Frequently Asked Questions – AEPS-3 – Early childhood assessment & curriculum
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question about the AEPS®-3 linked system? Here are brief, reliable answers to some of the most commonly asked AEPS-3 questions.
About AEPS-3
What type of assessment tool is AEPS-3?
The AEPS-3 Test is an authentic, criterion-referenced, curriculum-based assessment developed for early childhood professionals to assess and evaluate the skills and abilities of infants and young children. AEPS-3 is not a norm-referenced test and does not produce developmental ages.
Is the AEPS-3 Test aligned with national and state early learning standards?
Yes, the AEPS-3 Test is aligned with the NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practices, DEC Recommended Practices, and Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. Alignments are also available for early learning standards in most states, with more being added each month.
What additional languages are available for AEPS-3?
The AEPS-3 Child Observation Data Form and AEPS-3 Ready-Set are available in Spanish, along with the AEPS-3 Family Report, AEPS-3 Family Assessment of Child Skills, and AEPS-3 Child Progress Record. The family handouts, Quick Reference Guides, and planning forms are also available in Spanish. All Spanish materials can be accessed on the AEPS-3 Forms USB or inside the AEPSi online system.
French, Chinese, and Albanian translations are in development.
How does the third edition differ from earlier editions?
Streamlined and enhanced with user‐requested updates, AEPS‐3 gives your early childhood program the most accurate, useful child data and a proven way to turn data into action across everything you do, from goal setting to teaching to progress monitoring. Important changes and updates include a seamless birth to 6 assessment tool, new literacy and math areas, revised test items, and a reimagined multi-tiered curriculum.
To learn more about the new edition, watch our Introducing AEPS-3 webinar recording or view our slidedeck.
Is AEPS-3 used in countries other than the United States?
Yes, AEPS-3 and earlier editions have been used with children around the world. Use of AEPS is common in Canada, including use of a French translation in Quebec. Programs in Croatia, Finland, Guatemala, Iceland, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan use the system. AEPS-3 research studies are currently ongoing in Kosovo and Spain.
Administration
How long does the AEPS-3 Test take to complete?
Administration of the AEPS-3 Test takes between 30 and 120 minutes. The actual time to administer AEPS-3 varies depending on familiarity with AEPS-3, the child being assessed, how many team members are participating, and knowledge of typical development.
It is generally recommended that the AEPS-3 Test be administered over a two-week period to permit observations of the child in a variety of activities. AEPS-3 contains two sets of assessment activities that cover all of the AEPS-3 Test items and enable assessment of up to five children at a time as they participate in routine and planned activities throughout the day.
Where can the AEPS-3 Test and Curriculum be used?
The AEPS-3 linked system can be used in a wide range of settings, including child care, preschool, and children’s homes. The AEPS-3 Curriculum is activity-based, meaning that teaching and intervention is embedded into children’s natural daily activities, play, and routines. The observations of children required for the AEPS-3 Test can happen wherever the child is, whether in the classroom, at home, or in a clinical setting.
Do I have to assess and score every item on the AEPS-3 Test?
Every item needs to be completed on the Child Observation Data Form to obtain scores for each area. However, you can simplify scoring by starting with the goals first. Review the goals and identify ones that are clearly below and above a child’s developmental level—you can score these without observing them. And if a child scores a 2 (mastery performance) on a goal, all corresponding objectives can be scored as 2s.
Can multiple children be assessed with AEPS-3 at the same time?
Yes, a professional can assess groups of up to five children at the same time with the assessment activities, which fit naturally into routines and planned activities throughout the day. A complete set of assessment activities enables the professional to observe all of the items on the AEPS-3 Test. These assessment activities are available on the AEPS-3 Forms USB and inside AEPSi.
Read this blog post to learn more about the assessment activities
How does AEPS-3 request and use input from parents?
