Understanding Performance Assessment

Introductions

• Joe Rivers – Middle School Social Studies Teacher, Brattleboro

• Alysia Backman – High School Literacy Coach, South Burlington High School

• Christina Suarez – High School Social Studies Teacher, Lake Region High School

• Maggie Eaton – Consultant, Vermont Reads Institute at UVM

• Kris Breen -

Norms

• Make connections, make comments• Ask clarifying questions, ask big picture

questions• Understand that we won’t have time to

answer every question – we will provide feedback and resources as we progress and after the webinar

Goals

• Examine elements of performance assessment• Explore a framework for developing ELA

performance assessments

College and career readiness – from Introduction to ELA & Literacy CCSS

• Students demonstrate independence.• They build strong content knowledge.• They respond to the varying demands of audience, task,

purpose, and discipline.• They comprehend as well as critique.• They value evidence.• They use technology and digital media strategically and

capably.• They come to understand other perspectives and cultures.

Shifts of the Common Core: English Language Arts

1. Regular practice with complex text and academic language across content areas

2. Using evidence from literary and informational text to support claims and conclusions during reading, writing, and discussion, across content areas

3. Building content knowledge from informational text during reading, writing, and discussion, across content areas

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS FORENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

For discussion:

What is your understanding of what a performance assessment is?

If an example comes to mind, please share.

“Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” (Dewey, 1937)

What is performance assessment?

• Students complete a process or produce a product in a context that closely resembles real-life situations (AERA et al., 1999, cited in Reynolds, Livingston, & Willson, 2009)

Performance Assessment

It is an empty exercise to assess student learning without providing a means to adjust teaching in response to deficiencies revealed through the information gleaned from that assessment. “Chun, 2010”

Using performance assessment to design curriculum and instruction

• What should students know and be able to do? – standards

• What will demonstrate student learning? - performance assessments

• What sequence of lessons will provide observable evidence of student learning? - curriculum

Elements of performance assessment

• Real-world scenario and authentic• Student-centered • Determine proficiencies• Complex process• Multiple possibilities for critical thinking• Higher-order thinking (Bloom’s and DOK levels)• Integrates teaching, learning, and assessment• Transparent evaluation criteria

Traditional vs. Performance Assessment

Traditional:• Teacher-centered• Summative• Closed-answer (multiple

choice, short answer, memorization, definitions)

• Content driven• Seldom transferable• Subjective evaluation

Performance:• Learner-centered• Formative & summative• Open-answer• Content & skills driven• Collaborative• Multiple possibilities • Real-world basis• Critical thinking & problem

solving • Transferable skills• Transparent evaluation

For discussion:

Go back to your understanding of performance assessment. How do the elements of performance assessment match your original understanding? How are they different?

FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

Sources/content Readings Video clips Audio clips Graphs, charts,

other visuals Structured internet

search Primary sources Data

Information Processing Analyze questions Respond to

questions• Organize

information• Discuss/dialogue

content• Interpret results• Synthesize data• Determine next

steps• Deconstruct theory

or bias

Product/Performance Essay, report, story,

script, proposal Speech/presentation

with/without graphics

Multi-modal representation with/without technology

Components of a Performance Assessment

Standards State the CCSS and other content skills/standards that will be measured in by this task.

Big Ideas/Enduring Understanding

Describe the Big Ideas/overall concepts students should take away from this process.

Essential Questions What are the essential questions students will answer in order to develop these essential understandings?

Culminating Product Describe the final task and the format it will take (e.g., you will present an argument for…by organizing a debate…).

Content/Sources Cite the sources (including text, audio, visual etc. ) students will access to complete the task.

Formative Steps Clearly explain how the students will interact with the sources to complete the tasks that lead to the culminating product/performance. Include any guided questions, scaffolds or steps in this process.

Evaluation Include a detailed method of evaluation (e.g., rubric, checklist, etc.) that clearly communicates what students need to do to demonstrate proficiency.

Framework for Developing Performance Assessments

Formative information processing

Formative StepsClearly explain how the students will interact with the sources to complete the tasks that lead to the culminating product/performance. Include any guided questions, scaffolds or steps in this process.

For discussion:

How do you see integrating performance assessment into your content area/curriculum?

ReferencesReynolds, C.R., Livingston, R.B., & Willson, V. (2009). Measurement and assessment in

education 2nd. Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Chun, M. (2010). Taking teaching to (performance) task: Linking pedagogical and assessment practices. Change, Spring p-22-29. (www.changemag.org)

Dewey, J. (1937). Experience in Education.

Mueller, J. (2013). Authentic Assessment Toolbox. Naperville, IL: North Central College.

New York City Department of Education: http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/CommonCoreLibrary/TasksUnitsStudentWork/default.htm