Standard 4: NAEYC Accreditation Criteria for Assessment of Child Progress

The following chart presents the accreditation criteria for this topic area. Each criterion provides specific details to guide program plans, policies and practices. The criteria are numbered (01, 02, 03, etc.) within their topic area. Each criterion within each program standard is identified by its relevant age group (or groups). Many criteria are identified as "universal" (U), meaning that all classrooms and programs pursuing NAEYC Accreditation must address these criteria. These aspects of quality should be seen in any programs or classrooms serving birth through kindergarten, though they may look somewhat different in practice depending on the children's age.

Age Groups:
U = universal
I = infant
T = toddlers/twos
P = preschool
K = kindergarten

4.D.
Adapting Curriculum, Individualizing Teaching, and Informing Program Development

4.D.01
U   I   T   P   K
Teachers or others who know the children and are able to observe their strengths, interests, and needs on an ongoing basis conduct assessments to inform classroom instruction and to make sound decisions about individual and group curriculum content, teaching approaches, and personal interactions.

4.D.02
U   I   T   P   K
Teaching teams meet at least weekly to interpret and use assessment results to align curriculum and teaching practices to the interests and needs of the children. (This criterion is an Emerging Practice.)

4.D.03
U   I   T   P   K
Teachers interact with children to assess their strengths and needs to inform curriculum development and individualize teaching.

4.D.04
U   I   T   P   K
Teachers and other professionals associated with the program use assessment methods and information to design goals for individual children as well as to guide curriculum planning and monitor progress.

4.D.05
I
Teachers talk and interact with infants to assess and encourage use of language (e.g., smiles, sounds, eye contact, and cooing).

4.D.06
I
Teachers observe infants to assess development and use these observations to modify the curriculum, interactions, and care.

4.D.07
T   P   K
Teachers talk and interact with individual children and encourage their use of language to inform assessment of children's strengths, interests, and needs.

4.D.08
T   P   K
Teachers observe and document children's work, play, behaviors, and interactions to assess progress. They use the information gathered to plan and modify the curriculum and their teaching.