Research Synthesis on Screening and Assessing Social ...csefel.vanderbilt.edu/documents/rs_screening_assessment.pdf · Research Synthesis on Screening and ... confident and competent

Tweety Yates1, Michaelene M.Ostrosky1, Gregory A. Cheatham2,Angel Fettig1, LaShorage Shaffer1 andRosa Milagros Santos1

Center on the Social EmotionalFoundations for Early Learning

1 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2 Arizona State University

2008

The development of social-emotional competence duringthe early childhood years is an

important foundation for children’s latersuccess. The National Academy ofSciences reported that 60% of childrenenter school with the cognitive skillsneeded to be successful, but only 40%have the social-emotional skills neededto succeed in kindergarten. Researchhas clearly shown that children’semotional and behavioral adjustment isimportant for their chances of earlyschool success, yet the emphasis oncognitive and academic preparednessoften overshadows the importance ofchildren’s social-emotionaldevelopment (Raver, 2002). Whenchildren feel good about themselves;are able to develop positiverelationships with others; and knowhow to identify, express, and managetheir emotions, they are more likely tobe ready to learn and succeed.

Because there is evidence that thetrajectory of a child’s social-emotionaldevelopment can be changed, earlyidentification of children with social-emotional needs is critical (Shonkoff &Phillips, 2000). Screening andassessing infants, toddlers, and youngchildren not only helps identify social-emotional needs, but also helpsproviders better understand each childin their care. This, in turn, leads tomore responsive interaction andinstruction, which then leads tostronger relationships with all children.With this in mind, it is important forprograms and practitioners to criticallyexamine their assessment practices,including screening and assessingsocial-emotional competence. This isalso important because programsserving children under IDEA are nowrequired to report child outcomes

Research Synthesis on Screening andAssessing Social-Emotional Competence

Research Synthesis

The Center on the Social and EmotionalFoundations for Early Learning

Child Care Bureau

Office ofHead Start

The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Vanderbilt University vanderbilt.edu/csefel

confident and competent in developingrelationships, building friendships,resolving conflicts, persisting whenfaced with challenges, coping withanger and frustrations, and managingemotions (Parlakian, 2003; Shonkoff &Phillips, 2000). A young child who isable to relate to others, is motivated tolearn, and can calm him- or herself orbe calmed by others will be ready tolearn and experience success in schooland in life.

What Are Some of the ChallengesWhen Screening and AssessingSocial-Emotional Competence

Screening and assessing youngchildren are important components ofhigh-quality early childhood programsand are used to understand and supportinfants, toddlers, and young children’sdevelopment, to determine curriculaand individual learning objectives, andto evaluate program effectiveness. Theprocess of screening and assessingsocial-emotional competence parallelsthe process recommended forscreening and assessing otherdevelopmental areas. For example,using valid and reliable screening andassessment tools, gathering informationacross multiple environments andsources, and cultural sensitivity are allimportant considerations whenscreening and assessing infants,toddlers, and young children (McLean,Wolery, & Bailey, 2004; Perry,Kaufmann, & Knitzer, 2007; Squires &Bricker, 2007).

In addition to general issuesaround screening and assessing infants,toddlers, and young children, there areseveral challenges specific to screeningand assessing social-emotionalcompetence that should be considered:• Individuals may differ in whether

they view certain behaviors asacceptable and expected of youngchildren. For example, one teacheror parent may view rough andtumble play as normal or typicalbehavior for a 4-year-old, whileanother adult may see this asaggressive behavior. The intensityand duration of a behavior, the

related to social-emotional andbehavioral competence.

This synthesis providesinformation for early care andeducation providers on using evidence-based practices in screening andassessing the social-emotionalcompetence of infants, toddlers, andyoung children. The synthesis isorganized around common questionsrelated to screening and assessingsocial-emotional competence. Webegin with a discussion of what ismeant by social-emotional competence,and then describe general issues and

challenges around screening andassessment (see Box 1 for key terms). Wethen discuss the roles of families, culture,and language in screening and assessingsocial-emotional competence, and endwith a list of resources and someexamples of social and emotionalscreening and assessment tools.

What is Social-EmotionalCompetence?

The Center on the Social EmotionalFoundations for Early Learning(CSEFEL) defines social-emotionaldevelopment as the developing capacityof the child from birth through 5 years ofage to form close and secure adult andpeer relationships; experience, regulate,and express emotions in socially andculturally appropriate ways; and explorethe environment and learn—all in thecontext of family, community, and culture.Caregivers promote healthy developmentby working to support social-emotionalwellness in all young children, and makeevery effort to prevent the occurrence orescalation of social-emotional problems inchildren at risk, identifying and workingto remediate problems that surface, and,when necessary, referring children andtheir families to appropriate services(Center on the Social EmotionalFoundations for Early Learning, 2008).

Important developmental foundationsof social-emotional competence begin atbirth. Early experiences influence howinfants, toddlers, and young childrenbegin to understand, control, and mastertheir world and how they formperceptions of self. For example, infantsinitially express their wants and needs bycrying, smiling, and turning toward oraway from what they like or dislike.When these needs are consistently andlovingly met, infants are more easilycomforted, pay more attention to what isgoing on around them, are more open toexploring their environments, are betterable to calm themselves and regulate theiremotions, learn that they can affect othersthrough their actions, and begin todevelop secure attachments to theircaregivers.

The emergence of these social-emotional skills helps children feel more

Box 1. Definition of Key Terms

• Screening—a process ofidentifying children who mayneed a more comprehensiveevaluation

• Assessment—a dynamic processof systematically gatheringinformation from multiplesources and settings, collectedover numerous points in time,and reflecting a wide range ofchild experiences

• Validity—the extent to which ascreening or assessment toolmeasures what it is supposed tomeasure

• Reliability—confidence in ascreening or assessment tool toproduce the same results for thesame child if the test wereadministered more than once orby different examiners

• Evaluation—procedures used todetermine initial and continuingeligibility for earlyintervention/special educationservices

• Curriculum-BasedAssessment—a process forassessing a child’s abilities on apredetermined sequence ofobjectives; used to linkassessment, intervention, andevaluation

• Norm-ReferencedAssessment—compares a child’sperformance with that of similarchildren who have taken the sametest


developmental age of the child, andthe expectations of the environmenttypically determine whether abehavior is viewed as acceptable orunacceptable (Squires & Bricker,2007).

