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My Ethical Commitment

Samantha Singer

Department of Home and Family, Brigham Young University - Idaho

CHILD 350: Observation and Assessment

Dr. Trevor Rowe

May 12, 2021

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My Ethical Commitment

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) released a

position statement on Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP). In this statement, there are

several guidelines concerning how professionals should base their decisions in regard to DAP.

The purpose of this paper is to convey my own ethical commitment to the specific guidelines that

address observing, documenting, and assessing children’s development.

A: Observation, documentation, and assessment of young children’s progress and

achievements is ongoing, strategic, reflective, and purposeful.

As an early childhood educator, I will create curriculum and plan activities where I can

naturally assess the children I am working with. I will look for opportunities to assess children as

they converse and play with one another or while doing individual activities throughout the day.

The results of my observations and assessments, whether formal or informal, will be the basis on

which I communicate with children’s families, plan curriculum, and evaluate the effectiveness of

my program. I will limit my use of standardized assessments and digitally based assessments, as

an abundance of either one is not developmentally appropriate practice for young children.

B: Assessment focuses on children’s progress toward developmental and educational goals.

While working with young children, I will work with families to determine appropriate

educational and developmental goals for each child. I will educate families on developmental

milestones so that we can set appropriate goals together. The goals that I will set will be

achievable for children and when a child reaches a goal, no matter what size, we (the child, the

child’s family, and I) will take time to celebrate that goal. I will recognize and will help parents

to recognize that children’s mastery of a skill takes time, and it is best to build that mastery

before moving onto the next challenge.

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C: A system is in place to collect, make sense of, and use observations, documentation, and

assessment information to guide what goes on in the early learning setting.

I will carefully document and record my observations and the results from any

assessment I conduct. I will use the information from my assessments to inform my teaching and

to help me create learning experiences tailored to the needs of the children. I will encourage

children to observe the world around them and if they are able, to document what they observe

and reflect on what they have learned.

D: The methods of assessment are responsive to the current developmental

accomplishments, language(s), and experiences of young children. They recognize

individual variation in learners and allow children to demonstrate their competencies in

different ways

I will use assessment methods that are relevant to experiences the child has. I will use

results of observations, clinical interviews, samples of children’s work, and children’s

performance on various classroom activities. If a child speaks a language I do not know or am

not able to give an assessment in, I will recruit a native speaker of the child’s language to assist

me with the assessment. I will keep a plan in place to employ volunteers or interpreters and

provide the translators with information regarding developmentally appropriate practice, ethics

and confidentiality, and information about the assessment itself. I will explain the results of my

assessment to families and if necessary, children. Conversations about the results will be

conducted with the purpose of analyzing and reflecting on the child’s needs.

E: Assessments are used only for the populations and purposes for which they have been

demonstrated to produce reliable, valid information.

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I will use assessment tools that have been established as reliable and valid to make

important decisions. If I am asked to use an assessment tool that has not been established as

reliable and valid, I will advocate for the use of a different assessment tool, do my best to make

sure this tool is not used to make important decisions, and recognize that the tool’s findings will

have limitations.

F: Decisions that have a major impact on children, such as enrollment or placement, are

made in consultation with families.

In regard to high-stakes decisions, I will base those decisions on multiple reliable sources

and work with the family to make a choice. Sources such as results from observations of and

interactions with the child between me, family members, and possibly other specialists.

G: When a screening assessment identifies a child who may have a disability or

individualized learning or developmental needs, there is appropriate follow-up, evaluation,

and, if needed, referral.

When a child is identified through screening to have a disability or developmental delay,

I will not use this information to diagnose or label the child. I will refer the family to have their

child examined by a qualified expert in that field. The family will be involved in every step of

the way.

Standards Lead the Way

These standards help me, as an educator, to plan appropriate curriculum that addresses

the needs of the children in my class. They also help remind me to constantly be observing and

assessing the children I work with so that I know the needs of the children. When I rely on these

standards to guide my teaching, I am making my job easier and making every day worth the

children’s and the family’s time and money. When I focus on these standards, I am better able to
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involve families in the assessment process. They are brought along every step of the way and we

work as a team to help their child develop well. Children also benefit because they are receiving

curriculum that meets their needs and is constantly evolving as they grow and meet various

goals. These guidelines are individually, culturally, and age appropriate for young children and

their families. Observation and assessment that adheres to these guidelines helps families to

know where their child is at and areas that need some work. It also helps to identify those

children who may have special needs earlier, which helps families and educators to better

address those needs. A program that holds fast to these guidelines will have better educators that

are in turn better able to anticipate and meet the needs of the children in the program. It will also

help strengthen the bond between the program and the families. As results of assessment are

shared, trust is built and the program overall improves.