Frequently Asked Questions
DRDP Assessment FAQ
What is the DRDP?
The Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) is a developmental continuum from early infancy to Kindergarten entry that is built-in to ChildPlus! The DRDP is a formative assessment instrument used to inform instruction and program development and is administered in natural settings through teacher observations, family observations and examples of children’s work.
Who created the DRDP?
The DRDP was developed by the California Department of Education, with assistance from Berkeley, the Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research Center at the University of California, the Desired Results Access Project at Napa County Office of Education and WestEd’s Center for Child & Family Studies.
Why is this assessment different?
The DRDP assessment is different in many ways, including:
- It's a strength-based assessment that considers the wide range of typical development at any age by offering positive descriptions of children’s knowledge and skills across a broad continuum of development and learning.
- The criterion-referenced developmental levels that are described for each DRDP measure and domain are based on research on developmental sequences, rather than on an average score or rating for an age group. Each child’s learning and developmental progress are assessed relative to research-based criteria or levels in a progression, rather than compared to the average learning and developmental progress of a large group of children (norm-referenced).
Will the DRDP work for different program types (i.e. homebased, center based, Head Start)?
Yes, the DRDP works for any program, whether you are serving Early Head Start, Head Start, State Pre-k or Migrant. The DRDP also works for any of your program types, whether it be homebased, center based, etc.
What are the benefits of the DRDP over other assessment tools?
The DRDP focuses on the strengths of each child while being administered in a natural setting through teacher observations, family observations and examples of children's work. The DRDP is a full continuum of development from birth to five. This assessment also includes domains that meet the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) child outcome reporting requirements for children with IFSPs and IEPs. The DRDP also implements a universal design so children can demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a variety of ways.
How do I know where a child should be at each age?
WestEd, one of the creators of the Desired Results Developmental Profile, believes in focusing on the strengths of each child, instead of comparing the child to other children of similar age. Using a strength-based assessment considers the wide range of typical development at any age by offering positive descriptions of children's knowledge and skills across a broad continuum of development and learning.
What is the DRDP aligned with?
The DRDP works with ANY curriculum! For more details about various alignments, click here.
DRDP Assessment in ChildPlus FAQ
What are the benefits of the DRDP in ChildPlus?
- One System: Conveniently track your PIR data, child assessments in one system. This eliminates the need to keep two systems in sync.
- Reliable Reports: See reports as soon as data is entered. No more waiting for the system to update when teachers enter and finalize ratings.
- Exclusive Reporting Options: Compare your child assessment data with other data already in ChildPlus to analyze various factors impacting child development saving you time and money.
- Compatible: Works with any curriculum so there’s no need to change your curriculum!
Is there a fee for archiving?
No, there are no fees for archiving data. ChildPlus keeps all the historical data from previous assessment years, and you can even run assessment reports throughout a child's entire enrollment history.
Will I have two different logins with the DRDP assessment in ChildPlus?
No, the DRDP is built-in to ChildPlus, which means you only have one login.
How can I capture observations?
The DRDP assessment in ChildPlus simplified the process of recording observations, providing teachers with numerous benefits, including:
- Easily capture anecdotal notes, photos or videos from any computer or mobile device, including an iPad or tablet.
- Teachers can quickly record an anecdotal note, photo or video, then go back and edit the observation.
- Quickly type notes with your voice with the talk-to-text feature on any mobile device.
- Utilize our Quick Notes feature to create your own shorthand phrases for quick data entry.
- Immediately change the language of the DRDP in ChildPlus to Spanish.
How does the DRDP assessment in ChildPlus benefit virtual visits?
Agencies can record and track child observations taken by teachers AND parents. Agencies can capture observations taken at home and in the classroom, making it much easier to assess children who are virtually learning. Agencies can even filter observations taken by a teacher or parent and pull a report that includes every observation recorded for all your children.
Do you have any reports for the DRDP assessment in ChildPlus?
Yes, we have a variety of powerful reports that give you a better understanding of your data. These easy-to-read reports allow you to interpret on an individual or group level the development progress towards school readiness.
Can you pull data by class, age level or specific demographic groups to notice trends?
Yes, analyzing your data has never been easier with the DRDP assessment in ChildPlus. Our DRDP reports are exclusive, reliable and include the ability to compare data by attendance, disabilities, age, gender and much more!
How long before my teachers can start using the DRDP assessment in ChildPlus?
Teachers can begin using this assessment in ChildPlus right away after setup. However, we highly recommend training from ChildPlus before starting to use the DRDP assessment in ChildPlus. To schedule training, please contact ChildPlus University. Please note, our training dates fill up quickly, so please contact them at least 6 weeks in advance.
Training FAQ
Will I have access to any training?
Yes, ChildPlus University is a one-stop resource for ChildPlus users to access ongoing learning opportunities.
ChildPlus Training
Training for Administrators and Education Managers
- Learn how to set due dates and other preferences with a rating schedule
- Master our data entry options for observations and ratings
- Discover our powerful DRDP reports
Training for Teachers
- Learn how to utilize our reports for monitoring data entry
- Become an expert in the DRDP module built-in to ChildPlus with a guided tour
- Enjoy a detailed data entry training with activities
WestEd offers intensive training options for ChildPlus users interested in learning more about the DRDP through their teacher trainings.
In the training, you will learn about:
- The format of the DRDP
- The use of documentation and evidence to rate measures
- The importance of inter-rater reliability
Do you offer implementation assistance?
Yes, after purchasing the DRDP assessment in ChildPlus, we offer a FREE orientation. This orientation is designed to help you navigate the DRDP assessment setup in ChildPlus Desktop. Upon completion of the orientation, our goal is for your agency to experience a seamless transition and start using the DRDP assessment module immediately.
Why do I need a DRDP orientation session?
We recommend all new DRDP users take advantage of the free orientation session to ensure that your assessment is configured based on your agency's needs before you start entering data. This will ensure long-term success with the DRDP assessment.
Should we set up training sessions before or after the DRDP Orientation process?
We recommend starting your DRDP orientation session before completing training, because this ensures you don't have to spend time during your training to cover topics that are included in the free orientation. We also highly recommend scheduling ChildPlus DRDP training in advanced; preferably having the start date be when your orientation ends. Training dates fill up quickly, so please contact ChildPlus University at least 6 weeks in advance.