Assessment is an integral part of any high quality early childhood environment. There are many methods for assessing children's development to ensure that they are ready for Kindergarten.

Authentic assessment is the process of on-going observation in the context of everyday classroom environments. Teachers make notes throughout the day when they see children display various skills while participating in daily classroom activities. Using authentic assessment techniques, children are not put in a testing situation, rather, teachers document relevant observations in the form of ‘anecdotes' for use later on a developmental checklist.

The Institute is currently working with a number of early childhood agencies across Denver to effectively use authentic assessment in their classrooms through the School Readiness project. We provide training to staff on integrating observation and anecdotes writing to document what they see into their daily practice. They are also trained in the mechanics of using the assessment tools, and using reports to inform curriculum development. The Institute also provides database maintenance, data management and entry, and reporting services to current and former School Readiness sites.