PECT Assessment and Evaluation Strategies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which assessment approach involves a teacher watching a child build with blocks and documenting what they observe?
- Formal standardized testing
- Observational assessment (Correct answer)
- Norm-referenced assessment
- Computer-adaptive testing
Correct answer: Observational assessment
Observational assessment involves systematically watching and recording children's behavior and learning during natural classroom activities.
Question 2: A teacher uses a running record while a student reads aloud. This assessment primarily informs the teacher about:
- The student's social-emotional development
- Reading accuracy, error patterns, and decoding strategies (Correct answer)
- Phonemic awareness in isolation
- Vocabulary knowledge only
Correct answer: Reading accuracy, error patterns, and decoding strategies
Running records capture a child's oral reading behaviors, including miscues and self-corrections, providing data for instructional planning.
Question 3: The purpose of diagnostic assessment in early childhood is to:
- Rank students against national norms
- Identify the specific nature of a child's learning needs or difficulties (Correct answer)
- Evaluate teacher effectiveness
- Assign students to reading groups by score
Correct answer: Identify the specific nature of a child's learning needs or difficulties
Diagnostic assessments provide detailed information about a child's specific strengths and areas of challenge to guide targeted instruction or referral.
Question 4: Which of the following best ensures that an assessment is valid for young children?
- The test is timed and standardized for all students
- It measures what it is intended to measure in a developmentally appropriate way (Correct answer)
- It is administered in a formal, quiet testing environment
- It uses multiple choice only for ease of scoring
Correct answer: It measures what it is intended to measure in a developmentally appropriate way
Validity means an assessment accurately measures the intended construct; for young children, this requires methods appropriate to their developmental level.
Question 5: Family communication about assessment results should primarily aim to:
- Compare the child's performance with other students
- Share information about the child's progress and involve families as partners (Correct answer)
- Justify teacher grades with numerical data
- Highlight only areas of concern
Correct answer: Share information about the child's progress and involve families as partners
Effective family communication about assessment builds partnerships, celebrates growth, and positions families as essential contributors to children's learning.
Question 6: A teacher reviews work samples, observation notes, and family input before a conference. This multi-source approach is known as:
- High-stakes testing
- Benchmark assessment
- Triangulation of data (Correct answer)
- Norm-referencing
Correct answer: Triangulation of data
Triangulation involves using multiple data sources to form a more complete and accurate picture of a child's learning and development.
PECT Assessment and Evaluation Strategies 2
Which assessment approach involves a teacher watching a child build with blocks and documenting what they observe?