age equivalent: An age equivalent refers to a score derived by determining the average raw score obtained on a test taken by children of various ages. For example, if the average score on a test for a 3-year-old is 12 of 25, any child receiving a 12 on the same test would receive an age-equivalent score of 3. Individual test items may also be associated with an age equivalent based on the same logic. Whereas most traditional standardized norm-referenced tests, and even some criterion-referenced assessments, provide users with age-equivalent scores, there are a number of inherent problems with the practice. First, for many tests the age associated with a given item is not determined empirically; rather, the item is assigned an age based on how ages are assigned in other tests or generally agreed on developmental milestones. Second, age-equivalent scores do not inform teams as to a child’s strengths, emerging skills, or needs, which is the charge of a team. Third, having chronological ages assigned to items may lead interventionists and caregivers to select intervention targets based on the age level of an item rather than selecting items that address children’s individual developmental needs. Therefore, in making AEPS useful for determining or corroborating a child’s eligibility for services, the AEPS developers elected not to assign age equivalencies to AEPS Test items. Rather, they developed empirically derived cutoff scores based on the performances of typically developing children that can be compared to a child’s AEPS Test raw scores.

assessment activities: The assessment activities included with AEPSi are sets of seven to eight semi-structured routines and activities that cover all of the AEPS Test items once and only once per set. The semi-structured assessment activities assist providers and teams in embedding AEPS Test items into commonly occurring home and classroom activities and in using observation as their primary method of gathering information about a child. Assessment activity recording forms for use with up to six children at a time and instructions for using and adapting each activity are included in AEPSi.

authentic assessment: Authentic assessment is a method of assessing a child’s skills and behaviors that relies on observations of the child in natural learning environments (e.g., home, classroom) during everyday activities (e.g., play, mealtime) rather than in a contrived arrangement in an unfamiliar testing room. AEPS is an authentic assessment.

Child Observation Data Recording Form (CODRF): The CODRF is the form used for collecting and recording observations during an assessment with the AEPS Test. The form provides space for recording the scores, scoring notes, and comments for each item of the AEPS Test. Whenever you start a new assessment in AEPSi, the system will automatically generate an electronic version of the CODRF for you to use to input your assessment data. (Customizable, printable versions of the CODRF are also available to aid in your “offline” observations of children.) Once you complete and finalize a child’s CODRF, numerous reports are available for the child.

Child Progress Record: The Child Progress Record is a graphical version of all of the items on the AEPS Test and is designed to enable team members to create for the child’s family a “picture” of a child’s progress and how close the child is to reaching his or her goals. Each of the goals and objectives on the AEPS Test is listed hierarchally on the Child Progress Record by developmental area and strand. As a child meets the criteria for a goal or objective, that goal or objective is shaded in to indicate the child’s progress. The record is designed to show a child’s progress over time and is very popular with caregivers. AEPSi automatically generates the Child Progress Record in PDF format, which can then be printed and shared.

chronological age: A child’s chronological age is the child’s actual age (often expressed in years, months, and days or simply months) as calculated from his or her date of birth. For the purposes of AEPS, chronological age should be determined by subtracting the child’s date of birth from the test date and converting to months. For example, if a child was born in January 2005, and the current month is April 2006, she would be 15 months old (i.e., she was 12 months old in January 2006, plus 3 months until April 2006 = 15 months). Calculating chronological age correctly is critical when comparing a child’s AEPS Test raw scores to eligibility cutoff scores and/or same-age-peer benchmarks for OSEP reporting purposes; the cutoff scores and benchmarks occur at 3- and 6-month age intervals, and the appropriate ones must be selected for each child. (Note: AEPSi automatically calculates a child’s chronological age based on the date of birth in the child’s profile. AEPSi also automatically selects the appropriate eligibility cutoff scores and same-age-peer benchmarks.)

criterion-referenced assessment: Criterion-referenced assessments measure a child’s performance relative to a stated standard and evaluate a child’s attainment of developmental objectives. (In contrast, norm-referenced assessments measure a child’s performance against the performance of the normative group [i.e., children of the same age].) In a criterion-referenced assessment, each test item is accompanied by performance criteria or parameters. The professional should use the criteria as the standard for scoring the child’s response. Unlike norm-referenced tests, criterion-referenced assessments such as AEPS yield data that is useful for IFSP/IEP goal development and individualized intervention programming.

