鈥淓arly Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How鈥�
Government agencies, Head Start grantees, school systems, and other organizations operating preschool programs should be clear about why they assess preschool students and how the results are used, according to a new National Research Council in early-childhood-education programs.
Requested by Congress, the Aug. 4 report says preschool assessments should be part of a larger system of education and care for young children that also includes professional development for teachers and ongoing monitoring. Imposing a No Child Left Behind-style accountability system at the preschool level and making high-stakes decisions on the basis of a preschooler鈥檚 assessment results would be inappropriate, said the committee that wrote the report.
