High stakes should never be attached to observational measures used in formative evaluation of early childhood programs.¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · reviewr2·q1
Currency · newest study 2007 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q1 i? Observational measures are appropriate for formative evaluation but should not carry high stakes. → Sally Atkins-Burnett 2007
Evidence¶
Sally Atkins-Burnett 2007¶
Sally Atkins-Burnett. (2007). Measuring Children's Progress from Preschool Through Third Grade. Washington, DC: Mathematica Policy Research. https://www.mathematica.org/publications/measuring-childrens-progress-from-preschool-through-third-grade
q1 · i? · review · r2
The abstract states the author discusses observational measures "in formative evaluation efforts" with the explicit caution that "high stakes should never be attached to these measures."
"The use of these measures in formative evaluation efforts is discussed with the caution that high stakes should never be attached to these measures."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Knowledge gained by self-analysis is more likely to produce constructive change in teaching than insights given by an observer — related
- It is inappropriate to use KEA scores to evaluate teachers or preschool programs, hold children back from kindergarten, or diagnose learning disabilities — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- Narrow, skills-only KEAs can narrow the kindergarten curriculum and foster inappropriate teaching, while holistic observational assessment can drive developmentally appropriate practice — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
no-high-stakes-on-observational-measures |
title |
High stakes should never be attached to observational measures used in formative evaluation of early childhood programs. |
description |
High stakes should never be attached to observational measures used in formative evaluation of early childhood programs. |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
weak |
newest_evidence |
2007 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-08 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — sally-atkins-burnett-2007 |
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