Deck 6: Accountability, Standards, and Assessment

Question 1

A town votes to fund a new school activities program that it hopes will boost attendance and graduation rates. After the program has been in place for 10 years, a study finds that neither attendance nor graduation rates have changed in any meaningful way. In this situation, accountability means the ______.

A) school's accountant mismanaged the funds provided by the town
B) school miscalculated how much money it would need to accomplish its goals
C) method of measuring attendance and graduation rates needs to be reexamined
D) school is answerable to the citizens who provided the funds for the program

Answer 1

school is answerable to the citizens who provided the funds for the program

Question 2

Marcie's school has adopted the Common Core State Standards for literacy and mathematics. Why did her school most likely do this?

A) Standards like the Common Core help schools stay accountable for the development and education of children.
B) The Every Student Succeeds Act requires that schools adopt the Common Core State Standards.
C) The Common Core State Standards provide teachers with a specific curriculum that is easy to implement.
D) If a school is to demonstrate accountability, it must adopt the Common Core State Standards.

Answer 2

Standards like the Common Core help schools stay accountable for the development and education of children.

Question 3

The 2015 federal education law that spells out details of standards-based instruction in K-12 and is committed to increasing access to high-quality preschool for all children is the ______.

A) Administration for Children and Families
B) Quality Rating and Improvement System
C) Every Student Succeeds Act
D) Common Core State Standards

Answer 3

Every Student Succeeds Act

Question 4

The baseline standard for the health and safety of children from birth to age five in center-based child care is set by ______.

A) the Administration for Children and Families
B) state licensing regulations
C) the Every Student Succeeds Act
D) federal education regulations

Question 5

Achara runs a daycare, and she would like for it to be accredited. To gain accreditation, Achara will most likely need to ______.

A) implement research-based program standards that go beyond state licensing requirements
B) submit to periodic federal monitoring visits to ensure she complies with ESSA requirements
C) hire a specially trained childcare professional
D) simply adhere to state licensing regulations

Question 6

Which statement about a Quality Rating and Improvement System is true?

A) It means that students must take regular development assessment tests.
B) It requires all early childhood programs to be accredited.
C) It consolidates and clarifies the program standards a childcare facility must meet.
D) It helps parents understand the quality level of a particular program.

Question 7

In response to calls for greater accountability, Tristan's state has recently adopted a QRIS system. If the system works the way it is intended, ______.

A) students will undergo regular testing to ensure they are developing properly
B) only accredited early childhood programs will be allowed to operate in the state
C) more children in Tristan's state will have access to high-quality early childhood programs
D) Tristan's program will need to undergo periodic visits by a federal monitor

Question 8

Juan's state uses the ______ rating system, which focuses on three domains of teacher-child interactions: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support.

A) Common Core State Standards
B) Classroom Assessment Scoring System
C) Every Student Succeeds Act
D) Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale

Question 9

The concepts and skills that must be covered at each grade level or age as part of a curriculum are identified by ______ standards.

A) environment
B) performance
C) anecdotal
D) content

Question 10

The level of mastery that children are expected to reach for their grade or age are identified by ______ standards.

A) performance
B) curriculum
C) anecdotal
D) content

Question 11

Anne's school is in the process of revising its curriculum, and the school is now saying that basic addition must be taught during kindergarten. This is an example of a(n) ______ standard.

A) content
B) performance
C) anecdotal
D) rating

Question 12

Orlando's state is revising its learning standards. For example, it has set a goal that children be able to read and write basic paragraphs by the end of their first term in first grade. This goal represents a(n) ______ standard.

A) performance
B) content
C) instructional
D) domain

Question 13

If Kanoe is currently focused on meeting content standards with her first grade class, which activity is she most likely doing?

A) evaluating students' writing
B) teaching the class how to subtract
C) assessing students' reading skills
D) scoring a spelling quiz

Question 14

It is the end of the school year, and Ivan wants to make sure the students in his kindergarten class have achieved the required performance standards. To do this, he is most likely ______.

A) teaching a reading lesson
B) leading an art activity
C) giving students a spelling quiz
D) showing the class how to add

Question 15

Which statement about standards and curriculum is true?

A) Standards and curriculum are the same thing.
B) A commercial curriculum is necessary to meet standards.
C) Standards and curriculum are unrelated.
D) Many commercial curricula are developed to include standards.

Question 16

What statement about learning standards is true?

A) Standards can have a negative impact if they result in teachers setting inappropriate expectations for students.
B) Standards cannot be learned through exploratory play and must be learned through direct instruction.
C) Learning standards and curriculum are the same thing because they both concern material students must learn.
D) Standards are most effective if they are used in the same way for all children.

Question 17

Which statement best describes the primary purpose of formative assessments?

