1.4: Defining Assessment as a Collaborative Process

Assessment in early childhood education should not be the sole responsibility of teachers, nor should it be conducted in isolation. Best practices emphasize that assessment should be a collaborative effort involving families, educators, paraprofessionals, related service providers, administrators, and/or community members (NAEYC 2022; DEC 2014). This collaborative approach ensures a more accurate and holistic understanding of a child or organization’s abilities and needs (Bagnato et al. 2010).

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Collaboration with Families

Families provide valuable insight into a child’s development, culture, and daily experiences. They also can provide teachers and programs with important information about their perspectives on how well a program addresses their needs as a family or as members of a community. Best practices include assessment processes include family input and perspectives to ensure they reflect the child’s typical behaviors and abilities across different settings (NAEYC 2022; DEC 2014). Educators should also engage families in discussions about assessment results and collaborate with them to develop their child’s individual learning goals, but also classroom and program improvement goals and objectives (Epstein 2011; NAEYC 2022; DEC 2014).

Collaboration with Paraprofessionals and Assistants

Paraprofessionals and classroom assistants play a key role in documenting children’s progress through observations, work samples, and behavioral notes (Giangreco et al. 2010). Paraprofessionals also provide an essential role in a classroom or program’s ability to meet program requirements and/or classroom and/or program improvement goals and objectives. The DEC guidelines emphasize that all staff should be trained in using assessment tools accurately and ethically to ensure consistency and reliability (DEC 2014).

Collaboration with Related Service Providers and Community Partners

Collaboration with speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and other professionals or community partners ensures that when assessing an individual child, the team captures a comprehensive picture of the child’s development (Bricker 2002). Best practices also describe how assessment should be multidisciplinary, incorporating expertise from multiple professionals (including community partners) to support not only young children’s individualized learning and intervention but also classroom and program improvement (NAEYC 2022; DEC 2014).