Early Childhood Assessment System in Arizona

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Early Childhood Assessment System in Arizona

• Improving Outcomes
• for All Children

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Definition of Assessment

• The process of gathering of information about
  children from several forms of evidence, then
  organizing and interpreting that information.
• NAEYC in Basics of Assessment

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Purpose of Assessment

• Monitor childrens development and learning
• Guide our planning and decision making
• Identify children who might benefit from special
  services
• Report to and communicate with others

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Previous AZ Assessment

• Two years ago ADE ECE became aware of the need
  to reform our assessment system
• Two significant and concurrent reasons
• Specific Outcome Data required by OSEP
• Phasing out of Pre-K Success

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Choosing an Assessment

• After a rigorous evaluation process, the AZ
  Department of Education adopted a menu of
  assessment instruments.
• The team looked for tools that were appropriate,
  comprehensive, valid and reliable.
• Rubric is available from ADE Procurement Office

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Utilizing the Assessment

• Although we recognize there is no perfect
  assessment, the selected instruments are well
  designed for Arizona children including English
  language learners, children with special needs,
  and children from diverse cultural backgrounds.

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Obtaining Assessment

• ADE conducted a formal procurement process to
  obtain the best and final pricing.
• Local Education Agencies are responsible for
  payment of training fees, instrument material
  costs, and any on-line subscription they may
  choose to enter into.
• Contact vendors directly.

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Participation

• These instruments are meant to be used for
  on-going progress monitoring and outcome
  indicators to ensure that all our ECE children
  and programs are improving.
• These assessment instruments are meant to be used
  with children 3 years K entry.

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Participation in Assessment

• Local Education Agencies will select one
  assessment from the menu in order to monitor
  progress of preschool age children to meet the
  requirements for
• 2004 IDEA, Part B, Section 619
• Accountability for ECBG (A.R.S. 15-1521)
• Accountability for Title 1 Even Start
  Program/State Family Literacy Program (A.R.S.
  15-191.01)
• It is recommended that all ECE programs within a
  district collaborate in choosing an assessment
  instrument in order reduce costs.

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Assessment Menu Options

• Child Observation Record (High/Scope Educational
  Research Foundation)
• Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum
  (Teaching Strategies)
• Work Sampling System (Pearson Learning Group)
• Galileo Plus (Assessment Technology Inc.)
• PALS-PreK
• Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test

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Assessment Training

• Each of the chosen assessment tools will outline
  data collection at training sessions
• Training on implementation is important to ensure
  that all teachers are administering assessment in
  the same way

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Baseline Data

• Directors and teachers in early childhood special
  education programs must input into the AZ SAIS
  system entry data for students by December 31,
  2006 so that our state may generate the federal
  report requirement to OSEP.
• All ECE programs will be required to submit
  student data through SAIS by June 30, 2007.

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SAIS Coordinator

• ECE staff need to coordinate with the SAIS
  coordinator in their district to establish a
  method of ensuring data is entered into the
  Student Management Software for upload into the
  SAIS system.
• SAIS coordinators will be attending training
  sessions offered by the ADE STaR team. A portion
  of this training will involve ECE input
  requirements.

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Easy 3-Step Process

• Administer assessment
• Calculate the results
• Enter into SMS

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Gathering and Calculating Data for SAIS

• Work with SAIS coordinator to determine a system
  for gathering data.
• We recommend using an assessment summary
  worksheet.
• Information gathered from an assessment summary
  worksheet will be entered into your SMS.

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• Worksheet Activity

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WSS System
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Creative Curriculum
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Galileo Reports Partial Individual Development
Profile
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Developmental Assessment Partial Individual Child
Observation Window
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Next Steps

• Assessments occur in classrooms in authentic
  settings (to the greatest extent possible)
• Determine a timeline for submitting the data
• Determine to whom the assessors will submit data
• Determine the process for how the data will be
  submitted

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Possible Collection Option

• SAIS coordinator gathers all data to enter into
  SMS from those implementing the assessment. ECE
  coordinators can review reports to ensure
  integrity of data.

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Possible Collection Option

• Those implementing the assessments will enter
  data into SMS. SAIS coordinator reviews data to
  ensure proper entry. ECE coordinators review
  reports to ensure integrity of data.

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New to SAIS

• Early Childhood Program Participation
  Programs that Preschool students participate in
  alongside Sped Programs
• Early Childhood Preschool Assessment
• Assessments for Preschool ages 3yrs to
  Kindergarten entry in any or all Childhood
  Programs

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ECE Program Participation

• Childs Name
• Preschool Program Type
• Early Childhood Block Grant
• State Family Literacy
• Title 1 Even Start
• Migrant Education Even Start
• Program Entry and Exit Date
• Demographic Information

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Preschool Assessment Codes

• Preschool Assessment Type
• 1. Work Sampling
• of Test Areas 7
• 2. Creative Curriculum
• of Test Areas 10
• 3. Child Observation Record (COR)
• of Test Areas 6
• 4. Galileo
• of Test Areas 9
• 5. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test
• 6. PALS PreK

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Sending to SAIS

• Once your district has put information into you
  local SMS software they need to send it to the
  SAIS system.

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Accessing the Common Logon
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Enter User name and Password
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Select Student Detail Data Interchange
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Student Detail Data Interchange
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Report Page
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The Reports

• There are three reports available for FY 2007
• SDEC71 Early Childhood Program Participation
  Report
• SDEC72 Early Childhood Assessment Report
• SDEC73 Early Childhood Assessment Search Report

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Use of the Data

• Data obtained from the assessment is useful for
  teachers in their lesson planning and support of
  a childs learning
• Provides a local program and ADE with valuable
  information to inform professional development
  and technical assistance
• Valuable information for stakeholders showing
  on-going improvements in child outcomes
• Allows AZ to meet Federal Reporting Requirements

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Priorities

• Fall 2006
• Choose an assessment
• Attend scheduled trainings on assessment tool of
  choice
• Assess the children
• Contact SAIS coordinator
• Agree on data collection system submission plan
• Submit summary of child data
• December 31st for all children in ECSE
  Inclusion Programs
• June 30th for all programs

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Contact Information

• Your District SAIS Coordinator
• www.ade.az.gov
• ADE Early Childhood Staff
• Amy Corriveau 602-542-1135
• Terry Doolan 602-542-1137
• STaR Team www.ade.az.gov/schoolfinance/STaR/