Promising Practices in Early Childhood Teacher Assessment

• In Event: Early Childhood Teacher Education for a Diverse Democratic Society: Promising Practices and Research Gaps

Abstract

Although significant strides have been made in teacher evaluation systems in K-12 settings, there is a dearth of information on how best to assess the effectiveness of early childhood teachers. This paper highlights the growing need for valid and reliable early childhood teachers’ assessments in order to document and improve teacher effectiveness. The authors review the literature for currently available measures of teacher knowledge and skills, classroom process quality, and educational outputs through student achievement and teacher portfolios. They also outline the conceptual and measurement challenges currently faced by the field, and the next steps that will move it towards successful teacher assessment that is fair and equitable.

Author

• Faiza M. Jamil, Clemson University