• The subjective nature of many of theavailable social-emotional screeningand assessment tools makes itdifficult to quantify and measuresocial-emotional behaviors (Squires& Bricker, 2007). For example, theamount of crying by an infant that isconsidered to be “too much” or“atypical” is not defined on standardsocial-emotional tools. Likewise, thelength of time or intensity of atemper tantrum that causes it to belabeled “a social-emotionalproblem” is often not specified onstandard social-emotionalassessment tools.

• The limited number of social-emotional items on certain screeningand assessment tools may overlookthe complexity of developing social-emotional skills. For example, achild who is able to regulate his/heremotions might demonstrate skillssuch as being able to recognizehis/her emotions, monitor his/heremotions, stop him- or herself fromreacting in inappropriate ways tostrong emotions, calm him- orherself, express his/her emotions toothers, understand others’ emotions,and follow cultural expectationsaround expressions of emotion(Denham, 1998).

• Social-emotional skills areinterrelated with otherdevelopmental domains (Dodge,Rudick, & Berke, 2006; Squires &Bricker, 2007). For example, aninfant who is frightened might crawlto his teacher for reassurance. Beingmobile (motor skill) supports thischild in the development ofemotional regulation (social-emotional skill). An example of whythis might be a challenge is the childwith limited expressive languageskills who might use hitting as ameans to communicate his/herneeds. This behavior could be

gather accurate assessment results ifthe adult conducting the assessmentis a stranger to the child.

• Many early care and educationproviders, as well as medicalprofessionals, are often not wellprepared to understand, identify,assess, and address the social-emotional competence of infants,toddlers, and young children(Hemmeter, Santos, & Ostrosky,2008). This often leads to earlyindicators going unnoticed, whichcan potentially allow minorproblems to escalate into moreserious problems for young children(Eggbeer, Mann, & Gilkerson,2003; Kaufmann & Hepburn, 2007;Squires & Bricker, 2007). Given theimportance of promoting social-emotional competence andpreventing challenging behavioralissues in the early years,professional developmentopportunities may be necessary tobroaden and strengthen the skills ofproviders (Lee & Ostrosky, 2008).

How Should Families be Involvedin Screening and Assessing TheirChildren’s Social-EmotionalCompetence?

Screening and assessment shouldbe a shared experience between earlycare and education providers andfamilies (DEC, 2007). This isespecially important considering thatthe emergence of social-emotionalcompetence occurs within the contextof a child’s family, community, andcultural expectations (Parlakian, 2003).Families interact with their childrendaily and see their children’s abilitiesin a range of contexts and with avariety of individuals. Family membersusually know their child better thanother members of the assessment teamand often have unique knowledgeabout their child that is not alwaysavailable to others. Additionally,because children might exhibitdifferent skills during screening andassessment than when they are in othercontexts, family members are a criticalbridge to helping team members better

interpreted as aggression on asocial-emotional assessment tool,yet after observing the child inhis/her child care center, the hittingmight be seen as a way for him/herto get his/her needs met.

• Obtaining assessment informationfrom a variety of sources, across avariety of settings, and using avariety of methods is recommendedin screening and assessing social-emotional competence. However,because of discrepancies acrosssettings and sources, each piece ofinformation may present a slightlydifferent picture and should becarefully and cautiously interpreted(Merrell, 2001). For example, earlycare and education providers at aHead Start program or a child caresetting may be concerned that apreschooler does not know his/herteachers’ names after two months inschool. Upon further investigation,they realize that the child attendsboth child care and a Head Startprogram on a daily basis, andinteracts with more than 40 childrenand 6 adults.

• While partnering with professionalsin the health care system may bechallenging, it is an importantpartnership in the successful earlyidentification of social-emotionalproblems in infants, toddlers, andyoung children. Since a largenumber of children receive healthcare from medical professionals,this group can be instrumental indetecting social-emotional concerns(Kaufmann & Hepburn, 2007;Squires & Bricker, 2007). Well-babycheckups are ideal contexts forscreening the social-emotionaldevelopment of infants, toddlers,and young children.

• The developmental characteristics ofyoung children, their culturalbackgrounds, and other contextualfactors can also make screening andassessing social-emotionalcompetence challenging(Dichtelmiller & Ensler, 2004). Forexample, if an infant or toddler hasa difficult time interacting withunfamiliar adults, it may be hard to

3. Encouraging families to be activemembers on assessment teams canhelp them learn about their child’ssocial-emotional strengths andneeds. Families play a major role infostering their child’s social-emotional competence. Whenfamilies take an active role in theassessment process, it increasestheir knowledge and understandingof their own child’s social-emotional competence. Familieswho are well informed are betterable to support their children’ssocial-emotional growth anddevelopment at home, in early careand education settings, and in thecommunity. Additionally, well-informed parents feel moreconfident and competent, and aremore likely to be more active teamplayers.

4. Increasing families’ presence andparticipation in the assessmentprocess can help children establishtrust and rapport with members ofthe assessment team. Infants,toddlers, and young children’sfeelings of safety and security arekey to accurately assessing theirsocial-emotional competence;therefore, having caregivers orfamiliar adults nearby who supportfeelings of comfort can enhanceassessment outcomes.

How Can ProfessionalsEncourage Family InvolvementWhen Assessing the Social-Emotional Competence of TheirInfants,Toddlers, and YoungChildren?

The following strategies andsuggestions can be used to encouragethe involvement of familyparticipation in the screening andassessment process (Blue-Banning,Summers, Frankland, Nelson, &Beegle, 2004; Boone & Crais, 2002):• Explain each step of the process

using written and verbalcommunication. Talk to familiesabout the importance of social-emotional competence and why

understand their child. Includingfamily members’ knowledge of theirchild can enhance the reliability andvalidity of the screening andassessment process (Squires, 1996).Some of the benefits of familyinvolvement in screening andassessing social-emotional competenceare listed below:

1. Utilizing families’ knowledge as asource of information about theirchildren’s social-emotional skills isvaluable to the assessment process.Parents can be accurate assessors ofyoung children’s development,especially when they are asked tomake judgments about behaviorstheir children currently exhibit,such as self-regulation at home(Bricker & Squires, 1989; Diamond& Squires, 1993; Henderson &Meisels, 1994). This finding alsoholds true for families from diversebackgrounds (Banks, 1997). Studieshave indicated that families arereliable in completing screeningtools and developmental checklistsof their child’s behaviors (Carter &Briggs-Gowan, 2000; Squires,Bricker, & Towmbly, 2002).

