Lesson 16:Monitoring and Evaluation of ECCE programmes
Children's Evaluation
The major goals of an early childhood education center revolve around expectations about the development of children hence the evaluation must focus on children's behavior.
Since young children develop rapidly, it is im¬portant that the progress they make in their nor¬mal development is not attributed solely to the center's programme.
Many other conditions affect the child's development, including parental behavior, cultural background, nutrition, and general health.
Anyone of these variables or combinations of them can affect the child's development positively or negatively, just as the center's programme may have a positive or negative influence.
The child's total development is a result of the interaction of many factors, which makes it almost impossible to evaluate the influence of one variable such as a specific child care or nursery school experience.
Techniques
The following are some of the techniques used for children’s evaluation
Teacher’s Observation: Throughout the year the teacher may keep anecdotal and running records on each child. These notes recorded on file cards or in a log book are summarized by the teacher at the end of the year. The teacher notes the changes in develop¬mental level and the specific objectives that the child has met. Using this method, the teacher is able to make statements about each child individ¬ually, placing emphasis on what the child's needs were as based on initial observations and how the needs were met.
Checklist: The director may create a checklist that names the behaviors toward which the center's objectives are aimed. Then the teacher merely checks whether or not the child exhibits the listed behavior.
Rating Scales: The director may create a rating scale that lists the behaviors' aimed for in the center's objectives. The rating scale alleviates the problem created by a checklist by providing a way for teachers to quantify their answers. The teacher rates each child at least at the beginning and the end of the school year and perhaps more frequently.
Standardized Tests: The director should be familiar with standardized tests and their uses and limitations. A few of these tests can be administered by teachers if they have the skills, time and an appropriate place in which to test each child individually. Most preschool children are not yet ready for group tests. Tests must be selected carefully, must be related to the objectives of the center's programme and must be appropriate for the children being tested. Issues such as cultural bias, reliability and validity must be taken into consideration.
Portfolios: One type of record keeping which can provide complete valuable information about each child is the portfolio. Some teachers use a two¬ part system with one folder in a locked cabinet and a second folder in the classroom readily ac¬cessible to the child. Folder one contains forms and information from families, the teachers writ¬ten observations such as anecdotal records, notes on plans for that child, progress reports, medical reports and reports from previous teachers. The second folder provides the child with an opportunity to save products which he created. The teacher may add photoes, videos and audiotapes, although the availability of these records depends on the center's budget and the time available to teachers to prepare these records.
Other Observers: Sometimes the director evaluates the children through regularly scheduled observation periods or through simple testing procedures, checklists, or rating scales. Occasionally, teachers evaluate each others' children in an attempt to be as objective as possible, or a psychologist or special education consultant may observe and later have a conference with the teacher.
Participants