ACCESS Steps to SuccessThis section serves as a quick reference guide for teachers, principals, program directors and curriculum specialists who are interested in a step by step process for implementing ACCESS.
|
|
A. Assessment Supported Practice
Designing an Assessment System
1. Preferably before the school year begins, the teaching team identifies assessment practices that currently exist and determines the aspects of the practices that should become part of an intentional assessment system.
2. During the program evaluation process, the team identifies useful assessment data that has been collected using existing strategies. Then the following question is posed: How well can these data inform instructional decisions, document child progress, and identify the interests of the children?
3. The team discusses assessment needs and preferences including how to:
a. document child progress
b. inform instructional decision-making
c. document the interest of the children
d. conduct ongoing program evaluation
4. The team considers the classroom's daily routines and identifies opportunities for documenting developmental skills or early learning content standards.
5. The team considers data collection strategies including the forms/worksheets section of this website and decides which tools meet the needs of the team, or if they need to modify one of the tools to fit their needs.
6. The teaching team determines the screening tool or tools to be used as children enter the program.
7. The teaching team determines who, where, when and how data will be collected.
2. During the program evaluation process, the team identifies useful assessment data that has been collected using existing strategies. Then the following question is posed: How well can these data inform instructional decisions, document child progress, and identify the interests of the children?
3. The team discusses assessment needs and preferences including how to:
a. document child progress
b. inform instructional decision-making
c. document the interest of the children
d. conduct ongoing program evaluation
4. The team considers the classroom's daily routines and identifies opportunities for documenting developmental skills or early learning content standards.
5. The team considers data collection strategies including the forms/worksheets section of this website and decides which tools meet the needs of the team, or if they need to modify one of the tools to fit their needs.
6. The teaching team determines the screening tool or tools to be used as children enter the program.
7. The teaching team determines who, where, when and how data will be collected.
Getting to Know Children and Families
1. The teaching team examines data that has been shared about incoming children by families, previous teachers/caregivers, and medical and school records.
2. The teaching team identifies information that still needs to be collected and selects and/or modifies tools from the ACCESS collection or creates their own.
3. The team screens the children. NOTE: Screening data is not used to exclude children from the program but rather as a means of informing instructional decisions.
4. The team gathers information from the family through a detailed application, introductory survey, center-based intake interview and/or home-based intake interview.
2. The teaching team identifies information that still needs to be collected and selects and/or modifies tools from the ACCESS collection or creates their own.
3. The team screens the children. NOTE: Screening data is not used to exclude children from the program but rather as a means of informing instructional decisions.
4. The team gathers information from the family through a detailed application, introductory survey, center-based intake interview and/or home-based intake interview.
Compiling Data
1. The team compiles initial data about children using either the hard copy or electronic version of the ACCESS Class Tracking Sheets.
2. As new data is collected, the team updates the ACTS to reflect current information on the progress and interests of children.
2. As new data is collected, the team updates the ACTS to reflect current information on the progress and interests of children.
Analyzing and Reflecting on Data
1. The team meets to track progress weekly and discusses assessment data as part of the instructional planning process.
2. The team uses data to make instructional decisions, to track progress of individual children and the class as a whole, to identify the interests of children and to evaluate program effectiveness.
3. The team determines what data needs to be collected in the future and adds or deletes tools as needed.
4. The team reflects on data collection processes and adjusts who, when, where, and how data is being collected as needed.
2. The team uses data to make instructional decisions, to track progress of individual children and the class as a whole, to identify the interests of children and to evaluate program effectiveness.
3. The team determines what data needs to be collected in the future and adds or deletes tools as needed.
4. The team reflects on data collection processes and adjusts who, when, where, and how data is being collected as needed.
Sharing Progress with Families
1. The team shares information about child progress and interests with families using classroom-based or electronic portfolios, document boards, informal conversations, and formal conferences during quarterly progress report meetings.
2. The team determines how social media and websites might be used to facilitate information sharing with families.
3. The team determines an ongoing process to share important program philosophies and early childhood research-based practices with families. For example:
a. Kindergarten readiness is not an event but rather a process that begins in utero.
b. Developmentally appropriate and play-based practice is the best way to grow the brain and get children ready for kindergarten and later school success.
2. The team determines how social media and websites might be used to facilitate information sharing with families.
3. The team determines an ongoing process to share important program philosophies and early childhood research-based practices with families. For example:
a. Kindergarten readiness is not an event but rather a process that begins in utero.
b. Developmentally appropriate and play-based practice is the best way to grow the brain and get children ready for kindergarten and later school success.
The Transition Process
1. The team develops a transition process that facilities information sharing with programs that are receiving children from your program.
2. The team selects, revises or develops transition documents that share information with programs that are receiving children from the program.