2. Involving families in the assessmentprocess can lead to a betterunderstanding of the child’s social-emotional skills. Informationgathered from families whenassessing infants, toddlers, andyoung children allows for a morecomplete picture of the child andcan also serve as a validity checkfor members of the assessmentteam. Observing and gatheringinformation within the home orother natural environments, orduring interactions with primarycaregivers, can lead to a betterunderstanding of the child’sinterpersonal skills, personality,temperament, communicationabilities, and attachment withadults. In addition, partnering withfamilies acknowledges that theyhave important information to shareand that their perspective is valued.

screening and assessing these skillsis important. Describe the types ofskills and activities that will beobserved and measured.

• Provide the family with roles,choices, and options for how theycan be involved at every stage of thescreening and assessment process.For example, family members mighttry to elicit particular behaviors fromtheir child, collect information abouttheir child’s behavior at home,perform some of the screening andassessment items, or they mightsimply confirm that the assessmentwas representative of their child’ssocial-emotional competence.

• Be flexible and accept the type ofparticipation family members feelcomfortable providing. Individualfamily preferences and styles shouldbe taken into account. For example,in some cultures parents do not“play” with children, so asking amother to sit on the floor and sing ordo a finger play with her child mayfeel awkward and unnatural,especially when an unfamiliar adultis observing the interaction.

• Establish mutual respect betweenfamilies and professionals by beingnonjudgmental, valuing differentcultural backgrounds, and being ontime for meetings.

• Promote a sense of equality betweenprofessionals and family membersand an environment where thevalidity of families’ points of view isencouraged and acknowledged.

• Schedule the screening andassessment at a location and timethat is convenient and comfortablefor the child and family.

• Present screening and assessmentresults in family-friendly formats.Whether information is sharedduring or after an assessment, it isimportant to share it in a way that isuseful and meaningful to familiesand promotes feelings ofcompetence and confidence.

• Share information in an objectiveand nonjudgmental manner. Forexample, avoid conveyinginformation such as “Timmy bitesother children all day.” Instead, share


emotional openness is not considered adesired quality and children areencouraged to keep their feelingswithin themselves (Huang & Isaacs,2007). Early care and educationprofessionals’ encouragement to “Useyour words” may be met withchildren’s resistance. In anenvironment where children areencouraged to express their emotions,as well as on an assessment tool thatevaluates competence in expressingemotions, the second child might beseen as not having yet met thatmilestone. Even developmentalmilestones, such as toilet training, canbe influenced by culture (Carlson &Harwood, 2000). Researchers havefound that children from culturally andlinguistically diverse backgrounds aremore likely to be both under and overreferred for special educationassessment (Artiles, Harry, Reschley,& Chin, 2002). One reason for thismight be professionals’misinterpretation of children’s culture-based behaviors as weaknesses or evendisability where middle-class,mainstream children’s development isconsidered the norm for all children(Kalyanpur, 1998).

How Does English LanguageAbility Impact Social-EmotionalScreening and Assessment?

Children’s linguistic abilities canalso impact the outcomes of social-emotional assessment. Children whoattend programs in which their homelanguage is not used and who do notyet have high levels of Englishproficiency may show delays in social-emotional development (Chang et al.,2007; Tabors, 2008). Children forwhom English is a second languagemay engage in behaviors that appear“atypical” to professionals (i.e., notgiving eye contact to an adult whenresponding to a question). Researchindicates that children from diversecultural backgrounds may engage inmore or fewer challenging behaviorsthan their mainstream peers (Crosnoe,2004; Dawson & Williams, 2008).Some children may engage in

specific data to support yourobservations such as “Three timestoday Timmy bit one of the othertoddlers in his class. All three times,the biting occurred when a childtried to sit close to him.”

• Avoid blame. Discussions around achild’s challenging behavior canoften cause adults to blameothers—professionals blame parentsand vice versa. It is critical to worktogether and build supportive,trusting relationships in order toprovide the best services for infants,toddlers, and young children.

• Provide follow-up after allowingfamilies time to review theassessment results. Provideopportunities for family members toask questions and express anyconcerns they might have. Create asafe environment where familymembers feel that their input andquestions are valued.

How Does Culture Impact theScreening and Assessment ofSocial-Emotional Skills?

Young children’s development andtherefore competencies are intertwinedwith culture (Rogoff, 2003). Constructssuch as temperament and attachment,which are often taken for granted, areculturally based, and can often leadprofessionals to misunderstand somechildren’s behaviors. For example,children who appear overly quiet oroverly active may be reflecting theirfamilies’ cultural values (Bricker,Davis, & Squires, 2004). Similarly,children from different culturalbackgrounds may engage in differentcommunication styles andcommunication routines at home thanare expected in large-group contexts,such as a child care setting or an EarlyHead Start classroom (Cazden, 2001;Kalyanpur, 1998).

Children’s culture also can impacttheir achievement of developmentalmilestones in the eyes of professionals.For example, think about a child whocomes from a culture that valuesexpression of emotions as opposed to achild who comes from a culture where

challenging behaviors to get their needsmet when their communication abilitiesare limited (i.e., grabbing toys frompeers instead of asking for a turn).Bilingual children often havecommunication skills in one languagethat they do not demonstrate in anotherlanguage (Cobo-Lewis, Pearson, Eilers,& Umbel, 2002), which may result indifficulty expressing themselves inEnglish compared to their homelanguage. Other children may exhibitdifficulties with peer play due toEnglish proficiency, yet their comfortand proficiency in their home languagemaybe strong (Lee & Walsh, 2003).Children’s social-emotional competenceis often linked to language ability(Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000); therefore,assessing social-emotional competencewithout considering communicationabilities may be problematic and resultin inaccurate findings.