A) to evaluate a child's progress toward meeting standards
B) to determine if a child has reached a standard
C) to identify teacher limitations
D) to assess a school's curriculum

Question 18

Helene is assessing her students' progress toward meeting the required reading standard for kindergarten. Helene is engaged in a(n) ______ assessment.

A) motivative
B) formative
C) summative
D) observative

Question 19

Kelvin, a preschool teacher, is conducting an activity with his students that will help him determine how well they are progressing toward meeting certain requirements. If the results show that the students are not progressing in the way they should, Kelvin will make adjustments to his lessons. Kelvin is specifically making a ______ assessment.

A) content
B) QRIS
C) formative
D) summative

Question 20

At the end of the school year, Marla gives her students a test to determine if they have reached the standards required for them to move on to the next grade. This is an example of a(n) ______ assessment.

A) formative
B) summative
C) observation
D) curriculum

Question 21

Which statement about observation as a means of assessment is true?

A) Unlike more formal assessments, observation does not provide detailed information about behavior.
B) Observation can be unobtrusive and does not interfere with a child's ongoing behavior.
C) Observation is a relatively ineffective method of assessment because it is subjective.
D) Observation is most useful for measuring children's learning in terms of milestones or individual facts.

Question 22

Two of Claudette's kindergarten students have gotten into a fight over who gets to use the painting easel during free time. After settling the dispute and making sure her other students are on task, Claudette writes some notes about the incident in each child's file. She makes sure to stick to the facts, to avoid interpreting the children's behavior, and to describe the context of the behavior. What type of informal assessment is Claudette using?

A) time sampling
B) a running record
C) an anecdotal record
D) rating scales

Question 23

The most frequently used type of observation, the ______, is a brief description of a behavior or event.

A) anecdotal record
B) running record
C) rating scales
D) time sampling

Question 24

A type of observation that keeps track of all events that happen during a specified time period is a(n) ______.

A) anecdotal record
B) running record
C) time sampling
D) rating scales

Question 25

Omar has a student who frequently interrupts during class to share a fact or story, often unrelated to what the rest of the class is discussing. Omar has begun counting how many times these interruptions happen during the day. What type of observation is Omar using?

A) an anecdotal record
B) a running record
C) time sampling
D) rating scales

Question 26

Which type of observation is a way of measuring how frequently a behavior occurs over a period of time?

A) an anecdotal record
B) a running record
C) time sampling
D) rating scales

Question 27

A type of observation that is good for a recurring but less frequent behavior and involves writing a descriptive record of the event each time it occurs is ______.

A) event sampling
B) a running record
C) time sampling
D) an anecdotal record

Question 28

What is a characteristic of good observation?

A) It includes subjective interpretations.
B) It avoids describing nonverbal cues.
C) It includes a minimum of descriptive terms.
D) It is as objective as possible.

Question 29

When interpreting observations, you should ______.

A) weave the interpretations into the observations
B) keep in mind developmental norms
C) make the interpretation after a single incident
D) avoid looking for subjective patterns.

Question 30

When acting as an outside observer, you should ______.

A) be as unobtrusive as possible
B) sit at the front of the classroom
C) interact with the children
D) tell the children what you are writing down

Question 31

Henry would like to make some simple informal assessments about his students. As a teacher with a classroom full of active students, he does not have time to write down lengthy observations. Instead, his goal is to simply note the presence or absence of a skill. Given these requirements, Henry would be best served by a ______.

A) rating scale
B) checklist
C) time sampling
D) running record

Question 32

At the end of the quarter, Karly grades her kindergarten students in several areas, including math, reading, writing, and participation. Students are given a grade of "poor," "fair," "good," or "excellent" in each area. Karly is using a ______.

A) checklist
B) running record
C) rating scale
D) screening tool

Question 33

Which statement about ratings scales is true?

A) They cannot be used to measure a child's ongoing progress.
B) They merely indicate the presence or absence of a skill.
C) They are formal screening tools.
D) They note the extent to which a child has mastered a skill.

Question 34

Which statement about standardized instruments of assessment is true?

A) They are teacher-devised, informal methods.
B) They have validity and reliability.
C) They must be administered by professionals.
D) They are always administered in quiet environments.

Question 35

Hiro plans to give his students the same fine motor skills test three times during the school year. When selecting a standardized screening tool to help him with this project, he looks for a test that will yield a different score only if the child's abilities have changed. Which statement is true?

A) Hiro is specifically looking for a test with good reliability.
B) Hiro would be best served by a teacher-designed ratings scale.
C) Hiro is looking for a full developmental assessment.
D) Hiro is specifically looking for a test with good validity.

