upport for aesthetic education and performance assessment in the arts comes from a large %od$ of research on the
human %rain and its functioning (Dardner, ..6!. +istoricall$, there has %een a tendenc$ to treat the arts as if the$
were limited to the affecti#e (feeling! realm when in fact, the arts are e#er$ %it as much cogniti#e (thinking! as the$
are affecti#e (+argrea#es H Dardner, ..2!. 4hat do we now understand a%out how the human mind works and
wa$s in which the arts support cogniti#e functioning2 4e know that the mind)
-eeks the #atterns in om#le>ity (/ruer, ..:!. "he human %rain is programmed to instantl$ recogni&e
patterns and interpret them. /ecause these patterns generall$ make information storage and retrie#al more
efficient, the patterns our %rains percei#e tend to %e remem%ered longer and accessed more readil$ than random
information. "his is one reason wh$ we can remem%er song l$rics long after we ha#e forgotten other things that
our %rains cannot impose such as clear pattern upon, such as isolated historical facts. 3or e,ample, one t$pe of
pattern for which the human mind has a special affinit$ is narrati#e or stor$ (Ialongo H Isen%erg, ..6!.
7tudies show that human %eings ha#e a natural tendenc$ to organi&e information %$ cases or episodes 8into
stories8 %ecause this is one ma0or wa$ that the %rain imposes a pattern or structure on comple, e,periences.
7untions on many levels simultaneously (?e#e et al., ..!. *s $ou are reading this sentence, for e,ample,
$our mind might %e simultaneousl$ deciphering each word, tr$ing to make sense of the entire chapter,
reminding $ou that $ou ha#e a test tomorrow, alerting $ou that $our stomach feels empt$, and so forth. /ecause
the arts engage the mind of the child on a wide arra$ of tasks simultaneousl$, the$ support the mind(s natural
st$le of operating on se#eral different le#els at the same time.
Ca#a!le of !oth !readth and de#th (1arnen, ..0!. "he human mind can function fle,i%l$ %oth as a
telescope (e.g. seeing the forest! or as a microscope (e.g. seeing the indi#idual trees!. Fnce again, the arts
are compati%le with %oth wa$s of processing information. /$ their #er$ nature, the arts teach children that the
smallest details can %e significant, $et remind them to step %ack periodicall$ and look at something in its
entiret$. "his %road #iew ena%les the artist, whether child or adult, to determine the o#erall 'ualit$ and effect of
an artistic product or performance. 3or e,ample, at the same time that 7am learned more a%out holistic features
.
of dance, like order and proportion, he also learned that su%tle differences in gesture, like the cur#e of his
fingers or the angle of his head, matter too. "hat is how the arts teach %oth range and depth.
<as an affinity for real #ro!lems, e>am#les, and ontats that an !e #ut to atual, #rodutive uses
(Cline, ..6!. Eesearch indicates that situations which ha#e no rele#ance, connection, or interest for the learner
are largel$ ignored in terms of learning (7mith, .88!. "his is one reason wh$ hands8on, acti#e learning is
recommended. /ecause the arts foster intuiti#e thinking, a grasp of useful patterns, aesthetic acti#ities, and
non#er%al a%ilities, the arts are entirel$ consistent with the %rain(s natural st$le of functioning (/o$er, .885
/randt, .885 4olf, .88!.
-U??0-4I3N- 738 0DUCA438-
@. Be aware of the limitations of tests
Lilian Cat& (..A!, a contemporar$ earl$ childhood leader, states) "he $ounger the child %eing tested, the
more errors are made5 therefore the $ounger the child, the more likel$ false la%els are applied to them5 the
longer children li#e with a la%el, the more difficult it is to escape form it (unpaged!.
It is widel$ held assumption that facts and figures can speak for themsel#es, $et all of our research, all of our
information a%out children, is em%edded in political, cultural, and social class conte,ts that gi#e data meaning
(/owman ..6, p. AA!. In other words, num%ers alone tell $ou something, %ut the$ do not tell $ou #er$ much
when the$ are taken out of a social conte,t. 7omething that seems entirel$ o%0ecti#e, such as a height of 6(
can mean something #er$ different in a different social conte,t. "he nearl$ si, feet tall person would %e a
#irtual giant among p$gmies and well %elow a#erage if he was a forward for the ?ational /asket%all
*ssociation.
). Emphasize relevant skills and tasks
Eecent research on the human %rain suggests that the percei#ed rele#ance, significance, and usefulness of a task
influences curiosit$, interest, moti#ation, and enthusiasm. "he #er$ heart of performance assessment is
documentation of student growth through real world skills and tasks. "his means that the items and %eha#iors
assessed should ha#e some sort of practical significance and some useful application to children(s li#es (Cat&,
..A!. "he world in which students will li#e and work as adults will seldom re'uire coloring in a %u%%le with a
num%er two pencil on a computer8scored answer sheet or choosing the %est answer from a list of possi%ilities.