When a child is in the process ofacquiring a first language, the effect ofacquiring a second language on his/herdevelopment can be quite complex.Assessment procedures for youngchildren who are linguistically diversemust by necessity be different fromtypical assessment procedures (Lund &Duchan, 1993; Mattes & Omark, 1991;Roseberry-McKibbin, 1994).

What Can Be Done to MakeSocial-Emotional Screening andAssessment Relevant to Familiesfrom Diverse Backgrounds?

It is important to develop culturalcompetence in order to effectivelyscreen and assess infants, toddlers, andyoung children from culturally andlinguistically diverse backgrounds (c.f.,Lynch & Hanson, 2004). A significantchallenge is the lack of assessmenttools that are appropriate for youngculturally diverse children, particularlyEnglish language learners (NAEYC,2005; NAEYC/ NAECS/SDE, 2003).McLean (2005, p. 28-29) recommendsthe following strategies when planningand conducting screenings andassessments for culturally andlinguistically diverse children:


activities, or children may need tolearn to speak louder or be moreassertive during group games.Children’s home language and culture-based behaviors should be viewed asstrengths upon which additional skillscan be built.

How Do We Know Which Tools toUse to Screen and Assess SocialEmotional Competence?

There are many commerciallyavailable social-emotional screeningand assessment tools. Some of thetools are specific to social-emotionaldevelopment, while others are broadertools that include a social-emotionalcomponent. In addition, severalcurricula have assessment componentsthat include social-emotionalcompetence. Different tools areavailable for different purposes ofscreening and assessment (see Box 2).While different states and programshave specific requirements forscreening and assessing infants,toddlers, and young children,standardized/norm-referencedassessments are generally used forscreening and diagnostic/eligibilitypurposes, and alternative forms ofassessments such as curriculum-basedand observational data are used forprogram planning and monitoringprogress.

Examples of some of theavailable tools for assessing social-emotional competence are included inTable 1. It is important to thoughtfullyexamine tools in order to choose onesthat are most appropriate for thepurpose for which they are being used,as well as for the individual needs ofthe children and families served byprograms. For example, many norm-referenced assessment tools have notincluded in their norming populationchildren who are culturally andlinguistically diverse. In addition,instruments may not have beennormed on a population of childrenbut instead rely on developmentalmilestones taken from otherassessment tools or research involvingprimarily children from Euro-

• Complete an assessment oflanguage proficiency anddominance before planning furtherassessment. Language proficiencyrefers to the child’s fluency andcompetence in using a particularlanguage. Language dominancerefers to the language that the childprefers to speak.

• Require that professionals whoshare an understanding andknowledge about the child’s culturalgroup and speak the child’s homelanguage or dialect conduct formaltesting.

• Conduct formal testing with theassistance of an interpreter ortranslator and a cultural guide whoworks in conjunction with theassessment team in administeringand interpreting screenings andassessments.

• Examine assessment tools forcultural bias. Modifications can bemade so that items are culturallyappropriate; however, this mayinvalidate the scoring of theinstrument. In this case, the test canbe used as a descriptive measurerather than for reporting scores.

• Use informal methods in addition toformal methods of assessment, suchas observations, interviews offamily members and caregivers, andplay-based assessments conductedin comfortable, familiar settings.

Numerous challenges exist inscreening and assessing the social-emotional competence of childrenfrom culturally and linguisticallydiverse backgrounds. Emphasis shouldbe placed on viewing children’s homebehaviors (including language) asadaptive to the environments in whichthey live (e.g., a child engages inminimal eye contact with adults as asign of respect). Professionals shouldrecognize that some children mightneed to develop a new repertoire ofsocial-emotional skills in order tosuccessfully manage their day acrossdifferent settings (Cheatham & Santos,2005). For example, some childrenmay need to learn to respect theirpeers’ personal space during group

American middle-class backgrounds(Bailey & Nabors, 1996). Evenassessment tools that have been normedon children from diverse populationsstill may not be a good match for aparticular child being assessed. Forexample, a toddler may not be able tocontrol his/her behavior to meet thedemands of the assessment situationbecause he/she is unable to sit still andattend for the length of time requiredby the assessment. Whenever possible,it is important to make the screeningand assessment process match the childas opposed to making the child fit theassessment. To help guide theexamination and selection of screeningand assessment tools, several webresources have been provided in thereference section of this paper.

Are There Alternatives toStandardized Tools for Screeningand Assessing Social-EmotionalCompetence?

The effective screening andassessment of children’s social-emotional competence requires morethan an understanding of the basiccharacteristics of social-emotionaldevelopment and the selection ofassessment tools. Obtaining assessmentinformation from a variety of sources,across a variety of settings, and using avariety of methods is recommendedpractice and increases the accuracy ofthe screening and assessment results(Sandall, Hemmeter, Smith & McLean,


Box 2. Purposes of social andemotional screening andassessment

(a) To identify children who mayneed more comprehensiveevaluations

(b) To determine eligibility (c) To individualize child and

family planning(d) To inform instruction (e) To monitor progress(f) To evaluate program

effectiveness

at social-emotional concerns asresiding only within the child, andinstead understand them asoccurring within a broader socialand physical context within naturalenvironments (Merrell, 2001).

• Transdisciplinary Play-BasedAssessment. This team-basedapproach to assessing children’sskills, including social-emotionalcompetence (Linder, 1993),requires professionals and familymembers to observe infants,toddlers, and young childrenduring play activities. This is aninformal way to involve parents asassessors as well as observeparent-child interactions andrelationships.

• Observation. Observation is one ofthe most valuable tools inscreening and assessing the social-emotional competence of infants,toddlers, and young children. Notonly do ongoing observationsreinforce screening and assessmentresults, they also allow for moreaccurate interpretation andunderstanding of the transactionalnature of children in their naturalenvironments (Donahue, Falk, &Provet, 2007). It is very difficult tounderstand a child’s behaviorwithout knowing the context;observations provide this criticalinformation. Observation canreveal the uniqueness of eachchild, including temperament,regulation of emotions, andpreferred mode of communicationand expression (Jablon, Dombro,& Dichtelmiller, 2007).Systematic, ongoing observationsalso supply information that isuseful in monitoring children’sprogress. Therefore whengathering information such as howa child relates to his/her peers orhow a child solves conflicts, it isimportant to observe the child inhis/her natural environments.

