On Sunday evening, Nancy Carlsson-Paige was the guest on the internet radio show At The Chalk Face talking about assessments, accountability, poverty, play and more. This show was in response to the recent article, Testing 3- and 4- year olds is newest front in Louisiana school accountability. Carlsson-Paige spoke with hosts Tim Skelar and Shaun Johnson, sharing her early childhood expertise and perspective on these critical issues.

During the show, Carlsson-Paige reminds us research has shown that tests on children under the age of eight are unreliable. Also, that assessments are not “inherently bad”. Rather, we need to pay attention to how and why the assessments are being used, who has control over them, whether or not the teachers have had any input on what is being used, and how the results are being used.

​”We should start our assessments with what children are interested in –  because if we actually want to get a view of what they can do and who they are we really need to tune into them – rather than make them adjust to our narrow little scripts.”

To hear the show in its entirety, click here.
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