Question 36

Maggie finds a test that measures reading ability and plans to give it to her students to help her sort them into reading groups. However, when she looks closer at the test, she finds that its focus is really on spelling. This test has ______.

A) low reliability
B) high reliability
C) low validity
D) high validity

Question 37

Which statement about screening tools is true?

A) Screening tools are a quick way to assess a child's development.
B) Screening tools are full developmental assessments.
C) Screening tools are generally low in reliability and validity.
D) Screening tools are limited and thus used only by parents.

Question 38

In which scenario would the Denver II screening tool be most appropriate?

A) Dean suspects that his eight-year-old son, Skylar, has autism, and he would like to do a preliminary screening before visiting a professional.
B) Lolita, a preschool teacher, wants to know how her students' language, social, and motor functioning compares to other children their age.
C) Akemnji has a student who has been acting out in class, so he would like to begin recording these events.
D) Miguel would like to assess the communication and social skills of his students, but he would prefer a criterion-referenced tool.

Question 39

Kurt, a first-grade teacher, is using an assessment tool that will categorize his students as being at the 25^th, 50^th, or 90^th percentile or well above or below the functioning of other first grade students. Kurt is using ______.

A) a criterion-referenced test
B) an informal test
C) a norm-referenced test
D) a ratings scale

Question 40

Which statement about the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition is true?

A) It assesses many areas of development and takes several hours to complete.
B) It must be completed by a specially trained professional to ensure reliability.
C) It screens for developmental delays at specific ages between two and 60 months.
D) It is used to assess the reading and mathematics skills of young children.

Question 41

Which statement about the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up is true?

A) It can be administered to a parent by an early childhood teacher or health-care professional.
B) It should be given to children between the ages of two and six by a parent or teacher.
C) It is used to diagnose a child with autism and provide recommendations for further steps.
D) It is intended to be given to children who have already been diagnosed with autism.

Question 42

A child should undergo a developmental assessment administered by a trained professional when ______.

A) parents are unable to administer the assessment in their home
B) the child is ready to move on to the next grade level
C) a screening tool indicates that a child is at risk for a developmental delay
D) the parents want the child to skip a grade in school

Question 43

In which situation should a developmental assessment be administered?

A) Kacey has just completed her first year of preschool and shows indications of being a bright child.
B) Maurice has been assessed using the Denver II, and his scores were in the 25^th percentile.
C) Chiara has been struggling with social skills and has not yet undergone any testing.
D) Lawrence has been given the Brigance Early Childhood Screens III and scored well in all areas.

Question 44

Which statement about developmental assessments is true?

A) They are typically norm-referenced.
B) They are provided free of charge by each state.
C) They are typically used as a preliminary screening tool.
D) They cannot be refused by parents.

Question 45

Children are assessed with reference to a predetermined level of mastery in ______ tests.

A) inventory-referenced
B) norm-referenced
C) checklist-referenced
D) criterion-referenced

Question 46

Margo is a looking for a developmental assessment that will allow her to assess children, develop intervention plans as necessary, and evaluate the children before and after implementation of the plans to see how well they are working. She would also like to be able to involve the children's families in the whole process. Margo would be best served by the ______.

A) Hawaii Early Learning Profile
B) Ages and States Questionnaires, Third Edition
C) Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and Children, Second Edition
D) Brigance Inventory of Early Development III

Question 47

Which statement about Teaching Strategies Gold is true?

A) It is aligned to the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework.
B) It is designed for use by parents and teachers.
C) It is closely tied to the Measure of Academic Progress suite of assessments.
D) It is a norm-based developmental assessment.

Question 48

Mateo is in charge of finding a standardized assessment that will allow teachers at his school to assess individual students' skills in literacy and mathematics and then track the growth of individual students over time. Mateo would also like the test to become harder or easier based on how well the child is doing. Which standardized assessment will best meet Mateo's needs?

A) the Developmental Reading Assessment, 2^nd Edition
B) the Measure of Academic Progress
C) the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening
D) the Hawaii Early Learning Profile

Question 49

A readiness test is used to ______.

A) figure out whether a child is prepared to enter a program
B) compare a student's scores to the scores of children of the same age
C) determine if a student is experiencing a developmental delay
D) assess a child's progress toward attaining a particular skill

Question 50

A common concern about readiness tests is that they ______.

A) often have low validity
B) result in children being labeled as failures
C) are subjective and often skewed as a result
D) do not demonstrate that educational goals are being met

Question 51

When Audrey, an early childhood educator, assesses a student, she looks at all aspects of the child, including the child's abilities, experiences, and background outside of school. She observes them in social situations and takes notes as they complete various educational tasks. Audrey is using ______ assessment.

A) authentic
B) norm-based
C) readiness
D) formative

Question 52

Why are authentic assessments potentially more appropriate than standardized tests?