• Interview. Interviews with variouscaregivers allow for thedevelopment of relationships

2005). Listed below are severalconsiderations for gathering sources ofinformation when screening andassessing social-emotional competence: • Work as teams to assess infants,

toddlers, and young children.Gathering assessment data from avariety of professionals, includingmental health providers,pediatricians, and family membersacross multiple settings, is aneffective practice in assessing social-emotional competence (Bagnato &Neisworth, 1985; Donahue, Falk, &Provet, 2007; Fenichel & Meisels,1999).

• Use of a variety of sources forgathering screening and assessmentinformation around social-emotionalcompetence:• Curriculum-Based Assessment.

This assessment process compareschildren’s performance to apredetermined set of criteria(McLean, 2004). Curriculum-based assessment provides a directlink between assessment andintervention (Bagnato, Neisworth,& Munson, 1997). A child’ssocial-emotional competence canbe compared to a predeterminedset of social-emotional skills,usually ordered from simple tomore complex tasks. Using thisprocess, professionals identify aninfant, toddler, or young child’sstrengths as well as needs. Thisinformation can then be used asthe basis for planning dailyroutines, interactions, activities,and interventions (McLean, 2004).See Table 2 for samplecurriculum-based assessments.

• Environmental Assessment.Having comprehensive andreliable information about howsocial and physical environmentssupport or interfere with children’sability to be successful is anotheressential piece of informationwhen assessing social-emotionalcompetence. Environmentalassessments allow early childhoodproviders to refrain from looking

across providers and a mutualunderstanding of the child’ssocial-emotional strengths andneeds in different settings.Interviews can also support self-reflection of practice, which is animportant component of screeningand assessing social-emotionalcompetence. Early care andeducation providers should“assess” their interactions andrelationships with children as wellas the daily routines, schedules,rules, and environments.

• Functional Behavior Assessments(FBA). Rather than trying to elicitpredetermined behaviors throughspecific tasks, functionalassessment takes a differentapproach by looking at the wayindividual children accomplishcertain tasks or functions(Dichtelmiller & Ensler, 2004).For example, a caregiver mightobserve how the infants in his/hercare communicate with adults.One infant might reach outwhenever an adult is nearby, whileanother infant might make soundsor cry to get the adult’s attention.This assessment processencourages observation of thedifferent ways in which individualchildren accomplish tasks. Thereare no predetermined responses.FBA is used to understand thepurpose or function of a specificbehavior exhibited by a child andis typically conducted when achild’s behavior is interfering withhis/her performance and ability toparticipate in daily routines andactivities. The process involvescollecting information throughobservation, interview, and recordreview (e.g., medical records,diagnostic reports). Suchinformation provides insight abouta child’s behavior as well as howthe behavior is influenced byenvironmental factors and events(Fox & Duda, 2003).


SummaryGiven the importance of early

identification and intervention inchanging the trajectory of a youngchild’s social-emotional development(Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000), the needto re-examine existing screening andassessment practices around social-emotional competence is critical. It isnecessary for us to implement asystems approach in order to ensurebetter outcomes and success forinfants, toddlers, young children, andtheir caregivers. Why we assess, howwe assess, where we assess, the toolswe select, and how this information isused should be carefully examined.Our screening and assessmentprocesses should increase children’ssense of pride, competence, andconfidence and lead to positive social-emotional outcomes as well asacademic benefits for all infants,toddlers, and young children (Hyson,2004).

When discussing future directionsfor promoting social-emotionalcompetence, Siperstein and Favazza(2008) refer to an idea offered byFrances Horowitz in the late 1980s(Horowitz, 1989, 2000): creatingprograms that place children “atpromise” instead of “at risk.” Wemight look at the concept of “atpromise” as a means of usingscreening and assessment to help usnot only identify children with social-emotional needs, but also learn moreabout each child’s strengths(characteristics and early experiences),which in turn should guide our day-to-day practices in promoting social-emotional competence and preventinglater social-emotional challenges.

How Do We Use Social-EmotionalScreening and AssessmentInformation?

Meaningful screening andassessment information should informwhat we do on a day-to-day basis withinfants, toddlers, and young children(Bricker & Squires, 2004; McConnell,2000). How we use this informationshould be based on the purpose of thescreening or assessment process (e.g.,diagnostic, ongoing monitoring,program evaluation). One of theprimary reasons for the initial andongoing screening and assessment ofyoung children’s social-emotionalcompetence is to use the informationgathered to guide curricula andplanning decisions, to develop goalsand individualized plans for children,and to determine programeffectiveness. Based on a review of thescreening and assessment information,goals for strengthening a child’s social-emotional competence are selected, andmultiple learning opportunities are thenembedded into daily interactions androutines using purposefully selectedmaterials and activities (Dichtelmiller& Ensler, 2004; Pretti-Frontczak &Bricker, 2004). For example, whenassessing a 3-year-old we learn that shehas difficulty regulating her emotionsand that she has limited words fortalking about feelings. We take thisinformation and intentionally plan toprovide more opportunities across herdaily routines to teach this childvocabulary to describe feelings (sad,mad, lonely, yucky, etc.) as well as helpher begin to identify and manage herfeelings, which will in turn help her toregulate her emotions. Without linkingscreening, assessment, intervention,and intentional teaching, the results andoutcomes will not be meaningful oruseful in supporting children’s social-emotional competence. Earlyidentification will not be useful iffollow-up and support are notprovided.

