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Professional Standards & Competencies Resource Library
The Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators outline the essential knowledge, skills, and practices that are foundational to high-quality early childhood education. These standards define what early childhood educators should know and be able to do in order to support the learning and development of young children from birth through age 8. They serve as a guiding framework for professional development, practice, and evaluation within the field of early childhood education.
Understanding and implementing these standards is crucial for educators as they help ensure the delivery of equitable, inclusive, and high-quality education that promotes the well-being and success of all children. By adhering to these standards, educators also contribute to the profession's commitment to continuous improvement and accountability.
Please note that while the collection of resources has been organized and tagged according to the Professional Standards and Competencies, only the most applicable competencies have been prioritized for searching and tagging purposes.
For NAEYC resources in the library, you can find policies related to reproducing, distributing, or otherwise using content here. For all other resources, please follow appropriate practices for using/citing sources.
Directions for Using the Professional Standards and Competencies Resource Library
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The PS&Cs Resource Library allows you to peruse ALL of the many resources available (by default) or you can utilize the provided filter and narrow down your search to target specific resources.
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By using the filtering categories, you are able to narrow your search to particular professional standards, one or more of the 22 key competencies, various ECE topics, a variety of age ranges, specific types of resources such as articles or videos or even find resources available in languages other than English.
The robust filters even allow you to choose multiple choices across categories or within the same category to further narrow your search!
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Once you have opened the various filter categories provided in the filter tool, you will notice that “all” is highlighted and checked in each category by default. This means the filter tool will not filter out any of those options within that category. If you wish to narrow your search, you simply click on one or more of the other options within the various filtering categories. Clicking will check that option. Checked options will be utilized for your search!
To remove an option, simply click it again to remove the check from the checkbox.
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The search feature is similar to any other search engine on a website. It can be used for a specific key word or phrase. Although the search may be helpful and is provided, the more robust filter tool may ultimately be more helpful in focusing and narrowing your search for resources.
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Naturally, broken links will occur. Sometimes the resource has been moved to a new web address and other times it has been temporarily or permanently removed. We welcome you to report any broken links you find here. We will do our best to replace the link when possible or remove the resource if it is no longer available.
**As of Feb. 2025, certain webpages and resources, particularly from agencies/organizations/projects that receive federal funds, have been at least temporarily removed in order to comply with federal mandates related to the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders. We will continue to monitor these resource links and update them if and when new links are available.
Start Your Search--Resource Library
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Start Your Search--Resource Library *
Sort quickly through the hundreds of available resources by using the filter tool on the left to populate the specific resources you need!
Dual Language Learners with Disabilities Module
Dual Language Learners with Disabilities Module
This module offers an overview of young children who are dual language learners. Further, it highlights the importance of maintaining children and families’ home language at the same time they are learning a new or second language, discusses considerations for screening and assessing these children, and identifies strategies for supporting them in inclusive preschool classrooms (est. completion time: 1.5 hours).
Organization/Author: Iris Center, Vanderbilt Peabody College
Type of Resource: Module
Publication Date: Unknown
Early Care and Education Environment Indicators and Elements of High-Quality Inclusion
Early Care and Education Environment Indicators and Elements of High-Quality Inclusion
There are 4 sets of Indicators of High Quality Inclusion (state, community, local program, and environments levels). This is the set for early care and education environments.
Organization/Author: Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)
Type of Resource: Report
Publication Date: 2023
Creating Early Childhood Portfolios
Creating Early Childhood Portfolios
A blog post that outlines the importance of child portfolios, including why they are important and what to include.
Organization/Author: Procare
Type of Resource: Blog
Publication Date: 2021
Early Learning Professional Development Packages: Assessment
Early Learning Professional Development Packages: Assessment
This is a curated professional development package. The content can be used for professional learning, presentations, and coaching opportunities. Topics include using developmental screening effectively, ongoing student assessment, using anecdotal records, etc.
Organization/Author: Cultivate Learning, University of Washington
Type of Resource: Training
Publication Date: Various
Keeping Track: Gathering and Using Assessment Information to Support Children’s Learning
Keeping Track: Gathering and Using Assessment Information to Support Children’s Learning
Ongoing assessment is the process of keeping track of the child’s progress or change and determining the effectiveness of the teaching practices or other supports being implemented. For children with disabilities, more frequent and precise ongoing assessment is required to make sure that the goals and objectives are appropriate, that selected teaching practices are working, and that adjustments or modifications are made in a timely manner. Read this issue to discover resources to support ongoing assessment for children with disabilities and suspected delays.
Organization/Author: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
Type of Resource: Newsletter
Publication Date: 2021
Appropriate and Meaningful Assessment in Family-Centered Programs
Appropriate and Meaningful Assessment in Family-Centered Programs
This article discusses elements that make up continuous assessment, including ways teachers can collect, document, organize, and maintain information; the importance of reflecting on this information in collaboration with colleagues and families; and how to use this information for setting goals and planning for individual children and groups.
Organization/Author: James Elicker and Mary Benson McMullen, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: 2013
Sharing Assessment Info. w/ Families- Engaging Families with Video at Parent-Teacher Conferences; Family Engagement w/ TS GOLD; Aiden's Parent-Teacher Conference; Finley’s Parent-Teacher Conference
Engaging Families with Video at Parent-Teacher Conferences
Family Engagement With TS GOLD
Aiden's Parent-Teacher Conference
Finley’s Parent-Teacher Conference
The videos in this collection are related to sharing assessment information with families while hosting a parent/teacher or family conference.