3. The team identifies and/or plans opportunities to visit and/or learn about program options so that families can make informed decisions.
2. The team selects, revises or develops transition documents that share information with programs that are receiving children from the program.
3. The team identifies and/or plans opportunities to visit and/or learn about program options so that families can make informed decisions.
B. Child-Centered Practice
Teachers and Teaching Teams:
1. Conduct a self-assessment of the environment using the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ITERS-R) (Harms, T., Clifford, R.M., & Cryer, D., 2006); the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) (Clifford, R.M., Cryer, D., & Harms, T, 2004); or the Classroom Environment Self-Assessment: Kindergarten-Primary (CESA: K-P) (Adams, Baldwin, Comingore and Kelly, 2013, p.) and identify areas of strength and goals for the classroom environment.
2. Become familiar with age appropriate development of the children in your classroom.
3. Get to know the families of the children and gather information about family culture that will inform child centered experiences.
4. Observe children to become familiar with their individual strengths, needs and interest.
5. Use the Assessment of Play checklist to gain understanding of the types of social and cognitive play present in the classroom. Reevaluate play and adjust the environment throughout the year.
6. Arrange your classroom considering the needs of your children and the results of the self-assessment of your environment. Reevaluate and adjust the environment to support development and learning throughout the year.
7. Select authentic materials that will support exploration, inquiry, language and concept development and play.
8. Place materials in the classroom in such a way that they are highlighted and provide cues for appropriate storage.
9. Rotate materials to reflect the current curriculum and store unused materials out of sight to reduce visual clutter.
10. Support children's play without directing it.
11. Be intentional with teacher directed experiences.
12. Analyze and interpret assessment data/documentation when planning experiences that meet the children's learning and developmental needs.
13. Incorporate the interests of children as well as their questions in classroom experiences.
2. Become familiar with age appropriate development of the children in your classroom.
3. Get to know the families of the children and gather information about family culture that will inform child centered experiences.
4. Observe children to become familiar with their individual strengths, needs and interest.
5. Use the Assessment of Play checklist to gain understanding of the types of social and cognitive play present in the classroom. Reevaluate play and adjust the environment throughout the year.
6. Arrange your classroom considering the needs of your children and the results of the self-assessment of your environment. Reevaluate and adjust the environment to support development and learning throughout the year.
7. Select authentic materials that will support exploration, inquiry, language and concept development and play.
8. Place materials in the classroom in such a way that they are highlighted and provide cues for appropriate storage.
9. Rotate materials to reflect the current curriculum and store unused materials out of sight to reduce visual clutter.
10. Support children's play without directing it.
11. Be intentional with teacher directed experiences.
12. Analyze and interpret assessment data/documentation when planning experiences that meet the children's learning and developmental needs.
13. Incorporate the interests of children as well as their questions in classroom experiences.
C. Emergent Negotiated Curriculum
ACCESS Steps to Success: Emergent Negotiated Curriculum
1. Before the year begins, become familiar with the investigations the children engaged in during the previous year. If possible talk with last year's teachers to discover areas of untapped interest.
2. Review student portfolios and other assessment data that can inform your understanding of what the children are ready to work on next.
3. Refresh your understanding of the learning and development standards for the age level of your children and review the concepts and skills that the children are likely to be working on. Keep in mind that infants and toddlers tend to focus more on developmental skills and, as children become older, the amount of focus on academic content increases. Regardless of the child's age, a challenging curriculum includes developmental skills which cannot be overlooked even with 4th and 5th graders.
4. Survey families to determine their interests, expertise and willingness to participate in the classroom.
5. Start out the year with a range of authentic materials that could inspire interest. Select materials that will attract children and encourage them to be engaged.
6. Add related materials to the environment once a topic begins to emerge, to verify the children's level of interest as well as the specific aspect of the topic that they are most interested in.
7. Continue to observe children to follow their lead to the next aspect of the investigation. Document their understandings.
2. Review student portfolios and other assessment data that can inform your understanding of what the children are ready to work on next.
3. Refresh your understanding of the learning and development standards for the age level of your children and review the concepts and skills that the children are likely to be working on. Keep in mind that infants and toddlers tend to focus more on developmental skills and, as children become older, the amount of focus on academic content increases. Regardless of the child's age, a challenging curriculum includes developmental skills which cannot be overlooked even with 4th and 5th graders.
4. Survey families to determine their interests, expertise and willingness to participate in the classroom.
5. Start out the year with a range of authentic materials that could inspire interest. Select materials that will attract children and encourage them to be engaged.
6. Add related materials to the environment once a topic begins to emerge, to verify the children's level of interest as well as the specific aspect of the topic that they are most interested in.
7. Continue to observe children to follow their lead to the next aspect of the investigation. Document their understandings.
