The DAFFODIL project wants to improve the inclusive educational opportunities of children with learning impairment or functional difficulties, by focusing on assessment & coaching.
Dynamic Assessment of Functioning and Oriented at Development and Inclusive Learning
Despite international developments towards inclusion (UN 2006 Convention on the Rights of People with Disability; the World Health Organisation’ ICF seeing disability as mainly a result of social barriers; UNESCO; European governments having recognized the need to make education more accessible to children with learning & functional impairments) in practice, many children are excluded and deprived of adequate education because of an impairment and functional difficulties. There is not enough support, teachers lack knowledge how to do it, and assessment systems are obsolete (too static, too much blaming the child; too much deficiency oriented). Assessment reports are rarely suitable for inclusive teaching. The OECD recognizes a European-wide problem with educationally underachieving children. Special needs are on the increase. Particularly children from ethnic minorities or socio-economical less favourable circumstances are at risk.
The present project focuses on assessment & coaching: assessing the child’s functioning in a dynamic way, while at the same time assessing and coaching the school towards accommodating and teaching all children, including the ones with difficulties. It wants to make some links between three major assessment systems – which operate with their specific conceptual systems - dealing with the impaired child: the â€smedical modelâ€t, the â€sschool modelâ€t and the â€sschool psychologist diagnostic centreâ€t.
» ObjectivesDevelop and try out a universally applicable model for functional and dynamic assessment and coaching of children with special educational needs and their environments (schools, families) leading to a more adequate individual educational programming (IEP) which can be used to facilitate their development and participation in inclusive education.
Develop and try out a coaching system â€sfrom assessment to practiceâ€t, whereby the child as well as its context are the focus of intervention
» Target GroupChildren and youth experiencing barriers of learning;
Teachers and professionals dealing with assessment & counseling
» MotivationDespite international developments towards inclusion (UN 2006 Convention on the Rights of People with Disability; the World Health Organisation’ ICF seeing disability as mainly a result of social barriers; UNESCO; European governments having recognized the need to make education more accessible to children with learning & functional impairments) in practice, many children are excluded and deprived of adequate education because of an impairment and functional difficulties. There is not enough support, teachers lack knowledge how to do it, and assessment systems are obsolete (too static, too much blaming the child; too much deficiency oriented). Assessment reports are rarely suitable for inclusive teaching. The OECD recognizes a European-wide problem with educationally underachieving children. Special needs are on the increase. Particularly children from ethnic minorities or socio-economical less favourable circumstances are at risk.
The present project focuses on assessment & coaching: assessing the child’s functioning in a dynamic way, while at the same time assessing and coaching the school towards accommodating and teaching all children, including the ones with difficulties. It wants to make some links between three major assessment systems – which operate with their specific conceptual systems - dealing with the impaired child: the â€smedical modelâ€t, the â€sschool modelâ€t and the â€sschool psychologist diagnostic centreâ€t.
» Key Activities 1. Collect and exchange information regarding best practices of dynamic and functional assessment and consultative models regarding inclusive learning. Start-up seminar Antwerp, BE 28-30/11/2008; 2. Summer School on Cognitive Enrichment & Dynamic Assessment of Learning Potential, in collaboration with the International Centre for the Enhancement of Learning Potential (dir. Prof. Feuerstein, Jerusalem), a Comenius 2.2 course , 5-17th July 2009, Torino (IT) 3. Summer Conference Cluj , RO 10-13/09/2009: Current Assessment of Pupil’s Functioning in Europe 4. Autumn Conference Szeged, HU, 30th November 2009-2nd December 2009, Good Practices of Dynamic, Inclusive & Functional Assessment of Pupils 5. Winter conference 3-5 February 2010, Ostersund, SE: â€sAssessing the inclusiveness of schools; a consultative modelâ€t 6. Do a field test of a pilot version of the model in each of the participating countries 7. Do a field test of a common training 8. Summer school, Evora, PT, 6-11th September 2010, on the subject of dynamic, functional, contextual & inclusive assessment, » Expected Outcomes 1. a book and DVD describing a model of dynamic, functional, contextual & inclusive assessment 2. a series of articles, in a scientific and in a practitioners’ journal 3. a model of a training course 4. a model of good practice of assessment » Daffodil Project Workplan DaffodilWorkplanRevised.pdf
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
