Assessment practices in preschool settings: A study of the assessment practices of university cooperating teachers in preschool settings

The intent of this study was to describe the of assessment practices used by university cooperating preschool teachers who supervise student teachers attending a metropolitan area university in Minnesota. The research question guiding this study was: "What assessments of student learning do university cooperating teachers in preschool settings report using?";This descriptive case study examined the responses of 21 preschool teachers and will serve to provide information about the practice of assessment in preschool settings in order to inform teacher preparatory programs. The data was collected through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews.;The teachers described their choice of assessment programs, desire for validation of practice, the time issues related to implementation of the assessment program, their choice of assessment strategies, defense of their practice, and classroom teaching practices all were intertwined in their description of their assessment programs. All reported their intent to follow children's progress. But, even when their practice appeared similar, their motivation, intent, and use of assessment information differed. All reported their intent to keep parents informed. The more intentional and systematic the assessment strategies were, the more thoughtful the reporting process was. Those who reported systematic assessment strategies also reported intentional collaboration with their co-teachers and colleagues.;My findings raise questions for future study in the area of preschool assessment practices. The findings of this study help describe the extent to which preschool assessment programs exist, but not enough about how teachers act upon them. This study focused on teachers' self-reporting of practice through the use of questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Understanding more about the issues related to preschool observation and assessment will continue to add to the body of knowledge in the field. A yearlong study focusing on the practice of a (or several) teacher to gather in depth information about the connection of preschool curriculum development, instruction strategies, and assessment practices would provide answers to the questions raised by the results of this current study.