"Teachers compile and summarize classroom data to integrate and distill information from different sources, contexts, and methods, reduce it to a manageable size; and keep past assessments accessible for continued analysis and interpretation" (McAfee & Leong, 2011, p. 96). Portfolios represent one common strategy for achieving these goals. Review pages 96-99 and 104 of Assessing and Guiding Young Children's Development and Learning. Explain the role portfolios play in an effective assessment system.

"Without reflection, assessment, and consequently instruction, assessment may not be linked to meeting children's needs" (McAfee & Leong, 2011, p. 110). The process of compiling and summarizing data through group and individual profiles and summaries can serve as an important tool to enhance your understanding of children's development and learning. Select either group or individual profiles, and based on the information presented on pages 110-117 of your course text, provide a definition of the profile that you selected, describe the content that you would include in your profile, explain how you would organize the content, and then summarize how you would use the information to help you reflect on children's development and learning.

Assessment needs to be "reliable, valid, fair, and adequate" (McAfee & Leong, 2011, p. 122). Review the safeguards essential to maintaining the quality and trustworthiness of data (pp. 122-1 23). Then consider Figure 7.2 on page 129, which provides an appraisal of a group's status and progress in fine-motor development. How effectively does the information included in Figure 7.2 meet the identified safeguards? What additional information, if any, would contribute to knowledge of an individual child's fine motor development?