“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Assessment and planning cycle.
Element 1.3.1: Each child’s learning and development is assessed or evaluated as part of an ongoing cycle of observation, analysing learning, documentation, planning, implementation and reflection.
How does your service effectively embed the quality practices associated with Element 1.3.1, the ongoing cycle of observation, analysis, documentation, planning, implementation, and reflection, to intentionally scaffold each child’s unique learning and development, while fostering their wellbeing?
The assessment and planning cycle is the strategic, five step process that educators follow to plan and implement the educational curriculum and routines that are responsive to children’s needs, scaffolds their learning and foster their wellbeing. When planning, educators embrace the full assessment and planning cycle, recognising that while documentation is just one part of the process, it should also occur at all five stages of the planning cycle.
The focus should be on observing/collecting and analysing information that is:
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- rich and meaningful, and not simply a description of what children are doing
- relevant to individual children, while capturing their identity, culture and what they are investigating and exploring
- focused on achievements and children’s strengths, what children know, can do and understand.
The development and implementation of the educational program requires educators and Educational Leaders to adopt a strategic and reflective approach, taking into account the individual needs of each child. This process involves the implementation of five interconnected stages, each building on the last to create a dynamic, child-centred curriculum:
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- Observing children and gathering meaningful information about children’s current knowledge, strengths, interests, identity and culture to assess their learning and progress. Educators should use a variety of methods to observe and gather information (e.g., photos, learning stories, journals, group observations, artworks, anecdotal notes etc.), and observations should capture not just what children do but who they are, their identity, culture, and relationships.
- Assessing and interpreting this information, identifying children’s strengths and developmental needs, linking to the learning outcomes of the Approved Learning Frameworks and pedagogical theorists, setting goals for individual and group learning to scaffold children’s learning and development.
- Planning for further learning, based on analysis, setting clear goals and designing experiences, interactions, and environments that extend children’s abilities. This includes scaffolding learning through intentional teaching and incorporating children’s voices and family contributions.
- Implementing the plans into action with responsive strategies, such as open-ended questioning or shared problem-solving, to engage children actively in their learning.
- Evaluating the planning cycle, critically reflecting on the effectiveness and relevance of the documentation gathered, analysis, planning and the adopted teaching strategies and how they can be improved. Educators consider what worked well and what improvements can be made for future planning and include children’s voice in these reflections. There is a clear link between the stages of the planning cycle and follow up planning for individual and group developmental goals.
- Throughout the process educators engage with the principles, practices and outcomes of Approved Learning Frameworks, critically reflecting on children’s learning and development in a collaborative way with colleagues to affirm and challenge practices to enhance learning outcomes for children.
School age care:
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- Evaluations of each child’s wellbeing, development and learning continue to be required for school age children educated and cared for by services in the ACT. The evaluation should be proportionate to the amount of time the child attends the service, and the complexity of their individual needs.
- All other states are required to document evidence about the development of the educational program.
- Services with a mix of school age children and children preschool age or under are still required to document individual child assessments for children preschool age or under.
Resources:
QA1- Unpacking the planning cycle
Educational program documentation for educators and teachers
Early Childhood- Educational Program Documentation for Approved Providers
Reviewing Practice Reflection Tool
OSHC:
Educational Program Documentation for Educators; School Age Care
School Age Care- Educational Program Documentation for Approved Providers
NQF Review Information Sheet: Documenting Programs for School Age Care Services
My Time our Place- Planning Cycle
Within System7 go to Quality Area 1/Modules 7 & 12 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with assessment and planning cycle. These include Assessment and Planning Cycle Guide and Procedure, Assessment and Planning Cycle Audit, Critical Reflection template, Observation templates, Program template, Assessment of Learning Summary and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Compliance/ Educational Program and Practice
National Quality Standard – QA 1/ 1.3.1- Assessment and planning cycle
National Regulations – Part 4.1 Educational Program and Practice, Documenting of child assessments or evaluations for delivery of educational program for children over preschool age: NSW 274A, SA 325B, TAS 345A, VIC 359A, WA 373A, NT 289A, QLD 298A
System7 Module – QA 1/ Modules 7 & 12
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