Testing for intelligence
Considering a commitment to viewing young children holistically (i.e., a commitment to "the whole child"), what, if anything, do you believe should be measured or assessed? Explain your reasoning.
Assessment is the process of gathering and discussing information from multiple and diverse sources in order to develop a deep understanding of what a child know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experience.
School-age children should be assessed in all areas of learning that is cognitive skills, reading, maths, English, science, geography, and history. Using different methods of assessment like observing, question and answers, written tests, discussions, oral exams, and class participation will help a teacher gauge a child’s academic strengths and weaknesses. When a teacher knows where a child is academically then it is easier to move forward. Skills such as teamwork, collaboration, and moral character traits that aren't measured in a typical standardized tests are increasingly important, so we should use both the formal and informal way of assessing and testing. Testing forms the foundation of educational assessment and represents a commitment to high academic standards and school accountability
In what ways are school-age children assessed in other parts of the world? (Choose a country or region of the world for which you have a personal affinity.)
In Europe
The most common type of assessment used in compulsory education is known as continuous assessment. It involves assessing the daily classroom participation of pupils, their coursework, oral and written tests and assignments, and practical assignments or project work. It can be used for both formative and summative purposes. In all countries, formative assessment is performed by teachers on an ongoing basis as an integral part of their activity throughout the school year. It is aimed at monitoring and improving the process of both teaching and learning, by providing direct feedback to teachers and pupils alike. In some countries in Europe like Germany, in order to progress up the school, pupils have to achieve certain standards and may have to repeat a year if they fail to do this, or go up a year if they exceed them.
What additional ideas, comments, suggestions, examples, and/or concerns related to assessing young children would you like to share with your colleagues?
Assessments should not just be written exams but include observations, question and answers, written tests, discussions, oral exams, and class participation.
Assessments should not be used to decide if a child should go to the next level or be taken back. Assessments should not be harmful to children and the teacher should not teach with the ultimate focus on children passing assessments. According to the NAEYC and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education a guiding principle is that assessments should bring about benefits for children, or data should not be collected at all.
Assessments should be used to help children develop physically, emotionally, cognitively, and socially.
“Conceptions of what is important to learn should take into account both physical and social, emotional development as well as cognitive learning. For most assessment purposes in the cognitive domain, content should be congruent with subject matter in emergent literacy and numeracy”. (NAEYC)
References
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/109en.pdf
https://www.cse.ucla.edu/products/parents/cresst_challengesshepard.pdf
Berger, K.S. 2015 the developing person through childhood (7th Ed), New york NY:worth publisher.
