1. Issues In
Preschool Assessment
Marissa S. Reed, Ed.S.
School Psychologist
Troup County School System
LaGrange, Georgia

2. Reed, 2005
Purposes of Preschool
Assessment (Nagle, 2000; Appl, 2000)
 Screening
 Diagnosis
 Individual program planning
and monitoring
 Program evaluation

3. Reed, 2005
Importance of Preschool
Assessment
 Early detection=better outcomes (Feil &
Severson, 1995)
 Child-find screenings
 National education goal (NCLB): starting
school ready to learn (USDOE, 1992)
 Early intervention required by IDEA
(Bailey, 2000)
 Children who are at-risk included also

4. Reed, 2005
Preschoolers=Unique
Population (Nagle, 2000)
 Rapid developmental change
 Behavior during testing may affect
accuracy of test results
 Approach testing situation differently
than school-age students
 Familiarity with strangers varies largely
 View scores as current level of
development which is constantly
changing
 Lack of prior school experience

5. Reed, 2005
Issues to Consider
(Bracken, 2000)
 Child’s temperament
 Examiner approachability, affect, and
physical presence
 Behavior management
 Environment
– Furniture, decorations, distractions,
climate, seating arrangement
 Test floors and ceilings

6. Reed, 2005
Traditional vs. Alternative
Methods of Assessment
(Nagle, 2000)
 Traditional: standardized, norm-referenced
– Battelle Developmental Inventory
– Stanford-Binet, 5th Edition
– Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children
– Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of
Intelligence, 3rd Edition (WPPSI-III)
– Bracken Basic Concept Scale, 2nd Edition
– Differential Ability Scales (DAS)
– Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development,
3rd Edition
– Preschool Language Scale, 4th Edition

7. Reed, 2005
Traditional vs. Alternative
Methods of Assessment
(Nagle, 2000)
 Alternative:
– Play-based assessment (Ross, 2000 [Best
Practices])
– Direct observation
– Parent interviews
– Parent-child interactions
– Clinical judgment rating scales
– Curriculum-based assessment
– Portfolio assessment (Mills, 1994)
– Individual Growth and Development
Indicators (IGDIs) (Best Practices)

8. Reed, 2005
Traditional vs. Alternative
Methods of Assessment
(Nagle, 2000)
 Bracken: problem is not the actual
tests, but administration of test that
does not consider the nature of the
child or reason for referral
Use complementary assessment: best of
both worlds
 Sattler: behavioral state and
temperament play a large role
 Bag of tricks

9. Reed, 2005
Assessment of Behavior
 Functional Behavior Assessment
(Conroy & Davis, 2000)
 Parental input is crucial
– Rating scales
– Developmental history
 Observations
 Parental point of reference
– First child; different children’s development

10. Reed, 2005
Family Focus (Nagle, 2000)
 Individual Family Support Plans (IFSP)
instead of IEP
 Parent participation
– May be first contact with professionals
– Parents as valuable source of information
regarding representativeness of child’s
performance (validity of results)
– Observation of parent-child interaction
– Initial notification of problems or diagnoses

11. Reed, 2005
Importance of Ecological
Perspective (Paget & Nagle, 1986)
 Settings and significant individuals
 Social learning theory
 Each child and their ecology as unique

12. Reed, 2005
Best Practices in Early
Intervention (Barnett, 2000)
 Basics
– Interesting and developmentally
appropriate environments
– Scanning
– Guides, rules and consequences
– Functional analysis
– Modeling and opportunities to practice

13. Reed, 2005
Best Practices in Early
Intervention (Barnett, 2000)
 Interventions for Language and Literacy
– Milieu Language Interventions
– Early Literacy
 Interventions for Challenging Behaviors
– High probability sequences
– Alternative responses and functional
communication training
– Choices
– Timed positives, fixed-time, or
noncontingent reinforcement
– Correspondence training

14. Reed, 2005
School Readiness
 Cognitive development
 Social-emotional development
 Communication and language
development
 Sensorimotor development

15. Reed, 2005
Home Activities to
Promote School Readiness
(Resource Team, 1992)
 Healthy pregnancy and mother’s nutrition
 Regular health care after birth
 Verbal communication with child
 Reading to child
 Opportunities to write, draw, sing, dance, and tell
stories
 Exposure to a variety of materials
 Value on education and learning
 Visits to libraries, museums, and cultural activities
 Asking children questions
 Opportunities to play and explore
 Social interaction with other children
 Build a sense of security and self-worth

16. Reed, 2005
Important Skills for
School Psychologists
(Nagle, 2000)
 Training in traditional and nontraditional
assessments
 Evaluation of technical adequacy of
instruments
 Knowledge of related issues
 Ability to establish collaborative relationships
is imperative
 Field-based practicum and internship
experiences
 Continuing professional development in early
intervention and preschool issues

17. Reed, 2005
References
 Appl, D.J. (2000). Clarifying the preschool assessment process:
Traditional practices and alternative approaches. Early
Childhood Education Journal, 27 (4), 219-225.
 Bailey, D. B. (2000). The federal role in early intervention:
Prospects for the future. Topics in Early Childhood Special
Education, 20 (2), 71-78.
 Barnett, D.W. (2000). Best practices in early intervention. In
A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best Practices in School
Psychology IV. Bethesda, MD: NASP.
 Bracken, B.A. (2000). Maximizing construct relevant
assessment: The optimal preschool testing situation. In B.A.
Bracken (Ed.) The psychoeducational assessment of preschool
children (pp. 33-44). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
 Conroy, M.A., & Davis, C.A. (2000). Early elementary-aged
children with challenging behaviors: Legal and educational
issues related to IDEA and assessment. Preventing School
Failure, 44 (4), 163-168.

18. Reed, 2005
References
 Feil, E.G., & Severson, H.H. (1995). Identification of critical factors in the
assessment of preschool behavior problems. Education & Treatment of
Children, 18 (3), 261-272.
 Mills, L. (1994). Yes, it can work!: Portfolio assessment with preschoolers.
Paper presented at the Association for Childhood Education International
Study Conference, New Orleans, LA, March 30-April 2, 1994.
 Nagle, R.J. (2000). Issues in preschool assessment. In B. A. Bracken (Ed.),
The psychoeducational assessment of preschool children (pp. 19-32).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
 Paget, K.D., & Nagle, R.J. (1986). A conceptual model of preschool
assessment. School Psychology Review, 15 (2), 154-165.
 Resource Team on National Education Goal 1 (1992). Starting school ready
to learn. Questions and answers on reading national education goal 1: ‘By
the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn.’
United States Department of Education.
 Ross, R.P. (2000). Best practices in the use of play for assessment and
intervention with young children. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.) Best
Practices in School Psychology IV. Bethesda, MD: NASP.