A common theme in European Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) assessment practices is the focus on the broader quality of educational environments rather than merely assessing children's performance. This reflects a commitment to foster an inclusive, holistic, and participatory approach. In Portugal, national guidelines recommend that ECEC teachers make educational intentions explicit in the group´s curriculum project, aligning them with the ECEC center or School Cluster's educational project, also building on an evaluation of children's social and cultural contexts, as well as their knowledge and interests. ECEC teachers must integrate a holistic understanding of children´s learning and development into planning and assessment, focusing on all developmental and learning domains (e.g. whole-child perspective), involving the active participation of children, staff, and families. Assessments should focus on learning progress rather than age-based criteria, making children´s learning visible and meaningful, and progress should be evaluated formatively. Despite this, knowledge is lacking on how assessment practices are implemented by educational teams and their alignment with local educational projects and Portuguese national ECEC guidelines. Although numerous methods are available for assessing young children´s learning and development, teachers often struggle to evaluate children effectively. Recent research on practices and obstacles in assessing young learners shows that teachers face challenges related to their knowledge and skills, as well as to the time and resources needed for quality assessment practices. Building on professionals’ perspectives, this communication aims to share the preliminary results of a national survey characterizing the learning and development assessment of children in ECEC, investigating the suitability of educational practices in this field. The participants (n = 430), ECEC teachers and coordinators, responded to an online questionnaire with closed- and open-ended questions assessing dimensions related to the current state of assessment practices and methods, and the institutional guidelines and standards provided to educational teams to conduct the assessments.

The presentation and discussion of the results will focus on a mixed-methods, cross-sectional, multilevel characterization and comparison of:
(1) the standards inscribed in national ECEC guidelines,
(2) the local institutional guiding principles and procedures at the ECEC center/School Cluster, and
(3) ECEC teachers’ actual child/group assessment practices.

This comprehensive approach allows for a nuanced understanding of the conceptualization and implementation of assessment practices across different levels of the ECEC system. By examining the alignment or discrepancies between national guidelines, local institutional procedures, and teachers' practices, potential gaps or inconsistencies can be identified. Such insights can inform policy recommendations and professional development initiatives to enhance the quality and effectiveness of child assessments in ECEC. The findings will be discussed in light of the concept that ECEC teachers’ planning and assessment practices and their professional development are fundamental to ensuring that education aligns with the principles of equity and quality, effectively contributing to children´s educational success as well as broader sustainable development and social inclusion goals.

Keywords: Evaluation, Continuous professional development, ECEC quality, ECEC systems, Policy.