Investigating the Social and Cultural Influence in Assessing Children From High-Need Communities

• In Event: Revisiting Sociocultural Influences in Assessment and Student Performance: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of social and cultural context during the assessment process for young children from high-need communities. Data were collected through a federally funded early language and literacy project. The goal of the project was to promote a successful transition to kindergarten for preschoolers who were at-risk for reading difficulties. The focus of this study was to investigate the influence of children’s cultural and socioeconomic background in their vocabulary knowledge. Descriptive data and document analyses were conducted on children’s responses. Data showed that children from low-income families responded differently from the standardized protocol. The results suggested that these children might not be assessed accurately on their vocabulary development using the norm-referenced testing.

Authors

• Yaoying Xu, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Patricia Giuffra Onorato, Virginia Commonwealth University