Early Childhood Education, writing assignment

One important topic related to assessment for young children is
developmentally appropriate practice. Remember that developmental
appropriateness is examined three ways- What is appropriate for the age of the
child; What is appropriate of the individual child; and what is appropriate for
the child based on culture, experiences and upbringing.

With the current trend of accountability in education, schools
and teachers are asked to assess student performance more and more frequently
and in ways that are standardized for quick feedback.

This week you will be examining the current trend of formal
testing with young children, making a decision about what is and is not
appropriate, and creating your own personal position statement on DAP and
standardized testing.

First you will need to decide where you stand on the topic of
young children and standardized testing. Keep in mind that just like most
things in education this does not have to be a dichotomy. You can have views on
both sides of the argument. The goal is for you to research the topic and
create an informed position statement.

Your position statement should include:

What you believe
Why you believe it- Support this with research
How you will promote what you believe in your current or prospective career