I. Some key concepts for performance assessment are:
· Students construct. They must do, create, write, etc.
· Tasks should resemble those required for functioning in the world outside of the classroom.
· Direct observation of the task is done by the teacher or an assessor.
II. A performance task consists of two parts: a task and a set of scoring criteria or a rubric. Thus Performance Assessment = Task + Rubric. Some assumptions of Performance Assessment are:
· Students construct the task. They are actively involved in organizing and reorganizing their understanding of concepts, and bring them to bear in their response.
· The task is meaningful. The assessment task is grounded in the pedagogy of the classroom.
· Performance assessment feeds the test-teach-test continuum. As an intervention-oriented procedure, it focuses on skills that could be manipulated and improved through training and teaching. Teachers have to think carefully about the description of the task they want the student to perform and the criteria they will use for evaluation. The information the teacher gathers from the student's performance informs and directs future teaching/instruction.
· Students know exactly what is acceptable and what is less than satisfactory. They can evaluate their own performance in light of clearly established guidelines and standards set in the rubrics.
III. When setting a performance task a teacher should consider the following:
· What outcome will be measured
· Clear instructions (what resources may be used, what may not be used, type of acceptable response, etc.)
· Conditions under which the task will be performed
· Rubrics with clearly defined criteria
IV. When developing a performance task, we do well to follow three commonly suggested steps for completion:
· List the skills and knowledge that you wish students to demonstrate when completing the task.
· Design a performance task that requires the students to demonstrate these skills and knowledge.
· Develop explicit performance criteria that measure the extent to which students have mastered the skills and competencies you wish them to employ in performing the task.
V. A critical look at a Performance Assessment should tell us whether it:
· Is limited in breadth, and why?
· Is an in-depth activity, and how so?
· Is highly valid, and why?