Early Childhood Assessment System
(ECAS)

The Early Childhood Assessment System (ECAS) is a computer-based system designed to provide a comprehensive measure of growth and development for children enrolled in Early Childhood education programs. Teachers observe children, rate performance on skills, and enter electronic documentation to support the ratings. ECAS is an extension of the Indiana Assessment System of Educational Proficiencies (IASEP), the alternate assessment system developed by the Indiana Department of Education Division of Exceptional Learners and the Purdue University School of Education. Stakeholders in Early Childhood education recognized the potential for using IASEP's broad-based model to measure the educational progress of young learners.

ECAS is based on the belief that all children have value, can learn with appropriate supports, and can be expected to make measurable gains. Teachers observe children in the classroom and seek information from other sources on the children's performance of skills. They rate performance using a descriptive rubric that includes the terms "Achieved," "Progressing," "Emerging," and "Introduced." Ratings reflect levels of skill performance with regard to frequency or amount, amount of support, quality of performance, and generalizability across environments. Teachers create and enter electronic evidence in the form of audio clips, video clips, digital images, and text entries to support their ratings.

Skills related to the Indiana Academic Standards for kindergarten through third grade and skills selected from Early Childhood assessment instruments have been incorporated into the system. They include both academic and life skills considered critical to independent living and learning. Skills are organized under five domains: Cognitive, Communication, Social, Self-Help, and Sensory Motor. Teachers rate performance on 10 core skills in each domain. They may also rate approximately 300 extended skills. Early Childhood Foundations developed by a Department of Education task force are included in the system.

ECAS allows teachers to update ratings on an ongoing basis and archive them for snapshots of skill performance at given points in time. Teachers can print reports for parents that list skills and skill ratings and bar graphs that show levels of performance on core skills in each domain. Parents can view electronic evidence of skill performance from the portfolio component.