Abstract

The measurement tools and procedures used for assessment should be able to accurately measure child development. Unfortunately, mismeasurement occurs frequently, which misrepresents children’s development and growth. Mismeasurement has significant consequences for children and their families. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the perspectives of professionals who assess young children. To better understand assessment practices from diverse perspectives, seven disciplinary-specific expert focus groups were conducted to gather evidence from the field. There were over forty participants in this pilot study of professional perceptions of authentic assessment in early childhood education. Use of national and international expert panel focus groups comprised early childhood educators/early intervention/early childhood special educators, speech/language specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, university faculty representatives, and international professionals. The primary question centered on “What does authentic assessment look like across disciplines?” Each discipline held its own expert panel focus group via Zoom, in which they collected information and engaged in discussions and debates using nominal group techniques for consensus decision-making. Findings of this qualitative study suggest that there are limitations with pre-service training for authentic assessment practices. Implications for practices are described.