crosswalk: The term crosswalk in early childhood generally refers to an item-by-item correlation of a specific system’s assessment and/or curricular items to a pre-defined set of objectives or standards. The AEPS Test and Curriculum have been “crosswalked” with OSEP Child Outcomes (see below) and several states’ early learning standards. To download any of these crosswalks, visit the My Toolkit section of AEPSi.

curriculum-based assessment: Curriculum-based assessment is a form of criterion-referenced assessment (see above) in which curricular objectives serve as the standards or criteria on which a child’s performance is measured. The results of curriculum-based assessments can be linked directly to intervention content based on the child’s needs. Some curriculum-based assessments are curriculum compatible in that the results can be used to inform intervention programming but the assessment has no accompanying curriculum; other curriculum-based assessments such as AEPS are curriculum embedded, meaning that the assessment has a one-to-one correspondence with an accompanying curriculum designed to precisely pinpoint interventions based on the child’s assessment results.

cutoff scores: For the purposes of AEPS, the term cutoff scores refers to a set of established, empirically validated scores with which a child’s AEPS Test raw goal scores may be compared to enable providers to determine whether a child is typically developing or has a delay, and hence whether the child is eligible for government-funded early intervention or early childhood special education services. AEPSi’s Eligibility Cutoff Scores report automatically selects the appropriate cutoff scores for each child based on the child’s age and provides guidance on using the results for eligibility decisions in your state.

developmentally appropriate: Learning activities and assessment items are said to be developmentally appropriate for children when they are functional and authentic and focus on real-life skills needed in the child’s daily activities. Learning should be meaningful for the individual child, and professionals should use practices that reflect both the age and individual needs of the child.

ECO Summary Form: The Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center is project funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to assist states in meeting new federal mandates that require states to report how children from birth to age five receiving early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services are performing across three broad OSEP-defined child outcomes (see OSEP Child Outcomes below). ECO has created a Child Outcome Summary Form (COSF), which is a 7-point scale for summarizing a child’s progress on the three OSEP Child Outcomes and may be used by states when submitting child progress reports to OSEP. Child progress data will need to be submitted to OSEP for the first time in February 2008. (Baseline data must be reported for the first time in February 2007.)  AEPSi will provide guidance on translating AEPS Test results to the COSF well in advance of the progress reporting deadline.

empirically validated: Data compiled from a study originating in or based on observation or experience (rather than on theory or testimonials) are considered to be empirically validated. Empirical studies typically include controlled methodologies and offer stronger evidence of a test or intervention’s effectiveness than those that are not empirical.

face validity: Face validity refers to a subjective impression, generally by a subject matter expert, that a test, instrument, or correlation strongly appears to measure what it claims to measure.

Family Report: The Family Report enables professionals who use AEPS to elicit critical information and observations from a child’s family and caregivers about the child’s skills and abilities across the six major areas of development assessed by the AEPS Test. In addition to obtaining the family’s perspective on the child’s development, the Family Report also elicits the family’s priorities and concerns, assists them in gaining insights into the child’s abilities, and, if applicable, helps them participate the development of their child’s IFSP/IEP. The report may be completed by the family or may be completed by team members in collaboration with the family. AEPSi features an electronic version of the Family Report. In future releases of AEPSi, caregivers will be able to complete the Family Report online.

fidelity: The term fidelity refers to the degree to which providers use a tool such as AEPS in the authentic ways in which it was designed to be used to observe a child and gather assessment data across a range of settings, by multiple team members, and with a variety of materials. High fidelity to the intent and recommended procedures and practices for using AEPS as outlined in the AEPS Administration Guide leads to better results with AEPS.

group assessment: In AEPS, group assessment refers to the ability to observe and assess up to six children simultaneously with the AEPS Test, which can be done most efficiently using the new sets of assessment activities (see above) that are available in AEPSi. The assessment activities enable providers to observe all of the items on the AEPS Test with just seven or eight activities. The activities are semi-structured and can be embedded easily in commonly occurring home and classroom activities, depending on the set selected. Being able to assess several children across multiple areas of development saves time and allows teams to observe trends and patterns among children, as well as observe firsthand the interrelated nature of child development.

intervention: Intervention is the process of using planned strategies and everyday activities and arranging and individualizing the physical and social environment to produce the desired growth and development in a child. Children may have formal intervention plans in the form of an individualized family service plan (IFSP) or individualized education program (IEP). The AEPS Test links directly to the AEPS Curriculum, which contains hundreds of intervention activities for children from birth to 6 years old.

norm-referenced assessment: In norm-referenced assessments, a child’s performance is compared with a larger group. Usually the larger group or “normative group” is a national sample representing a wide and diverse cross-section of children. The purpose of a norm-referenced assessment is usually to “sort” children by functional age and development and not to measure achievement toward some criterion of performance. Hence, norm-referenced tests do not yield information that is useful for planning interventions or creating a comprehensive profile of a child’s development. AEPS is not a norm-referenced test.

