Observational Assessment Tool

GOLD is an online, research-based observational assessment system for children from birth through third grade. Rather than pulling children aside for formal testing, teachers document authentic observations — photos, notes, videos, and work samples — during everyday classroom activities and rate children’s progress against research-based objectives and developmental progressions. GOLD generates reporting that informs both individual instruction and program-level decision-making, and produces family-facing reports that translate assessment data into plain language.

Most assessment tools are built for a single grade band. GOLD uses a single developmental language and a continuous progression from infancy through third grade, so a child’s growth story does not reset when they move from an infant-toddler program to pre-K, or from pre-K to kindergarten. For districts running mixed-delivery systems — Head Start, state pre-K, and K-3 in the same community — this continuity is what makes cross-setting data actually comparable and useful for system-level decisions. The birth through third grade progressions also allows for teachers to individualize instruction for the children in their classroom, regardless of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that the child knows and can do.

GOLD generates class-level and individual data that maps to MTSS frameworks. Checkpoint reports show which children are performing below, at, or above widely held expectations, allowing teachers and coaches to identify who needs Tier 2 or Tier 3 support before a formal referral. This checkpoint data gives instructional leaders what they need to allocate intervention resources early and monitor progress as support is put in place.

Yes. GOLD is aligned to the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) and to early learning standards in all 50 states, as well as an increasing amount of international standards. GOLD is an approved or required assessment tool in many state-funded pre-K systems. For districts and grantees navigating ESSA accountability requirements, GOLD’s data on kindergarten readiness and P-3 outcomes can inform both program quality reporting and early literacy decision-making.

GOLD is designed to embed assessment into the normal flow of the day rather than adding a separate documentation task. Teachers can capture notes, photos, videos, and digital work samples in the moment using the GOLD Documentation App, and observation data connects automatically to daily instructional resources, creating an ongoing feedback loop that supports individualized learning without disrupting instruction. Family observations can also feed directly into checkpoint ratings, so teachers aren’t the only ones generating evidence. Programs typically pair GOLD with professional development and coaching to help teachers build efficient, targeted observation habits — Teaching Strategies offers PD specifically aimed at strengthening GOLD practice over time.

Unlike assessments that are primarily used to generate a data point, GOLD is built to run through the full instructional cycle: teachers document authentic observations during everyday activities, rate children’s progress against research-based objectives and progressions from birth through third grade, and use that data to plan differentiated, individualized instruction. GOLD also generates reporting for both classroom and program-level use – including the Class Profile Report and Individual Child Report for teachers, and family-facing reports like the Growth Report and Report Card that translate checkpoint data into plain language. That combination — assessment, instructional guidance, and family communication in one connected system – is what GOLD emphasizes as its differentiator from more narrowly scoped assessment tools.

Yes. GOLD is used across the full range of early learning settings – Infants, Toddlers & Twos, Preschool, Pre-K, Head Start, Family Child Care, Private Child Care, and Grades 1–3 – and spans public school districts, Head Start grantees, and private centers alike. For private centers that aren’t driven by Head Start or state mandates, the value tends to center on family communication quality, teacher professional growth, and having credible assessment data to support enrollment conversations and accreditation. GOLD also aligns to each state’s early learning standards and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework, and licensing scales from single classrooms to large multi-site programs.

Yes. GOLD is widely used as a kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) tool in states that require or recommend an observational measure at school entry. Because GOLD follows children continuously from birth through third grade using the same developmental progressions, programs that use GOLD in pre-K arrive at kindergarten with a documented developmental history for each child — not just a snapshot. Kindergarten teachers receive that incoming data on day one, allowing them to begin differentiating instruction immediately rather than spending the first weeks of school re-assessing children from scratch.  For states with formal KEA requirements, GOLD’s alignment to state early learning standards and the Head Start ELOF means the same tool satisfies both the pre-K assessment requirement and the kindergarten entry data collection — eliminating duplicate assessment and easing the pre-K to K transition for families, teachers, and administrators alike.

GOLD lets teachers embed assessment into the normal flow of the day instead of pulling children aside for testing. Using the GOLD Documentation App, teachers can capture notes, photos, videos, and digital work samples in the moment, and that observation data connects automatically to daily instructional resources, creating an ongoing feedback loop between assessment and instruction. Color-coded developmental progressions — covering birth through third grade — guide teachers toward activities appropriate to each child’s current level, including children with disabilities. Reports like the Class Profile Report and Individual Child Report translate that data into a clear picture of classroom and individual needs, so teachers can plan differentiated, intentional instruction. Families can also contribute observations directly into a teacher’s documentation, so teachers aren’t the sole source of evidence.

GOLD gives administrators real-time data for both individual-classroom oversight and large-scale programmatic decision-making. Administrators can manage users, classes, and child records across a program, and generate outcomes reports to track performance at the classroom, site, or program level. GOLD is aligned to each state’s early learning standards and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework, helping administrators demonstrate that their program is meeting requirements. Interrater Reliability Certification for teachers gives administrators a way to ensure assessment data stays valid and consistent across classrooms and staff, even at scale. Licensing scales from a handful of classrooms to large, multi-site programs.