Testing for Intelligence?

I believe according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (2003):

• Assessments should be made appropriate, valid, and reliable as central part of all early childhood programs. To best  assess young children’s strengths, progress, and needs,  use assessment methods that are developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive, tied to children’s daily activities, supported by professional development, inclusive of families, and connected to specific, beneficial purposes. The purposes of doing assessment are: (1) making sound decisions about teaching and learning, (2) identifying significant concerns that  may require focused intervention for individual children, and (3) helping programs improve their educational and developmental interventions.

 

• Indicators of effective assessment practices • Ethical principles guide assessment practices. • Assessment instruments are used for their intended  purposes. • Assessments are appropriate for ages and other char- acteristics of children being assessed. • Assessment instruments are in compliance with professional criteria for quality. • What is assessed is developmentally and educationally  significant. • Assessment evidence is used to understand and im- prove learning. • Assessment evidence is gathered from realistic settings  and situations that reflect children’s actual performance. • Assessments use multiple sources of evidence gathered over time. • Screening is always linked to follow-up.  • Use of individually administered, norm-referenced tests  is limited. • Staff and families are knowledgeable about assessment.

However, some assessments, according to Asia Society (2013),such as China's language programs should focus on classroom assessment and external assessment. Although traditional testing is still widely used and serves its prescribed purpose, classroom assessment is also used to align with what students have learned and how they have learned. Because the goal of curriculum is for language use, it is important to require students to apply the newly gained communicative competence to similar but different contexts (Asia Society, 2013).

Among the assessment tools that teacher will use for classroom assessment include:

• Performance-based assessment tasks
  
• Self assessments
  
• Peer assessments
  
• Teacher observations
  
• Portfolios
  
• Quizzes and tests
  

Multiple measurements taken across time provide a more comprehensive picure of students' ability to use Chinese for meaningful purpose than would an assessment scheme that focuses on students' ability as measured by tests and quizzes alone (Asia Society, 2013).

 In addition, NAEYC (2003) believes:

• Indicators of effective curriculum • Children are active and engaged. • Goals are clear and shared by all. • Curriculum is evidence-based. • Valued content is learned through investigation and  focused, intentional teaching. • Curriculum builds on prior learning and experiences. • Curriculum is comprehensive. • Professional standards validate the curriculum’s  subject-matter content. • The curriculum is likely to benefit children.
  
  

Overall, I also believe according to the NAEYC 2003):

Assessing children should be integrated through support for programs implementing recommendations for curriculum and program evaluation requiring a solid foundation. More positive results and greater accountability from programs for children should have essential supports for teacher recruitment and compensation, professional preparation and ongoing professional development, and other appropriate practices of quality early education.   Moreover, to create an integrated, well-financed system of early care and education that has the capacity to support learning and development in all children, including children living in poverty, children whose home language is not English, and children with disabilities. Unlike many other countries, the United  States continues to have a fragmented system for edu- cating children from birth through age 8, under multiple auspices, with greatly varying levels of support, and with inadequate communication and collaboration. Many challenges face efforts to provide all young children with high-quality curriculum, assessment, and evaluation of their programs. Public commitment, along with investments in a well-financed system of early child- hood education and in other components of services for young children and their families, will make it possible to implement these recommendations fully and effectively.

References

Asia Society. (2013). Assessments. Retrieved from http://asiasociety.org/education/chinese-language-initiatives/assessment

National Association for the Education of Young Children and National Association of Early Childhood. (2003). Where We Stand. Retrieved from www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/StandCurrAss.pdf