OSEP Child Outcomes: In July 2005, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the federal office responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), set forth new mandates regarding state accountability reporting. The federal mandates in part require states to report how children from birth to age five receiving early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services are performing across three broad child outcomes as defined by OSEP: 1) positive socio-emotional skills, including social relationships; 2) acquisition and use of knowledge and skills; and 3) use of appropriate behaviors to meet needs. States are required to assess children on these three outcomes near entry into EI and entry into ECSE services as well as near exit from the program.

OSEP Indicators: In July 2005, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the federal office responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), set forth new mandates regarding state accountability reporting. States are required to meet and report on several performance measures (referred to by OSEP as indicators) each year for government-funded early intervention (Part C, see below) and early childhood special education (Part B, Section 619, see below) programs. OSEP Indicator #3 (Part C) and Indicator #7 (Part B, Section 619) outline the three OSEP Child Outcomes (see above) that can be measured by early childhood assessment tools such as AEPS.

Part B, Section 619: Part B, Section 619, of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), the Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities Program, is a federal grant program that assists states in operating a comprehensive statewide program of early childhood special education services for young children, from ages three to five, and their families.

Part C: Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), the Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities, is a federal grant program that assists states in operating a comprehensive statewide program of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities, from birth until their third birthday, and their families.

percentile: A percentile is a value on a scale of 1 to 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it. In AEPSi, AEPS Test area and total raw scores are automatically converted to percent scores and graphed over time. Please note that AEPS raw and percent scores are not age equivalents (see above), nor do they reflect any type of standardized score.

present level of functioning: Also referred to as present level of performance, present level of functioning refers to a statement that is part of the individualized family service plan (IFSP) and individualized education program (IEP) that describes the child’s strengths, needs, and present and emerging skills as identified through assessments, observations, and caregiver input. AEPSi automatically generates a Present Level of Functioning report that can aid professionals in developing this statement.

raw scores: In AEPS, the raw score is a numerical summary of all of the AEPS Test items for which a child has received 2s and 1s. AEPSi calculates raw scores for each of the six developmental areas of the AEPS Test, and a total raw score is computed by counting all of the items scored with 2s and 1s across all six developmental areas. A child’s area and total raw scores may be viewed on the automatically generated Score Summary report.

reliability: Reliability refers to the extent to which an experiment, test, or measuring procedure yields the same results on repeated trials. In order to be considered reliable, an assessment should yield similar results across multiple, independent testers (inter-rater reliability) and on multiple administrations of the test by the same tester (test–retest reliability).

roll-up reports: In AEPSi, “roll-up” reports refer to aggregate reports across multiple programs. To achieve cost savings and facilitate data management and reporting, programs in the same locality, district, or state can link their subscription accounts and make their data available to the larger entity. For example, local preschools across a state may elect to purchase subscriptions to AEPSi at a special rate negotiated by state-level personnel. In this case, state-level personnel would have access to aggregate data in the form of roll-up reports across the local preschools.

screening: Screening refers to a quick assessment of a child for the purposes of determining whether the child may have a developmental delay or disability and requires a more comprehensive diagnostic evaluation. AEPS is not intended to be used as a screening tool.

standardized tests: Usually created by commercial test publishers, standardized tests are designed to provide a common measure of children’s performance, administered under structured conditions, and given the same way each time to each child. Standardzed test are intended to yield a common “yardstick” or standard of measure. Standardized tests are generally inappropriate for children with delays or disabilities and other children who cannot be accommodated as a result of the strict testing procedures. AEPS is not a standardized test.

test period: In AEPS, test period refers to the period of time between starting and completing and finalizing a single AEPS Test for a child. If you assess a child with the AEPS Test four times during one year, four test periods will be recorded for that child.

validity: Validity refers to the degree to which an instrument measures what it claims to measure. For example, to be considered valid, an assessment intended to measure a child’s language development should consist of test items that have been demonstrated to accurately measure language development.

webcast: A webcast is a broadcast of sound and images such as of a live or recorded event via the web. In AEPSi, tutorials and other web-based training are offered via webcast.