A. Encourage elf!Evaluation
<ncourage students to e#aluate their own work through 'uestions such as, +ow do $ou feel a%out KKKKKK2
1an $ou pinpoint what went wrong2 or 1ould $ou ma$%e do this in a different wa$2 or 4hat outcome
would $ou like %etter2 Man$ children ha#e %een conditioned to rel$ solel$ on an adult(s opinion to determine
how the$ feel a%out their own work. * wa$ to steer children awa$ from this is to gentl$ encourage them to
discuss what the$ like a%out their own work %efore $ou state an opinion. *sk them a%out what the$ plan to do
ne,t or how the$ might do the same thing differentl$ ne,t time. -rge children to make 0udgments a%ut the
works the$ produce as well) 4hich of $our wood sculptures is $our fa#orite2 *re $ou satisfied with $our
mo%ile now2 4ill $ou change the ending of $our pla$2 4hich of $our dances will $ou do for the class2
"he goal of %uilding skills in students( self8e#aluation has to %e communicated to parents as well. /e certain to
con#e$ the message to parents that assessment in the arts emphasi&es 4hat did $ou learn2 rather than +ow
did $ou do in comparison to the other children2
0
108738MANC0.6A-0D A--0--M0N4 -48A40?I0-
In order to successfull$ implement a performance8%ased assessment, $ou will need to %ecome con#ersant with
specific strategies that are used for assessment purposes. *s a start, recogni&e that an$ attempt to implement
performance8%ased assessment must %e founded on
*ppropriate e#aluation
*rise from and ser#e clear purposes
<manate from and reflect clear and appropriate achie#ement targets
Eel$ on a proper assessment method, gi#en the purpose of the target
7ample student achie#ement appropriatel$
1ontrol for all rele#ant sources of %ias and distortion
(7tiggins, ..6, p. 2:0!
7ue 4ortham (..;! pro#ides an o#er#iew of assessment strategies that are a#aila%le to earl$ childhood educators
when she writes,
"here are numerous strategies for assessment that are considered appropriate for $oung children. 3or man$
decades, earl$ childhood educators ha#e used o%ser#ation, checklists, rating scales, work samples, and
teacher8designed assessment. "hese strategies are still part of the repertoire a#aila%le to teachers5
moreo#er, the$ contri%ute to the current emphasis upon assessments that are conte,tual to the child(s
learning e,periences. "wo terms that are used to descri%e this t$pe of assessment are authentic assessment
and performance assessmentLMin performance assessmentN the child demonstrates understanding through
performing an acti#it$. "he assessment acti#it$ is meaningful in that it is connected to the real world
(/ergan H 3ield, ..A!. 9erformance8%ased assessments are particularl$ useful with $oung children
%ecause de#elopment progress can %e measured as well as learning.
"hese informal means of e#aluation t$picall$ rel$ upon o%ser#ations of the child(s %eha#ior, encourage interaction
%etween the child and teacher or child and peer(s!, and emphasi&e anal$sis of the child(s creati#e works (Doodman,
Doodman H +ood, .8.!. More specificall$, some of the strategies for conducting performance8%ased assessments
in earl$ childhood classrooms include games and simulations, conferences, and inter#iews, anecdotal records and
other o%ser#ations and student work samples, %oth in progress and finished products (*riasian ..:!.
4<0 138473&I3
7e#eral $ears ago, the art %uilding of a uni#ersit$ in our area was destro$ed %$ fire. *s the art ma0ors whose work
was stored inside stood out on the sidewalk, man$ of them were in tears. 4hat happened2 a passer %$ asked,
+as someone %een hurt2 Jes, one student answered solemnl$, *n irreplacea%le part of our li#es is gone. Fur
portfolios were in there. "hese students who were grie#ing the loss of their portfolios help to illustrate wh$
collections of work are so important to performance e#aluation in the arts. 7ome of the most common 'uestions
a%out portfolios and their use in the performance assessment of $oung children are)
o "hat is a portfolio# 4hether the artists is a child or a professional, the materials in their portfolios can)
tell us who the child is5
identif$ the goals the child has selected5
documents the work the child has done5
chronicle the processes the child has used to accomplish these goalsBworks5 and
suggest what the child aspires to do in the future (+ansen, ..6, p. ;A!