A) They take a more comprehensive look at the child being assessed.
B) They eliminate the need for other forms of academic testing.
C) They provide a simplified view of a child that is easily compared.
D) They allow schools to teach a curriculum that exactly matches a test.

Question 53

Darius, a first grade teacher, uses an assessment system in which he records his observations of his students on developmental checklists, which he then organizes into seven domains. He also collects select pieces of his students' work in portfolios and writes a summary report about each child three times a year. Darius is using ______.

A) the Measure of Academic Progress suite of assessments
B) a ratings scale
C) the work sampling system
D) the High/Scope Child Observational Record

Question 54

If Bronwen plans to use the High/Scope Child Observational Record, she will ______.

A) collect samples of the child's work and keep them in a portfolio
B) take brief notes about the child's behavior in six categories
C) write a summary report about the child three times a year
D) test the child to determine if a particular skill has been attained

Question 55

Which statement about information gathered about children through the use of testing or observation is true?

A) It must be combined with input from families to be valid.
B) It should not impact the way the child is taught.
C) It should be kept confidential and treated with respect.
D) It is preliminary, so a more complete developmental assessment will be necessary.

Question 56

It is the beginning of the school year, and Kal, a kindergarten teacher, would like to find out more about his students' abilities and identify any who might need special intervention programs. Which assessment instrument will best help Kal do this quickly and efficiently?

A) observation
B) a screening tool
C) a developmental assessment
D) a sampling of the children's work

Question 57

Which statement about families and assessments is true?

A) Evaluation information should be given without reference to the child's overall behavior.
B) Families can generally provide very little useful information about their children.
C) Information shared with families should be accurate, unbiased, and realistic.
D) Families should be informed only of problematic areas.

Question 58

Marjorie's student Matt is having a difficult time reading. He has fallen well behind the class, so Marjorie needs to discuss the problem with his parents. During this meeting, she should ______.

A) tell Matt's parents that he is struggling with reading, but also point out that he is excelling at mathematics and artistic activities
B) inflate the problem Matt is having reading so that his parents will be more easily convinced to pursue additional help for him
C) focus the meeting on Matt's struggles with reading and avoid straying to other topics, such as his social skills
D) assume that Matt's skills, or lack of them, in the classroom are the same as the skills he displays at home

Question 59

When discussing assessments with families, it is important to ______.

A) point out that they are the absolute authority on children's development
B) explain that assessment results are only part of the information gathered for evaluation
C) clarify that the evaluation results are final and unchanging
D) note that it is unlikely that a child who scores outside of the "normal" range will ever be in that range

Question 60

When sharing assessment results with families, teachers should ______.

A) be able to explain why a particular assessment was chosen
B) stick to the reason why the meeting was called and avoid getting off topic
C) assume that the child's behavior in and out of class is the same
D) be prepared to deflect questions about how the assessment was scored

Question 61

Accountability in schools has been largely driven by efforts to address inequality in school-related performance due to different socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds.

Question 62

Schools are required to adopt the Common Core State Standards as a result of federal law.

Question 63

The licensing regulations that determine the minimum standard for health and safety in childcare are set by individual states.

Question 64

Content standards identify the level of mastery that children should reach for their age or grade.

Question 65

Learning standards are the same thing as a learning curriculum.

Question 66

Learning standards can be misused if they are applied without flexibility and consideration of individual children and contexts.

Question 67

Informal assessments are the same thing as formative assessments because they focus on how children are progressing toward achievement of a skill or standard.

Question 68

ABC analysis, used in keeping a running record, stands for antecedent, behavior, and consequence.

Question 69

Time sampling involves counting how often an event or behavior happens during uniform time intervals.

Question 70

Checklists and rating scales are based on specific developmental indicators or learning objectives.

Question 71

For a formal assessment to have reliability, it must measure the elements that it says it will measure.

Question 72

A full developmental assessment is used to screen children to determine if they are at risk of any developmental delay.

Question 73

Readiness tests are used to identify whether a child is prepared to begin or enter a program.

Question 74

Authentic assessment refers to assessment systems that take the entire child into account, including the child's background and experiences.

Question 75

The work sampling system uses ongoing teacher observations and standardized test results, and it organizes them into seven categories.

Question 76

Because information gathered about children's skills and test scores is done in a public setting, it does not need to be kept confidential.

Question 77

In addition to observations and formal assessments, a child's work samples can provide great insight into the child's abilities and interests.

Question 78

When discussing with a family areas in which a child is having problems, it is important to also discuss the child's strengths.

Question 79

It is not important for teachers to fully understand how standardized tests are scored.

Question 80

In general, teachers should avoid providing activity suggestions to parents or they risk overstepping.