AEPS-3 values families as an integral part of the assessment and intervention process. Families provide critical information that is used to better identify the child’s strengths, discover areas where they need support, and develop functional IFSP/IEP goals. There are two AEPS-3 forms for gathering data from families. The AEPS-3 Family Report gives family members an opportunity to describe their child’s interest, participation, enjoyment, and/or challenges in daily activities, family activities, and community activities. The AEPS-3 Family Assessment of Child Skills gathers information from family members about a child’s performance of skills.
View samples of the two family forms
AEPSi
What are the benefits of using AEPSi, the electronic management system?
After professionals administer the AEPS-3 Test and record observations, AEPSi automatically scores the test and generates all the information and paperwork the professional would otherwise have to create by hand. AEPSi allows professionals to conduct group assessments and enter AEPS-3 Test scores and observations for multiple children at one time on one screen, saving substantial time on data entry and scoring. AEPSi also has powerful reporting functions, including OSEP reporting.
Can I test out the new AEPSi system before subscribing?
Yes! You can test drive the new system with our free 30-day trial. You and your staff can try out the system’s features and functionality, including entering assessment data, running reports, and reviewing help materials. Start your free trial now.
You can also see the system in action with a live demo.
What training and technical support is available for the new AEPSi system?
The AEPSi system has a robust help section to support users. An online searchable knowledge base, self-guided tutorials, and quick reference guides and checklists is included. Technical support is available by phone or email. And AEPSi Hands-On Learning Sessions are available at an additional cost.
What are the technology requirements for using AEPSi?
Only basic technology is required for AEPSi. You’ll need a desktop or laptop computer or tablet, Internet access, and a web browser such as Firefox or Chrome.
Is AEPSi HIPAA and FERPA compliant?
AEPSi is compliant with both HIPAA and FERPA. Brookes Publishing Co., the publisher of AEPSi, is committed to keeping your data safe, secure, and private. AEPSi uses robust security measures and employs the appropriate physical and technical safeguards to protect user data, child data, and other data entered by users in the system and ensure over time their continued confidentiality and correct use.
Do AEPSi users need the print products?
We recommend that AEPSi users have access to copies of the five AEPS-3 volumes— Volume 1: User’s Guide , Volume 2: Assessment , Volume 3: Curriculum—Beginning , Volume 4: Curriculum—Growing , and Volume 5: Curriculum—Ready. If your program only uses the AEPS-3 Test, you may only need the User’s Guide and Assessment volume.
The new AEPSi system will include the AEPS-3 Test and Curriculum content and supporting forms, but guidance for using AEPS-3 is found in the User’s Guide and introductory chapters in the Assessment and Curriculum volumes. While many materials can be printed from AEPSi, some users may find it helpful to have laminated copies of the AEPS-3 Quick Reference Guides or AEPS-3 assessment forms. For cost savings, consider ordering the AEPS-3 Complete Kit.
Eligibility
Can AEPS be used to determine eligibility for services?
Yes, AEPS-3 can be used as a valid source for helping determine eligibility. AEPS-3 can be used as a standalone measure in states and territories where teams may use informed clinical judgment and/or a valid assessment instrument as a primary method of determining eligibility. In states and territories where teams are required to administer multiple instruments or administer a norm-referenced assessment as part of the process, AEPS can be used as a corroborating source.
An eligibility report in AEPSi compares a child’s AEPS-3 scores with empirically derived cutoff scores and provides guidance to professionals on using the results to determine eligibility in their state.
What is the benefit of using AEPS for eligibility?
There are several benefits to using information from the AEPS-3 Test to determine eligibility. Using AEPS-3:
- Expands both the breadth and depth of developmental information on children
- Saves time and money, since you won’t have to administer two standardized tests (i.e., one for eligibility determination and one for goal development)
- Leads to the development of more functional IFSPs/IEPs
Does the AEPS-3 Test produce age equivalents?
No, AEPS-3 does not provide age equivalents. While most traditional standardized norm-referenced tests, and even some criterion-referenced assessments, provide users with age-equivalent scores, there are several inherent problems with this practice:
- For many tests, the age associated with a given item is not determined empirically; rather, the item is assigned an age based on how ages are assigned in other tests or generally agreed-upon developmental milestones.
