Best Measures for Best Practices, Second Edition
LINKing Authentic Assessment and Early Childhood Intervention
Early Childhood
The only book with professional ratings and reviews of 80 widely used assessment measures for children birth-8, the new edition of this popular reference helps you select high-quality assessment materials for your early childhood program.
Paperback
$49.95
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STOCK NUMBER ISBN
70472 978-1-59857-047-2
COPYRIGHT PAGES
2010 400
AVAILABILITY
Available Stock
How can early childhood professionals make informed decisions while selecting assessment materials that meet recommended practices? Use the NEW edition of this essential reference, the only book with professional ratings and reviews of 80 authentic, widely used assessment tools for children birth–8.

Completely revamped and even more user-friendly than its popular first edition, this must-have guide provides ratings of the qualities of assessment materials based on:

  1. "consumer reports" and ratings from a survey of more than 1,000 professionals
  2. detailed reviews from a panel of assessment experts
  3. ratings drawn from the authors' own extensive expertise

Now with NEW features that make the ratings and reviews even more specific and useful, this book helps early childhood professionals

  • evaluate how each assessment tool measures up to 8 critical standards: acceptability, authenticity, collaboration, evidence, multifactors, sensitivity, universality, and utility
  • easily compare assessment tools, with At a Glance snapshots of good-quality measures and more in-depth Close-Ups of the top-rated assessments
  • determine which assessments best meet specific needs of both program and child
  • select tools compatible with the ones a program is already using
  • link realistic, authentic assessments with effective interventions
  • meet professional standards for recommended assessment practice
  • deepen their knowledge and use of assessment standards for personally rating assessment tools

A key text for courses on assessment and the go-to assessment guide for every early childhood program, this invaluable book will help professionals ensure high-quality services for children with and without disabilities. Professionals will have the clear and concise guidance they need to choose appropriate assessment tools that link to their programs, help design interventions that meet children's individual needs, and give all young children the start in life they deserve.

What's New?

  • Coverage of 31 additional assessment tools
  • More detailed rubric for 8 critical assessment standards, for more refined and specific ratings
  • Simple 5-icon rating system that lets users compare assessment tools at a glance
  • All-new reviews and ratings for every tool
  • Ratings from over 1,000 professionals to provide a substantial basis for evaluating each tool
  • More in-depth close-ups of the top 31 assessment measures
  • Examples of assessment form content
  • A featured book in our Successful Screening and Assessment Kit!

About the Authors
Foreword
Diane Bricker
Preface
Acknowledgments

I. Authentic Assessment and Early Intervention in Context

  1. Why Are Changes Needed in Early Childhood Measurement?
  2. What Is Authentic Assessment?
  3. What Are the Professional Standards for Developmentally Appropriate Assessment in Early Childhood Intervention?
  4. How Can Professionals Apply the Best Measures for Best Practices?
  5. What Are "Forecasts" of Promising Practices in Authentic Assessment?

II. Professional Standards and the Link Social Validity Study with Sophia Hubbell & Eileen McKeating

Appendix II.1. Alphabetical Listing of 87 Assessment Measures Included in the Initial Review

Appendix II.2. Combined LINK Indexes

Appendix II.3. Other Features

References

Appendixes

A. NAEYC Position Statement

B. DEC Positive Outcomes Position Statement

C. LINK Consumer Social Validity Survey Form

D. Where We Stand on Curriculum Assessment, and Program Evaluation: NAEYC and NAECS/SDE

Author Index

Subject Index

Reviews

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Reviews

: Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment - September 1, 2013
"A clear strength of the book is the wealth of information provided in a concise format about each of the 87 assessment tools reviewed and available for use by early childhood intervention professionals. The information in this book will help all professionals engaged in psychoeducational assessment to make better judgments about children’s competencies and practical recommendations about intervention strategies."
: Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities - March 1, 2013
"This is a book meant to be opened frequently, rather than read and put up on a shelf. It should be required reading for policy makers and district- and state-level personnel who select the assessments that will be utilized to determine young children's eligibility for special education services."
Nan Vendegna, Director, Results Matter - Colorado - July 12, 2010

"The vision and standard set out by LINKing Authentic Assessment and Early Intervention will positively influence providers in their day-to-day practices and will also serve as a message to the field about the continuing need for research about existing assessment instruments and ongoing development of authentic, practical measures that help us evaluate and plan for the needs of all children."

Jim Ysseldyke, Birkmaier Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota - July 12, 2010

"The traditional focus of assessment is on identification of within-child deficits, dysfuntions, disorders, or disabilities. This practice of "dising" children has led to much mismeasurement and to inappropriate assignment of children to non-evidence-based treatments or interventions that far too frequently have not worked. This book is a refreshing move away from such mismeasurement. It provides clear, coherent, practical, usable, and data-based best practices in matching early childhood assessments to instructional and behavioral interventions."

Glen Aylward, Professor, Pediatrics & Psychiatry, Director, Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics/Psychology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine - July 2, 2010

"By linking authentic assessment and intervention, the authors convincingly present the best practice of identifying where the child is at developmentally in the context of where he needs to go, steps to get there, and who is to help . . . An excellent reference standard!"

Mary McLean, Kellner Professor of Early Childhood Education Professor, Department of Exceptional Education, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - July 2, 2010

"An essential and valuable resource for all of us who must make decisions at the local, state, or national level about selecting the best possible measures for assessing young children . . . A "must have" resource that will not sit on the shelf. The authors provide a solid foundation, a ringing endorsement, and also a road map for the use of authentic, appropriate, and useful assessment for young children."

Susan Sandall, Associate Professor, Special Education, University of Washington - July 2, 2010

"A call to action to discard inappropriate and tired practices and rather, to use authentic assessment practices that give a truer and more useful representation of the child . . . Professionals will be thrilled by the assessment reviews . . . [The book] capture[s] what it takes for early childhood intervention teams to make more reasoned selections of assessment instruments for their programs and districts"

Jane Squires, Professor, College of Education, Director, Center on Human Development, Director, Early Intervention Program, University of Oregon - July 2, 2010

"Maintains the authors' high standards for thoughtful and thorough analysis of assessment practices for young children . . . include[s] invaluable information on professional standards, evidence-based practices, authentic assessments, and summaries of critical information on available curriculum based measures."

Marci Hanson, Professor, Department of Special Education, Director, SFSU Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education with UC Berkeley; San Francisco State University - July 2, 2010

"Early childhood professionals across disciplines will find this review and analysis of assessment tools highly useful in their practice."

Virginia Buysse, Senior Scientist, FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - July 2, 2010

"A reliable and exhaustive source on the developmentally appropriate alternative to testing—the why, the how, and the who of authentic assessment."

Samuel Meisels, President, Erikson Institute, Chicago, IL - July 2, 2010

"The most comprehensive account available of how authentic assessment instruments can be used in early childhood intervention. It is a terrific resource and encourages the field to adopt more meaningful ways of evaluating childhood development."

Mark Innocenti, Utah State University, Human Services Research Center, Center for Persons with Disabilities - July 2, 2010

"Concrete guidelines combined with recommendations for specific tools make the information immediately useable. This book would be excellent for preservice training and for programs seeking to improve the linkage between assessment and intervention. I strongly recommend this book."