D. Science and Inquiry
To support children's scientific inquiry, teachers and teaching teams should:
1. Observe children's knowledge, experiences, and interests when selecting a topic for investigation.
2. Select a science topic for the investigation that provides opportunities for the use of inquiry and the science processes, naturally integrates other content areas and developmental domains, is personally meaningful and social relevant for children, and provides opportunities to interact with authentic, engaging materials.
3. Develop your own science content knowledge pertinent to the selected topic by engaging in professional development through workshops, blogs and research.
4. Use the science concept planner to design experiences for children that will allow them to investigate the topic.
5. Gather developmentally appropriate, multisensory, authentic materials that can be utilized throughout your classroom and outdoor environment to stimulate children's interest, questioning, and problem solving related to the topic.
6. Gather high quality, developmentally appropriate, engaging print materials, including fiction and non-fiction books which children will find interesting and useful either on their own or with adult support.
7. Allow time in your classroom for the topic to evolve. Guide student questions, experiences, interests and investigations into relevant questions by providing multiple experiences to investigate the topic.
2. Select a science topic for the investigation that provides opportunities for the use of inquiry and the science processes, naturally integrates other content areas and developmental domains, is personally meaningful and social relevant for children, and provides opportunities to interact with authentic, engaging materials.
3. Develop your own science content knowledge pertinent to the selected topic by engaging in professional development through workshops, blogs and research.
4. Use the science concept planner to design experiences for children that will allow them to investigate the topic.
5. Gather developmentally appropriate, multisensory, authentic materials that can be utilized throughout your classroom and outdoor environment to stimulate children's interest, questioning, and problem solving related to the topic.
6. Gather high quality, developmentally appropriate, engaging print materials, including fiction and non-fiction books which children will find interesting and useful either on their own or with adult support.
7. Allow time in your classroom for the topic to evolve. Guide student questions, experiences, interests and investigations into relevant questions by providing multiple experiences to investigate the topic.
E. Standards Integrated
To integrate standards, teachers:
1. Plan and stage environments to inspire young children to play, to think and to engage in inquiry.
2. Observe children to determine areas of interest.
3. Analyze possible topics for investigation ensuring that they are worthy of study, reflect the interests of children and are broad enough to support learning and development.
4. Brainstorm to complete a science concept planner, or learning experience planner if working with infants and/or toddlers.
5. Connect curriculum in meaningful ways by selecting content standards from several disciplines and developmental domains making sure to include children's IEP goals. Infant and toddler teachers should focus on developmental skills.
6. Create and use authentic assessment tools to add data to the ACTS.
7. Plan future investigations and learning experiences around assessment results, integrating standards and developmental skills across the curriculum.
2. Observe children to determine areas of interest.
3. Analyze possible topics for investigation ensuring that they are worthy of study, reflect the interests of children and are broad enough to support learning and development.
4. Brainstorm to complete a science concept planner, or learning experience planner if working with infants and/or toddlers.
5. Connect curriculum in meaningful ways by selecting content standards from several disciplines and developmental domains making sure to include children's IEP goals. Infant and toddler teachers should focus on developmental skills.
6. Create and use authentic assessment tools to add data to the ACTS.
7. Plan future investigations and learning experiences around assessment results, integrating standards and developmental skills across the curriculum.
F. Including Children with Exceptionalities
To ensure the inclusion of children with exceptionalities, teachers and teams should:
1. Include IFSP or IEP goals and/or objectives on ACCESS Data Collection Sheets IEP goals can be reviewed in the same way when developing an investigation and determining the standards to be addressed in the investigation.
2. Schedule data collection so all adults in the room know when and how to take data. One teacher should be scheduled by task and day so each person knows what she is to do with the children an d which data to collect.
3. Look at both early learning and development standards as well as IEP goals when planning and investigation to see which could be addressed by the planned activity. Develop a data sheet of the standards and goals and have it within easy reach as the children engage in the experiences.
4. Provide all levels of "research" materials. Some children may be able to read text. Others may need to look at pictures to discover answers to their questions. But ACCESS believes in all children participating to the best of their ability and the need for teachers/staff to be creative in including all children.
5. Develop materials to help children achieve the desired results in simple steps.
2. Schedule data collection so all adults in the room know when and how to take data. One teacher should be scheduled by task and day so each person knows what she is to do with the children an d which data to collect.
3. Look at both early learning and development standards as well as IEP goals when planning and investigation to see which could be addressed by the planned activity. Develop a data sheet of the standards and goals and have it within easy reach as the children engage in the experiences.
4. Provide all levels of "research" materials. Some children may be able to read text. Others may need to look at pictures to discover answers to their questions. But ACCESS believes in all children participating to the best of their ability and the need for teachers/staff to be creative in including all children.
5. Develop materials to help children achieve the desired results in simple steps.