- Age equivalencies do not actually inform teams about a child’s strengths, emerging skills, or needs.
- Having chronological ages assigned to items may lead interventionists and families to select intervention targets based on the age level of an item rather than selecting items that address children’s individual developmental needs.
Therefore, rather than assigning age equivalencies to AEPS-3 Test items, empirically derived cutoff scores based on the performances of typically developing children were derived for eligibility determination purposes.
Does the AEPS-3 Test calculate percent delay for a child?
AEPS-3 is not a norm-referenced test and cannot be used to calculate a percent delay for a child.
The AEPS-3 cutoff scores do not correlate to percent delay or standard deviations. The empirically based cutoff scores serve as benchmarks for determining if a child’s performance on the AEPS-3 Test is developmentally on target or significantly below developmental expectations for their chronological age. The cutoff scores were developed using Rasch analysis and validated through research. (See this journal article for additional information on the development of the cutoff scores.)
OSEP Accountability
Is AEPS-3 aligned with the OSEP requirements for Indicator #3 and Indicator #7?
Yes, the AEPS-3 Test is aligned with the three child outcomes that OSEP requires states to report on as part of their State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR). The crosswalk was expertly validated in 2023.
When reporting child outcomes for OSEP, will I be able to use the second edition of AEPS for the near-entry assessment and use AEPS-3 for the near-exit assessment?
Yes, when you transition children to the new AEPSi for AEPS-3 system, their COS scores from the near-entry assessment with the second edition of AEPS can be imported. Near-exit assessments with AEPS-3 can be completed for these children, and COS scores will be calculated. The new AEPSi system will have an OSEP report similar to the report in the legacy AEPSi system that you can run to export data for reporting to the federal government.
What are the strengths of AEPS-3 in measuring the three OSEP Child Outcomes?
One of the biggest strengths of the AEPS-3 system is its highly sensitive test. The AEPS-3 Test items measure small increments of development that result in a more accurate assessment of a child’s performance across eight comprehensive areas. This makes a crucial difference for children with delays, whose progress can go unnoticed by less sensitive instruments.
The assessment not only accurately measures child performance, but also helps you ensure that children make real progress. Test items are seamlessly linked to curricular content designed to address the precise skills uncovered by the test results to be next on a child’s developmental path. The AEPS-3 Curriculum is designed to improve children’s skills across the board, including the three OSEP Child Outcomes.
Finally, you can be confident that child outcomes data reported with AEPSi are accurate if the test has been completed according to its specified guidelines. The research behind the expertly validated crosswalk of the AEPS-3 Test with OSEP Indicator #3 (Part C) and Indicator #7 (Part B, Section 619) helps ensure that AEPS-3 measures the outcomes specified by the OSEP indicators.
Training
What training is available for AEPS-3 and AEPSi?
A variety of training options are available for the AEPS-3 system:
- Virtual training seminars, presented by AEPS experts and hosted by Brookes on Location, help ensure that staff members know AEPS-3 inside and out.
- AEPS-3 Training Institutes are held virtually multiple times each year. All professionals are able to register for these training institutes.
- AEPSi Hands-On Learning Sessions are also held virtually multiple times each year. All professionals are able to register for these sessions.
- Live training seminars are also available for your organization.
- An interrater reliability certification module is also available.
Learn more about AEPS-3 training options
How much training will be needed for my staff if they are already experienced AEPS users?
When conducting field test studies for AEPS-3, experienced users were able to accurately administer the AEPS-3 Test after a two-hour training and completion of the AEPS-3 Interrater Reliability course. We recommend that users familiar with the second edition read the User’s Guide and introductory chapters to the Assessment and Curriculum volumes prior to use of AEPS-3. Completion of the AEPS-3 Interrater Reliability module is also recommended.
AEPS-3 training is available from Brookes on Location. See dates for upcoming training institutes . Seminars may also be booked for your organization.