"he word portfolio comes from the Latin #er% portare, meaning to carr$ and the Latin noun foglio, meaning sheets
or lea#es of paper. 9ortfolios are cases for holding papers, prints, drawings, maps, or musical scores that are carried
from place to place (1hiseri87trateer, ..2, p. =!. 3or artists, the most concrete definition of a portfolio is a case or
%inder in which loose papers, paintings, drawings, photographs, and the like are kept. *rtists collect their work with

an e$e on gaining entr$ into art schools, galler$ shows, or 0o%s (7eger, ..2, p. ;!. 7imilarl$, children maintain
an arts portfolio to highlight their growth, share it with others, and ad#ance to higher le#el of proficienc$.
o "hy use portfolios with young children# * child(s portfolio is a di#erse collection of work that pro#ides a
%iographical look at how interest, attitudes, skills, and understandings change o#er time (Delfer H 9erkins,
..;!. Iust as an artist(s portfolio displa$s samples of #arious kinds of work, children(s portfolios can
demonstrate #arious areas of artistic endea#or and growth.
o "hat does a child$s portfolio look like# 9ortfolios offer teachers and students the uni'ue opportunit$ to design
and shape procedures that are %est suited to their indi#idual and classroom needs. 9ortfolios ma$ %e maintained
in single file folders, in e,panda%le accordion files, in milk crates, or #arious other t$pes of containers.
o "hat items are included in the child$s portfolio# * portfolio is not simpl$ a hapha&ard collection of the child(s
work. Eather, it is a carefull$ selected and maintained collection of work that is arranged to highlight growth
and document progress. Materials that are included in the portfolio should %e matched to general program goals
as well as pro0ect, theme, unit, and lesson goals.
/ecause #er$ $oung children are 0ust learning a%out themsel#es, most portfolios for $oung children also
com%ine the child(s work with the teacher(s o%ser#ational notes.
4he 8ole of Children2s 1ortfolios in Authenti Assessment
9ortfolios encourage student in#ol#ement and reflection, and e,pand traditional achie#ement measures. -nlike a
traditional test, in which students ha#e something done to them, portfolios in#ite students as participants. "he
s$stem of educational winners and losers is greatl$ decreased in the portfolio assessment process as students %ecome
acti#el$ in#ol#ed in criti'ue, choosing work, and identif$ing their own areas of strength and growth. 9ortfolios are
particularl$ #alua%le in allowing teachers to e,amine students( de#elopment in risk8taking, creati#e thinking, and
self8e#aluation (9aulson, 9aulson H Me$er, ..!.
9ortfolios can ser#e as a particularl$ helpful assessment tool when teachers are trained and committed to using them
with $oung children. *s children gain independence and skill in cooperati#e work with classmates, the$ can also
assume a great deal of the responsi%ilit$ in#ol#ed in weekl$ or monthl$ weeding out sessions, in which some
work is chosen as the %est e,amples of right now and other work is sent home for the child to en0o$ with the
famil$.
9ortfolios reach their full potential as assessment tools when the$ are used as tools for self8reflection %$ students. *t
a recent showing of children(s art, portfolio work was displa$ed form children in grades C8A. <ach piece was
accompanied %$ a small card %earing a short narrati#e %$ the artist. Fne second grader(s card read, I think that this
art in m$ portfolio will affect me e#en after I(m %ig, %ecause I(#e learned that there(s no wrong wa$ to imagine.
<ducators must %egin to consider arts assessment as a #ehicle for pro#iding additional information a%out children(s
strengths and areas of interest. "he image of sitting %eside the child is worth remem%ering as $ou conduct
performance e#aluations.
1ortfolio ?uidelines
?uideline Num!er @5 "he portfolio must include o%ser#ation tools that are realistic for managing a whole
classroom.
?uideline Num!er )5 In#ol#e the children more thoroughl$ in the process of assessment.
?uideline Num!er A5 Make assessment tasks managea%le in terms of time and storage.
?uideline Num!er :5 -se portfolios as communication tools with students and parents.

2
1ortfolio Contents
and Media Used to 8eord 4hem
1hotogra#hs
1reate a photo essa$ using maga&ine pictures
>ocument a class pro0ect using photographs
1onstruct a model of something
Droup mural
1lass collage
=ideota#es
>ramati&e a stor$ or a scene from a %ook
1horeograph a dance or singing game
9erform a puppet pla$
Written Work
In#ent a te,t for a wordless %ook
Maintain a reading or listening log
1reate a discograph$
Audiota#e
Eead an original stor$ aloud
Eetell a familiar stor$ in own words
Dra(ings, -kethes, and Charts
9lan a model
Illustrate a fa#orite song as a chart or %ook
Make a stor$%oard
Make a class pictograph
Com!inations
Make a class scrap%ook that shows the life c$cle of a ma0or pro0ect
Maintain an illustrated 0ournal
9erform a rap, chant, song, or poem
-am#le 1rogram 0valuation Buestions for Children2s Art
>oes the children(s work show an$ conceptual growth as the program progresses2
+a#e the$ e,perienced work in new media2 +as their range of performance e,panded2
+a#e the$ de#eloped some technical facilit$ in an$ or all of these new media2
+as their knowledge of art #oca%ular$ increased2
Is there an$ indication that the$ ha#e learned to see more percepti#el$2
>o the$ work more imaginati#el$ than %efore2
Is there an$ indication that the$ approach art more enthusiasticall$2
+a#e the$ learned that e#aluating their own work and that of others is part of the art process2
7ource) 1ohen H Dainer, ..6
A
Reflect: How would you organize a program portfolio around these %uestions#
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