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Comparable sets of measures being developed for preschool children by the ECRI-MGD at the University of Minnesota: http://ici2.umn.edu/ecri

Guidelines for selecting materials on child assessment:http://clas.uiuc.edu/review/ChildAssessment.pdf

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Web ResourcesInformation about the reliability, validity, and practical utility of assessmentinstruments http://www.jgcp.ku.edu/Grants/ecrimgd.htm

Comparable sets of measures being developed for preschool children by theECRI-MGD at the University of Minnesota http://ici2.umn.edu/ecri

Guidelines for selecting materials on child assessment.http://clas.uiuc.edu/review/ChildAssessment.pdf


Ages & StagesQuestionnaires: SocialEmotional (ASQ-SE)

Jane Squires, Diane Bricker, Elizabeth Twombly

Brookes Publishing Inc.(2002)www.pbrookes.com

Behavior AssessmentSystem for Children(BASC-II)

Cecil R. Reynolds, Randy W. Kamphaus

American Guidance(1992)

Brief Infant Toddler SocialEmotional Assessment(BITSEA)

Margaret Briggs-Gowan,Alice Carter

Pearson AssessmentYale University(Fall 2005)

Child Behavior Checklist(CBCL)

Thomas Achenbach,Rescovia, L.A. 2001

Thomas Achenbach(1991, 2001)Achenbach Rescorla

Devereux EarlyChildhood AssessmentProgram (DECA)

Paul LeBuffe, JackNaglieri

Kaplan Press (1999)

6-60months

2-5 years

12-36months

4-18 years

2-5 years

A parent-implementedchild screening andongoing monitoringsystem for social-emotional behaviors;young children at risk forsocial or emotionaldifficulties

Assesses for behaviorfunctioning andidentification of behaviorproblems (aggression,hyperactivity, conductproblems), anddeveloping interventionplans for children 2-21years. Four-point scale offrequency ranging from“never” to “almost always.”

Family-centeredscreening tool thatassesses emergingsocial-emotionaldevelopment andmonitors progress basedon parent/caregiver input.

Assesses the behavioraland social competenciesof child as reported byparents and measuresbehavior change overtime. Three-point scale offrequency ranging from“not true” to “often true.”

Assessment instrumentdesigned to assesspositive and problembehavior.

15-20 minutes

May beadministeredby parents orcaregivers andscored byprofessionals.

15 minutes

7-10 minutes

15-20 minutes

15-20 minutes

May beadministeredby parents orcaregivers andscored byprofessionals.

Reliability is 94%; validityis between 75% and 89%

Composite Scores:Internal Consistency –TRS = .87-.96, PRS = .85-.93;

Test-retest – TRS = .84-.87, PRS = .81-.86;

Interrater –TRS =.61-.81, PRS = .66-.84

Internal Consistency =.65-.80

Interrater (mother/father)= .61-.68

Test-retest = .85-.87

Validity: Predictive = .71


Test-retest = .95-1.00

Interrater = .96-.96

Criterion validity wasassessed and found to beacceptable

None found

Over 3000 childrenacross the 6-60month age intervalsand their familieswere investigated.Three-point scaleof frequencyranging from “nottrue” to “often true.”

309 4 to 5 year oldchildren in publicschools, privateschools, anddaycare centers inWestern, Northern,Central, Southern,and NortheasternU.S.

National sample of600 children.Clinical groupsincluded languagedelayed,premature, andother diagnoseddisorders

Normative dataobtained fromparents of 1,300children

Normed on arepresentative,nationwide sampleof 2,000 children in28 states

English,Spanish

English,Spanish

English,Spanish,French,Hebrew,and Dutch.

English,Spanish,French

English,Spanish

TABLE 1: SAMPLE SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS

InstrumentAuthor/PublisherPublication Date

Ages Purpose/Information Administration Validity/Reliability Norm Language


Devereux EarlyChildhood Assessmentfor Infants and Toddlers(DECA-IT)

Mary Mackrain, PaulLeBuffe, & Gregg Powell

Kaplan Press (1999)

Infant-Toddler SocialEmotional Assessment(ITSEA)

Alice Carter, MargaretBriggs-Gowan

Pearson Assessment(Fall 2005)

Pediatric SymptomChecklist (PSC)

Michael Jellinek, MichaelMurphy, John Robinson

Child Psychiatry, MAGeneral Hospital (1998)

School Social BehaviorScales, 2nd Edition

Kenneth W. Merrell

Assessment-InterventionResources (2002)

Social SkillsImprovement System(SSIS) – formally SocialSkills Rating System(SSRS)

Frank Gresham, StephenElliot

Pearson Assessments(1990)

1 month –36 months

12-36months

4-16 years

5-18 years

3-18 years

Assessment of protectivefactors as well as ascreening for potentialrisks in the social andemotional development ofinfants and toddlers.

A follow-up assessment ofthe BITSEA, to be usedfor in-depth analysis ofsocial-emotionaldevelopment and to guideintervention planning

A psychosocial screeningtool designed for earlyrecognition of cognitive,emotional, and behavioralproblems.

Rating and behavior scalesfor screening and assess-ment to identify the socialcompetence and antisocialbehavior problems ofchildren and youth forintervention planning.

Screening tool thatmeasures social skills andproblem behaviors ofchildren and adolescentsas reported by teachers,parents, and studentsthemselves. Providessupport for thedevelopment ofappropriate interventions

25-30 minutes

10-15 minutes

Parentcompletedversion of itemsranging fromnever to often.

5-10 minutes

Completed byteachers andother schoolpersonnel

10-25 minutesfor eachquestionnaire

Internal Reliability = .80-.90Median ReliabilityParent raters = .87Teacher raters = .90

Internal Consistency:Individual scales = .59-.84; 4 Broad BandScales = .80-.90

Interrater (mother/father) =.58-.79

All ITSEA domain andCBCL (Achenbach, 1992)scales were correlated, butthere was differentiation

Test-retest = .84-.91

Validity: Specificity = .68Sensitivity = .95


Test reliability: SocialCompetency = .84

Anti-Social Behavior = .91

Internal Consistency –Teacher = .93-.94;Parent = .87-.90;Student = .83Problem Behavior –Teacher = .82-.86Parent = .73-.87Test-retest –Teacher = .85;Parent = .87;Student = .68Problem Behavior –Teacher = .84;Parent = .65Validity tests done forintercorrelations, content,construct, concurrent, andfactor analysis

Sample of 2,183infants and toddlersbetween 4 weeksand 3 years (45%infants and 55%toddlers)

National sample of600 children.Clinical groupsincluded languagedelayed,premature, andother diagnoseddisorders

