Assessment tools are critical to all education. Proper assessment "dances" with instruction: pre-assessment guides instruction; reassessment adjusts instruction; and continous assessment leads to continous adjustments (or evolving) instruction . While most have assessment tools in place, here are a few to broaden your scope and knowledge of what is out there and how they differ.

Infant-Toddler Child Observation Record (COR) / Preschool Child Observation Record (COR)
"COR focuses on the broad cognitive, social-emotional, and physical abilities that are nurtured in developmentally appropriate educational programs. The patterns revealed through COR observations can help teachers and administrators determine how best to strengthen the program to meet each child's developmental needs, as well as those of the group as a whole."

Early Childhood and Literacy Assessment
Michigan has an excellent foundation and momentum to improve literacy instruction for our youngest learners. But at the same time, collectively we need to give more deliberate and informed attention to the role assessment can and should play in supporting literacy.

Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Infant and Toddler Programs
In this document, the Michigan State Board of Education mandates "five strands that frame reasonable outcomes for the development and learning of infants and toddlers, as well as high-quality program standards which detail how responsive caregiving can support infants' and toddlers' healthy growth and development."

Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Prekindergarten (ECSQ-PK)
"Michigan's ECSQ-PK is intended to help early childhood programs provide high-quality classroom settings and to respond to the diversity of children and families. The child outcome standards are aligned with the Michigan's expectations for children's learning in kindergarten and the primary grades in all domains and content areas.""

Preschool Program Quality Assessment (PQA)
"The Preschool Program Quality Assessment (PQA) is a program evaluation tool developed by the HighScope Educational Research Foundation©, based on Michigan's Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Prekindergarten. Findings show that the practices assessed in the PQA, regardless of the curriculum or program in which they are used, are positively and significantly associated with children's development."

Teaching Strategies
Teaching Strategies and Teaching Strategies Gold use "authentic, ongoing assessment of children in any early childhood program-supporting infants, toddlers and twos; preschool; and kindergarten." It is "based on the latest research that is proven valid and reliable, and fully aligns with the Common Core State Standards, state early learning guidelines, and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework."