Alternative Assessment

How to develop, execute, and score w/o pulling out your hair :)

Alternative to What?

• Alternative to a traditional, paper-pencil based assessment

• Non Traditional-based Informal Assessments

• Performance Assessments• Portfolio Assessments

Alternative Assessment• Alternative Examples:

– art work– portfolios– presentations– musical compositions– essays– performances– notebooks– expanded problem

solving– journals

– maps– research project– letters– create web page– create/perform movie/play– role playing– building models– reading selections– story boards

Alternative Assessment Terms

• Informal Assessment • Formal Alternative Assessments

– Performance-Based Assessment• Performance Assessment (PA)

– Authentic Assessment

Authentic Assessment

• "Authentic assessment exercises require students to apply information and reasoning to situations like those they will encounter in the world outside the classroom as well as situations that approximate how professional do their work." (NSE Standards, 2008).

Performance Assessment

If I need to know if a student can read…I ask him to read…If I need to know if a student can write…I ask him to write…If I need to know if a student can _________…I ask him to _______.

Performance Assessment

• Hands-on task or performance-based activity– Individually or in small groups

• Direct Observation– Applying and Executing specific set of skills.

• The assessment is specifically defined and is measured with pre-established criteria (Nitko, 2001)

Performance Assessment

• An assessment in which observations & judgments are used to measure a student’s ability to demonstrate a skill or competency in creating a product, constructing a response, or making a presentation (Arter, 2004).

• In other words…An Assessment that requires the students to perform, create, construct, present, produce, or DO something

Example: Traditional Assessment

1. 150(0.06) = 2. 175(0.05)=

More Performance Based Assessment

You are interested in purchasing a new stereo that is priced $150. You have exactly that amount saved up. You mention this to your parents and they remind you that you will have to pay sales tax at a rate of 9%. They ask you to determine the amount of tax and the total cost of the stereo so that they can provide the additional money for you. Prepare an itemized statement including the base cost, the tax, and the total cost of the stereo.

Characteristics

• Subjective• Contains 3 Basic Parts

– Performance Task, Scoring Rubric, Feedback

• Instructions are explicit• Criteria and Standards are made public• Performance is directly observable• Tasks completed measure deep understanding and

reasoning

Characteristics• Sustained Work• Performance measures go deep and narrow into

content– typically measures only one or two objectives,

but in an extremely in-depth manner• May have multiple tasks• May cover more than one content area: i.e. science

experiment w/ a graphing result (Math); history project w/ a writing component (LA)

• Closely tied to instruction– Integrates instruction and assessment– Actually TEACHES while it ASSESSES– Establishes clear learning targets– Improves critical thinking abilities

• Creates motivated, active, interested learners• Real Life implications

– Helps with the “Why do I have to learn this?” and the “When will I ever use this?” arguments!

Why Are Performance Assessments So Powerful?

Weaknesses

• Reliability• Time• Sampling

Meaningful Feedback is Required

Using an appropriate mix of Descriptive and Evaluative Feedback• Evaluative = :), +, A+, Good Work, Try Harder,

70%• Descriptive = You maintained eye contact with the

audience throughout the presentation; Well written hypothesis, but using an if..then statement would make it more clear; Good job getting ready for lunch; Minor grammatical errors. Take the time to edit your work.

Principles of Performance Assessment

• Multiple assessments for each Standard and related indicators

• Spectrum of tasks – basic to enrichment• Essential for differentiated instruction and

effective classroom management• Not all students may be working on the same task

at the same time

How Often To Use Performance Assessments

• Start small, build slowly – one or two performance assessments quarter or semester

• Frequency increases as confidence grows!

Example of Performance Assessment Tasks

• Social Studies and Language Arts• Fourth Grade• Title: “Settling in the Wilderness”

Adapted From Kathy Rosenberg, Tim McCarthy, Darcy Sweeney, Cathy Fox, Kathy Hall, and Bonnie Schlais Waukesha, WI Center for Performance Assessment © 2010

Synopsis of Performance Tasks Correlated to Bloom’s Taxonomy

• Ex Task 1 – Create a wilderness region map and write region description (knowledge and comprehension)

• Ex Task 2 – Contrast/compare big city life to wilderness region life (analysis)

• Ex Task 3 – Design a wilderness brochure (application and synthesis)

• Ex Task 4 – Write a letter describing in sensory detail a typical day in the wilderness (synthesis and evaluation)

Ex Task Four (Detailed): “Typical Day in the Wilderness” Letter

• Write a letter to a friend or family member telling them about a typical day in your life in the wilderness. Include historical content you have learned.

• Include as many parts of your day as you can. Use all five of your senses as you describe the day to help the reader imagine it. Use correct letter format with correct spelling and mechanics.

Is Your Scenario Truly Engaging?

• Acid test: If there were no standards driving instruction and assessment, would this scenario be so compelling that students and teachers would WANT to work on these tasks?

Engaging Scenario Example:

• Imagine that your family is moving from a large east coast city to wilderness area in the mid 1800s.

• The area is full of wild animals, you will not have a house to move into, food will not be available from a general store, other people may inhabit the area, the climate could be very hot or cold, and your survival may be a daily challenge.

Engaging Scenario Example (continued):

• Your best friend is worried that you may find yourself in danger.

• You reassure your friend that you will be safe, but she’s not convinced. You promise to write her a detailed letter as soon as you’re settled, telling her everything you see and do morning, noon, and night.