Children ages 4-16years

Standardized with anational sample of2,280 students inGrades K-12

Standardized on anational sample ofover 4,000

English,Spanish

English,Spanish

English,Spanish,Chinese

English

English,Spanish




15-20 minutesParents/caregivers

A person whohas known thechild for aminimum of 4weeks


Temperament & AtypicalBehavioral Scale (TABS)

Stephen Bagnato, JohnNeisworth, John Salvia,Francis Hunt

Brookes Publishing Inc.(1999)

Vineland Social-Emotional EarlyChildhood Scales(Vineland SEEC)

Sara Sparrow, DavidBalla, Domenic Cicchetti

Pearson Assessments

11-71months

Birth – 5years, 11months

Screening tool to identifycritical temperament andself-regulation problemsand determine servicesfor special educationeligibility, planning ofeducation and treatmentprograms, monitoringchild progress andprogram effectiveness

Based on the VinelandAdaptive BehaviorScales, this assessmenttool measures earlychildhood socialemotional development.

5 – 30 minutes

Parents/caregivers

15 – 20minutes

Administeredby Ph.D. inpsychology orcertified orlicensed schoolpsychologist orsocial worker.

Interrater and rating:.84.94Internal consistency =.88-.95

High treatment and socialvalidity

Reliability: .80=.87 forsubscales,89-.97 for compositeacross six age groupsValidity: not available

Normed on nearly1,000 children withboth typical andatypicaldevelopment

Standardizationnorms are basedon the normativedata used todevelop theVineland AdaptiveBehavior Scales.The sampleincluded 1,200children from birthto 5 years, 11months

English

English,Spanish





Assessment, Evaluation,and ProgrammingSystem for Infants andChildren (AEPS)

Diane Bricker and KristiePretti-Frontczak

(1996)

Paul Brookes PublishingP.O. Box 10524Baltimore, MD800-638-3775

www.pbrookes.com

BriganceDiagnostic Inventory ofEarly Development-Revised

Albert BriganceCurriculum Associates(1991)

5 Esquire RoadNorth Billerica, MA01862-2589

800-225-0248

www.curriculumassociates.com

Vols.1-2Birth to 3years

Vols. 3-43-6 years

Birth to 7years

• Easy to use childobservation datarecording form.Parallel assessmentwith Family Reportforms

• Use for one child or agroup, in home orcenter-basednaturalistic setting.

• Each item scored with0,1, or 2

• Activity-basedassessment

• Experienced andtrained examiner—direct service providersand specialists

• Easy to learn

• 1-2 hours to administer

• Data can be collectedthrough naturalisticobservation

• Convenient forassessing children inor away fromclassroom setting

• Simple recordingmethod

• Scoring pass/fail

• Trained professionals

• Volunteers or tutors, iftrained to administer

• Easy to learn

• Administration timevaries with number ofareas tested

Fine motor

Gross motor

Cognitive

Adaptive

Social-communication

Social

Perambulatory

Fine/grossmotor

Social-emotional

Readiness

Self-help

Basic readingskills

Speech/language

Manuscriptwriting

Generalknowledge

Basic math

• Curriculum-based

• Progress monitoring

• Provides a secondsource for determiningeligibility

• Activity-based,developmentallyappropriate instruction

• Natural child activitybasis ensuresauthenticity

• Based on 20 years ofresearch onintervention relevant toassessment

• Continual fieldvalidation

• Criterion-referenced

• Diagnostic

• Instructional guide

• Monitor progress

• Curriculum-compatibledevelopmentalmeasure

• Tracking system

• Low authenticity—flexible informationgathering for lessnatural settings

• Content validity clearand strong

• Includes emergent literacy

• Instructions for collecting dataand translating results intoIFSP/IEP

• Curriculum goals andobjectives linked withassessment items

• Includes activity-basedinterventions aligned withassessment

• Helps formulate appropriategoals

• Planning guide promotes familyinvolvement

• Family focused

• Family interest survey andreport form

• Includes child progress recordforms and summary data forms

• Contains supplementarymaterials needed for someassessments

• Comprehensive andsupplemental skill sequencesserve as a curriculum guide

• Correlates to Head Start ChildOutcomes Framework

• Tool for developing IEPs

• Parent observations included

• Easy to understand report ofprogress for teachers andparents

• Resource for parents andprofessionals

• Incorporates parentobservations

• Coded to Brigance Readinesstest for kindergarten-agechildren

TABLE 2: SAMPLE CURRICULUM-BASED ASSESSMENTS


Ages Purpose/Information Content Type/Purpose Validation

General CommentsCultural SensitivityFamily Involvement


Carolina Curriculum forInfants and Toddlers withSpecial Needs(CCITSN) (1991)

Carolina Curriculum forPreschoolers with SpecialNeeds (CCPSN) (1990)

Nancy Johnson-Martin,Kenneth Jens, BonnieHackerSusan Attermeier

Paul Brookes Pub.P.O. Box 10524Baltimore, MD800-638-3775

www.pbrookes.com

Creative CurriculumDevelopmentalContinuum AssessmentToolKit

Creative Curriculum forPreschool, 3rd Edition

Diane Trister Dodge,Laura J. Colker(1992)

Teaching Strategies, Inc.800-637-3652

Birth to 24months

2-5 years

3-5 years

• Individual assessmentlog and developmentalprogress charts for 2-5years and 12 monthsto 3 years

• Offers great detail(task analysis,alternative activities)

• Step-by-step guidanceon set up, scoring, andcharting results

• Easy to implement

• Designed for preschooland kindergartencenter-based programs

• Child development andlearning checklist

• Focuses on carefullyorganizedcircumstances toprovide foundation fordaily environmentalinteractions

• Observation

• Easy to understand

Cognition

Communication

SocialAdaptation

Fine and grossmotor

Social-emotional

Cognitive

Physicaldevelopment

• Curriculum-embedded

• High in authenticity

• Emphasizes naturallyoccurring tasks

• Functional activities

• Progress monitoring

• Ongoing assessment

• Curriculum


• Center based

• Curricular items includeobjectives, needed materials,teaching procedures, routineintegration strategies,sensorimotor adaptations

• Jargon-free language,uncomplicated format

• Good data collection system

• Curricular items thatcorrespond to each child’sspecial needs

• Characteristics of specificdisabilities

• Adaptations for sensory/motorneeds

• Nondiscriminatory items

• Family involvement stressed

• Activities structured to involvefamilies in assessment andinstruction

• Focus on environment,teaching and learning styles

• Framework for decision makingand focus on interest areas

• Sequential steps of skills andconcepts in all areas ofdevelopment

• Integrated learning across allteaching strategies/10 learningcenter modules

• Child progress and planningsheets

• Goals and objectives charts,etc.

