Principles of assessment

A number of well-founded principles of early childhood assessment can be identified that offer a perspective that differs from that of conventional measurement. The Zero to Three Working Group on Developmental Assessment, a multidisciplinary group of professionals and parents, was convened in July 1992 to identify "problems and promising approaches in current assessment paradigms, policies, and practices" [25, p. 5]. The discussions initiated by this group led to the establishment of a set of principles that can be used to guide assessment of young children in both the intellectual and affective realms [26, pp. 17-25]. These principles are presented in table 1.

In general, the goal of early childhood assessment should be to acquire information and understanding that will facilitate the child's development and functional abilities within the family and community. Developmental assessment in particular is "a process designed to deepen understanding of a child's competencies and resources, and of the caregiving and learning environments most likely to help a child make fullest use of his or her developmental potential. Assessment should be an ongoing, collaborative process of systematic observation and analysis. This process involves formulating questions, gathering information, sharing observations, and making interpretations in order to form new questions" [26, p. 11]. The assessment principles listed in table 1 assume this definition of assessment. Below we will examine these assessment principles and offer examples of instruments and practices that utilize them, focusing on both affective and intellectual development of children below age three.