Organization/Author: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
Type of Resource: Video Collection
Publication Date: Unknown
Ongoing Child Assessment
This site features a variety of resources to support ongoing child assessment, including archived webinars on preparing for assessment, collecting and using information, interpreting information, and strengthening your program. Related resources at the site include tips, tools, and resources for teachers and supervisors.
Organization/Author: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
Type of Resource: Training
Publication Date: 2022
Ongoing Child Assessment: Overview
Ongoing Child Assessment: Overview
Check out this 15-minute In-service Suite about ongoing child assessment. Trainers can review the presentation notes and slides to guide participants in the learning activities around gathering child assessment information and using data to support children, especially those with disabilities, and their families.
Organization/Author: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
Type of Resource: Training
Publication Date: 2024
Ongoing Child Assessment to Support Learning
Ongoing Child Assessment to Support Learning
In this module, explore the ongoing child assessment process and its components: ongoing assessment cycle, observation and documentation, engaging families, and additional assessment considerations. It covers the basics of the assessment process, strategies to make the most of assessment to support learning, and some key considerations for planning and carrying out effective assessment, observation, and documentation. This module was developed for a variety of audiences, including education staff who work in preschool, infant/toddler, and home-based programs, as well as those who work in family child care. At the end of the module, users will be able to describe the basics of ongoing assessment and the strategies for effective implementation.
Organization/Author: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
Type of Resource: Module
Publication Date: 2020
Rocking and Rolling: Bringing Observation and Documentation to Life in Infant and Toddler Settings
Rocking and Rolling: Bringing Observation and Documentation to Life in Infant and Toddler Settings
This article discusses meaningful assessment in infant and toddler settings. The role of reflection, context, planning, screenings, formal assessments, and sharing assessment information with families are discussed.
Organization/Author: Rebecca Parlakian, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: 2023
ECTA Practice Improvement Tools: Assessment
ECTA Practice Improvement Tools: Assessment
This is a set of tools that includes family checklists, family practice guides for practitioners, and family practice guides for families. They are aligned with DEC Recommended Practices.
Organization/Author: Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)
Type of Resource: Toolkits
Publication Date: 2018
Family Engagement and Ongoing Child Assessment
Family Engagement and Ongoing Child Assessment
This guide may be used to explore strategies for sharing child assessment information with families and early childhood programs. It can help to find ways for programs to partner with families to support children's learning and to enhance relationships between staff and families.
Organization/Author: ECLKC
Type of Resource: Toolkit
Publication Date: 2011
Dual Language Learners: Screening and Assessing Young Children
Dual Language Learners: Screening and Assessing Young Children
This 30-minute activity features a video and discussion questions that align with DEC Recommended Practices for Assessment.
Organization/Author: Iris Center
Type of Resource: Toolkit
Publication Date: Unknown
DEC Recommended Practices Module: Assessment
DEC Recommended Practices Module: Assessment
Completion of this module will enable you to: 1) explain what assessment practices are, and describe how they support children’s short-term and long-term goals; and 2) describe key assessment principles to make optimal data-driven decisions related to intervention practices. The module introduces and illustrates the practices grouped in the assessment topic area in the DEC Recommended Practices. The DEC Recommended Practices were developed to provide guidance about the most effective ways to improve the learning outcomes and promote the development of young children, birth through five years of age, who have or are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities.
Organization/Author: Early Childhood Recommended Practices Module
Type of Resource: Module
Publication Date: Unknown
Authentic Assessment in Early Intervention (0-3)
Authentic Assessment in Early Intervention (0-3)
This module provides an overview of authentic assessment in early intervention including what it is and why it is important. Individuals who complete this module will have an understanding of who participates in authentic assessment, where it may happen, when it can be done, and within what early intervention processes it can occur. The module includes links to a variety of tools and resources.
Organization/Author: Universal Online Part C EI Curriculum
Type of Resource: Module
Publication Date: 2020
Authentic Assessment in Early Intervention (0-3)
Authentic Assessment in Early Intervention (0-3)
Physical therapist Megan Klish Fibbe describes and illustrates how authentic assessment practices enhance her early intervention work with children and their families, including the use of observation, conversations with families, and video.
Organization/Author: Results Matter Video Library, Colorado Department of Education
Type of Resource: video
Publication Date: unknown
NAEYC’s Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) Position Statement- Focus: Observing, Documenting & Assessing
NAEYC’s Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) Position Statement
Observing, Documenting, and Assessing Children’s Development and Learning
This section of NAEYC’s DAP Position Statement outlines seven recommended practices for observation, documentation, and assessment that are developmentally appropriate for children from birth through the primary grades.
Organization/Author: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Type of Resource: Position Statement
Publication Date: 2020
NAEYC’s Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education Position Statement- Focus: Observation, Documentation & Assessment
NAEYC’s Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education Position Statement
Recommendations for Early Childhood Educators: Observe, Document, and Assess Children’s Learning and Development
The Recommendations for Early Childhood Educators section of this Position Statement includes three practices related to observation, documentation, and assessment of children’s learning and development.
Organization/Author: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Type of Resource: Position Statement
Publication Date: 2019
OER Textbook: Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood Education
OER Textbook: Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood Education
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that you may freely use and reuse at no cost, and without needing to ask permission.
This OER textbook includes chapters about the following topics:
Observation and Documentation: The Key to Intentional Teaching
Quality Counts
Using Observation Methods, Tools and Techniques to Gather Evidence
The Purpose, Process and Practice of Monitoring, Screening and Evaluating
How to Plan Effective and Meaningful Curriculum
Using Documentation and Assessment to Communicate with Families
Click here to learn more about the OER Collection from College of the Canyons.
Organization/Author: Gina Peterson and Emily Elam, College of the Canyons OER Collection
Type of Resource: Book Chapter, Open Educational Resource (OER)
Publication Date: 2018
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