• Covers the Head Start outcomedomains

• Techniques offered toaccommodate special needs

• Incorporates family’s role—parent involvement suggestionsand home activities

• Spanish version






(DOCS) DevelopmentalObservation ChecklistSystem

Wayne Hreski, SteveBurton, Shirley Miguel,Rita Sherbenou (1994)

PRO-ED, Inc.8700 Shoal Creek Blvd.Austin, TX 800-897-3202

www.proedinc.com

Hawaii Early LearningProfile (HELP) (Birth to 3)(1994)

HELP for Preschoolers(1995)

Stephanie Parks

Vort Corp.P.O. Box 60880Palo Alto, CA 94306415-322-8282

www.vort.com

Birth to 6years

Birth to 3years

3-6 years

• Three-part inventory/checklist system:developmental,adjustment behavior,and parental stressand support

• Parent/professionalnatural observations

• Observation of dailybehaviors

• Quotients, NCEscores, ageequivalents andpercentiles

• Completed in naturalenvironment

• Individual, groupstructured,observational in variedsettings

• Hierarchicallystructureddevelopmentalsequence

• HELP charts andchecklists

• Used by physical,speech, occupationaltherapists; educators;psychologists; socialworkers; nurses; andclassroom aides

• Training video

• Easy to use

Generaldevelopment,adjustmentbehavior

Parent stressand support

Language,motor, social,and cognitive

Assessesparent-childinteraction;environmentalimpact; childadaptability;parent stress,support, andplay skills

Cognition

Language

Adaptive

Gross/finemotor

Social -emotional

Three specialneeds strands:sign language,wheelchair,speech reading

• Curriculum compatible:sequences and clustersof skills acrossdomains fit with majorcurricula

• Norm-referencedscreening device

• Standardized

• Emphasis on naturallyoccurring tasks innatural settings

• Standardized on 1,094children in 30 states,1989-1992


• Instructional planning

• Intervention

• Progress Monitoring

• Promotes activity-based

• Widely used

• No supporting data forprogram efficacy

• Addressed through parent-report nature of DOCSquestionnaire—relies on parentresponse and observationsabout child and family

• One of first emergentcurricula—compatible,authentic developmentalassessment measures

• Interdomain formatoperationalizes development asinteractive

• Lacks computer scoring

• Cross disciplinary integratedapproach

• Comprehensive anddevelopmentally sequenced

• Covers 685 skills B-3 yrs

• Used to identify need, trackgrowth, develop objectives

• Includes adaptations, play-based

• Recommendations for specialneeds

• Culturally sensitive familyinterview questions

• Spanish version

• Parent-home interventions

• Family-directed assessment

• Parent handouts on teachingconcepts

• Computer software for planningand reporting






LearningAccomplishment Profiles:Early LAP (E-LAP)

LAP Revised (LAP-R)

M. Elayne Glover, Jodi L.Preminger, & Anne R.Stanford(1995)

Kaplanwww.kaplanco.com

Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment &Transdisciplinary Play-Based Intervention- R(TBPA/TPBI)

Toni Linder(1993)

Paul Brookes Publishing800-638-3775www.pbrookes.com

Work Sampling System(WSS)

Judy R. Jablon, DorotheaB. Marsden, Samuel J.Meisels, Margo L.Dichtelmeiller(1994)

Rebus PlanningAssociates317 S. Division St.Ann Arbor, Michigan

Birth to 3years

3-6 years

Infancy to6 years

Preschool(3-5)through5th grade

• Profile for summativerecording

• Easy to use by teams

• Observation format

• Summative recordingform

• Scoring sheet tracksprogress 4 times ayear

• Home- or center-basedprograms for individualor small group

• Format invitesmultidisciplinary use

• Low density of items—easy to use, not timeconsuming

• Observation

• Home- or center-based

• Useful in arenasettings

• Worksheets, summarysheets, cumulativesummary, final report

• Developmentalchecklist for each level

• Rates “proficient,” “inprocess,” or “not yet”

• Easy to implement

• Training workshopsavailable

Gross/fine motor

Cognitive

Social/ emotional

Self-help

Language

• Cognitive

• Communication

• Language

• Sensorimotor

• Social-emotional

• Personal andsocial

• Language andliteracy

• Mathematicalthinking

• Scientificthinking

• Social studies

• Art

• Physicaldevelopment


• Criterion-referencedassessment

• Monitor progress

• Instructional planning

• Items less authentic—more psychometric

• No documentation offield use or reliabilities

• Norm referencingbased ondevelopmentalliterature


• Foundation forprogram

• Team-basedassessment

• Predominance ofnatural skills andactivities

• Few supporting datain program efficacy,widely used in manystates

• Curriculum-compatible

• Authentic assessmentfor portfoliodevelopment

• Focus ondevelopmentallyappropriate curriculartasks

• Research supportinternal reliability andcriterion validity

• Ongoing progressdocumentation

• Use to prepare and implementIEPs, student plans

• Introduction of appropriateactivities for home or center tosupport acquired or emergingskills

• Class profiles, activity cards

• Special family-centeredmaterials not featured

• Spanish edition

• Caution—teaching toassessment—many items notuseful

• No adaptations

• Expensive

• Integrated approach toassessment and interventionthrough play, based onresearch

• Flexible to use with childrenwith or without disabilities

• Training videos

• Chapter for family participation

• Concern with staging playsituations

• Flexible design allows forindividualization based onstrengths and limitations

• Well-organized

• Facilitates adaptations





Source: Linking Assessment & Early Intervention: An Authentic Curriculum-Based Approach, by S.J. Bagnato, J. Neisworth, and S. Munson. 1997 (Reprinted June 2002).

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