Issues associated with creating standards or expectations for young children's learning (birth through 8), and with the assessment of that learning, are receiving unprecedented attention at all levels. Along with this new attention have come new terms for describing aspects of early learning standards and assessment. At times, early childhood educators, psychologists, assessment specialists, and others seem to speak different languages. Terms common in K-12 education may be unfamiliar in preschool settings; the same words may take on very different meanings in early childhood special education than they have in "general" early childhood education.

As federal and state policies about standards and assessment for young children assume increased prominence, it seems important to create a common language about early learning standards and assessment, linked to the language used with respect to the education of older children and yet capturing relevant differences in how these constructs are conceptualized and defined for young children's lives. In addition, many early childhood stakeholders are concerned about assessments that reflect a limited understanding of the special considerations that must be taken into account to assure that young children will benefit and the assessment processes and procedures will do them no harm.

To meet these multiple needs, representatives of several groups¹ have created this web-based glossary. It is intended to serve the needs of teachers, administrators, programs, and organizations in the array of programs and services that serve the learning and developmental needs of America's young children. The developers hope that the Early Childhood Standards and Assessment Glossary will help to

• clarify the language we use with one other about standards and assessment, especially as these terms apply to young children
• clarify public discourse around these issues with those outside the field
• assist the early childhood field to think more clearly about the complex issues with which it is grappling
• create a "living" document--a dynamic presentation that can inform and engage early childhood professionals and others in thinking about the language and complexities of standards and assessment

Quite deliberately, this glossary does not contain test and measurement and statistical terms (e.g., valid, reliable, norm, standard score), which have standard and widely accepted meanings. These definitions may be found in Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing published jointly by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) (http://www.aera.net/products/standards.htm). Likewise, this glossary does not provide information on specific test instruments. Comprehensive sources for this information are the APA Testing Information Clearinghouse (http://www.apa.org/science/testclearinghs.html) and the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements (http://www.unl.edu/buros/index.html).

The Early Childhood Education Standards and Assessment Glossary is easy to use. Simply go to the Glossary Terms page and click on the word(s) that interest you. If you don't find a term that you are looking for, please click here to suggest the term to us. We will consider your ideas for future additions.

¹This glossary is part of an ongoing, collaborative effort conducted by individuals from the following organizations and institutions: Action Strategies; Center for Children and Families, Teachers College, Columbia University; Early Childhood Education Assessment SCASS of the Council of Chief State School Officers; ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education; National Association for the Education of Young Children; National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education; National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER); and, the Regional Educational Laboratory at SERVE. The definitions and related comments within reflect that collaboration and not the collective endorsement of the respective organizations and institutions.

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