Course Description
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) assessment tool available for use in ECE programs in CT. Students will learn about the Documentation for Observation and Teaching System (DOTS) and how to use it to support child development and learning. Students will learn about the guiding principles, the role of observation and assessment in the cycle of intentional teaching, and the structure of the tool in planning for observation and assessment of young children. (1 credit)
Prerequisite
- ECE 273: Early Learning Standards – Strategies for Use
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Charter Oak State College uses the ‘Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators’ to develop its students for work in a variety of early childhood settings. The Student Learning Outcomes listed below reflect the Professional Standards and Competencies that are focused on in this course.
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Understand that assessments (formal and informal, formative and summative) are conducted to make informed choices about instruction and for planning in early learning settings (PS&C 3a).
- Know a wide-range of types of assessments, their purposed, and their associated methods and tools (PS&C 3b).
- Use screening and assessment tools in ways that are ethically grounded and developmentally, ability, culturally, and linguistically appropriate in order to document developmental progress and promote positive outcomes for each child (PS&C 3c).
- Build assessment partnerships with families and professional colleagues (PS&C 3d).
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Discussions (Weeks 1-5) | 25% |
Assignments (Weeks 1-4) | 30% |
CT DOTS Scavenger Hunt - Quiz (Week 2) | 15% |
Final Project - Key Assessment (Week 5) | 30% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
- This course uses Open Educational Resources (OER). OER are openly licensed, educational resources that can be used for teaching, learning and research. OER may consist of a variety of resources such as textbooks, videos and software that are at little or no cost for students.
- Resources used for course:
Course Schedule
| Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1,2,3 | Topic: Introduction to the Connecticut Documentation and Observation for Teaching System (CT DOTS)
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2 | 1,2,3 | Topic: Exploring the DOTS Progressions
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3 | 1,2,3 | Topics: Observing and Documenting Children's Learning and Development
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4 | 1,2,3 | Topics: Analyzing, Summarizing, and Interpreting Documentation
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5 | 1,2,3,4 | Topics: Communicating and Partnering with Families and Other Professionals Using CT DOTS
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COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.