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Defining Assessment
Herman, Aschbacher, and Winters (1992, P. 13) note five recent trends in assessment. They are movements from (1) behavioral to cognitive views of learning and assessment, (2) paper-pencil ctivities to authentic assessment, (3) single-occasion assessment to samples over time (portfolios), (4) single-attribute to multidimensional assessments, and (5) near-exclusive emphasis on individual assessment to group assessment. They also recognize that these trends place unprecedented demands on teachers' professional skills. The contemporary Work and Family Life Program is reflective of each of these trends.
Today's characterization of assessment is certainly not new. In fact, the term assessment is derived from a Latin word meaning "to sit beside, assist in the office of a judge." The assessor and the student oftentimes
sit together during assessment.
Effective instruction throughout
history has involved this characterization
of assessment, e.g., apprenticeships.
The characterization only seems
new in comparison to the recent
past, which involved the almost-exclusive
use of standardized testing and
teacher-made multiple-choice tests.
What is new is the clarity of the
characterization, which can be credited
to criticism of the assessment practices
of the recent past and to advances
in cognitive science and knowl-
edge about learning.
With this newfound clarity about assessment
comes a plethora of terms! They
are presented here (1) as a quick
reference when you see an unfamiliar
term used in this guide and (2)
to bring you up to contemporary
snuff when you hobnob with fellow
assessment wizards! Some terms,
except in the minds of heavy-duty
researchers, over- lap. That's okay,
don't worry. Some terms, like alternative
assessment, are to me a bit troublesome.
Really, such assessments should
not be "alternative";
I believe they should be an assessment
mainstay! Read the terms and definitions.
Ponder them for a few moments if
you have time. Doing so should trigger
some personal thoughts or beliefs
about assessment.
Over time, bring clarity to your personal
definition of assessment. In doing
so, you will learn about yourself
as a teacher and, I bet, become
committed to improving your assessment
practices.
Glossary of Assessment Terms
Anchor
An anchor is a descriptive point
on a scale/continuum. The highest-level
anchor is called the exemplar.
Assessment
Assessment is a process of gathering
information to meet a broad range
of evaluation needs.
Alternative Assessment
Alternative Assessment applies to
any and all assessments that require
students to demonstrate knowledge
and skills in ways other than through
the conventional - methods used
within a classroom. scnooi, or clisuict.
(See also Uonventional, or Traditional,
Assessment.)
Authentic Assessment
Authentic assessment engages students
in applying knowledge and skills
in the same way they are used in
the "real world" outside
school. It is performance-based
assessment that requires a student
to go beyond basic recall and demonstrate
significant, worthwhile knowledge
and understanding through a product,
perfor- mance, or exhibition. The
assessment comprises an authentic
task and a scoring rubric that are
tied to an outcome or "big
idea" and are made clear to
the students up front.
Conventional, or Traditional, Assessment
Conventional assessment refers to
paper-pencil testing (multiple-choice,
true/false, matching, short answer)
that typically must be completed
within a specific amount of time.
Naturalistic Assessment
Naturalistic assessment refers to
evaluation rooted in the natural
setting of the classroom. It involves
observation of student performances
and behavior in an informal context.
Naturalistic observation is done
as students go about their daily
work and is sometimes called kidwatching.
Performance Assessment
Performance assessment is a broad
term, encompassing many of the characteristics
of both authentic assessment and
alternative assessment. Generally,
performance assessments provide
students with opportunities to demonstrate
their understanding and to thoughtfully
apply knowledge, skills, and habits
of mind in a variety of structured
and unstructured situations. These
assessments often occur over time
and result in a tangible product
or observable performance. Terms
of Assessment that may or may not
be enduring, or endearing
Process Assessment
Process assessment refers to assessing
a student's skills in progressing
through a series of actions or operations.
Process skills that teachers seek
to assess relate to thinking abilities,
applications of procedural knowledge,
and interactions with others. Some
examples of process skills are critical
thinking, creative thinking, problem
solving, decision making, goal setting,
cooperation, relating to others,
leadership, and management.
Product/Project Assessment
Products and projects are typically
assigned to individuals or groups
of students on a topic related to
the curriculum. The project results
in a product, which is assessed.
The processes used during the assessment
could also be assessed.
Benchmark
A benchmark translates the standard
into what the student should know
and be able to do at developmentally
appropriate levels. Benchmarks are
models that teachers, parents, and
students can refer to when designing,
implementing, and assessing student
outcomes.
Criteria
Criteria - sometimes called performance
standards - are the qualitative
or quantitative statements used
to measure whether the program standard
(competency achievement) has been
met. The nature of the criteria
may vaiy depending on the specific
assessment tool being used. However,
for the process skill (competency),
Manage work responsibilities, for
example, one criterion for measuring
a student's ability in that area
would be, Gets work done on time.
Documentation
Documentation is a naturalistic
assessment process, which involves
recording classroom observations
over time, across learning modalities,
and in coordination with colleagues.
Graphic Organizers
Graphic
organizers are mental maps that
help students make their thinking
visible. They represent the process
skills of sequencing, comparing,
contrasting, classifying, inferring,
drawing conclusions, problem solving,
and thinking critically.
Indicators
Indicators provide specific examples
and explicit definitions that can
be used in rating students' level
of achievement relative to specified
skills, strategies, and knowledge.
Outcome
The word outcome is often used interchangeably
with goal, purpose, demonstration
of learning, culmination, and end.
Exit outcomes may be used synonymously
with such terms as comperencies.
knowledge, and orientations. Outcomes
are the "end-products"
of the entire instructional process.
Outcomes can include internal changes
in the learner or observable changes.
In the Work and Family Resource
Guides, the outcomes are expressed
by the intent or goals of the Work
and Family Life Program described
in the introductions to each guide
and by the positive actions students
are asked to take regarding the
practical problems that frame the
guides.
Portfolio
A portfolio is a purposeful collection
of student work that exhibits the
student's efforts, progress, and
achievement in one or more areas.
Rubric
A scoring rubric consists of fixed
scales related to a list of criteria
describing performance. Each scale
is composed of anchors that describe
the various levels of performance
com- plexity. Assigned weights,
which give the relative value of
each criterion, are used in the
process of sumniating scores to
ascertain whether the standard has
been met. Rubrics promote learning
by offering clear performance targets
to students for agreed-upon standards.
Rubrics are presented to students
along with the performance task.
Standard
The term standard is problematic
because it means so many things
(and, sometimes, nothing). It can
be a synonym for criterion. It can
also mean "a structure providing
a base or support," in which
case, it is synonymous with program
standards?the knowledge, skills,
and attitudes (or competencies)
to be achieved in the program. The
most common meaning may be "achievement
of the specified program competencies
at the level of performance established
for successful completion."
Content Standards
Content standards?also known as
discipline standards?comprise the
knowledge and skills specific to
a given discipline. They describe
information and skills essential
to the practice or application of
a particular discipline or content
domain.
Curriculum or Program Standards
Curriculum standards?sometimes referred
to as program standards?are best
described as the goals of classroom
instruction. They imply the curricular
or instructional activities that
might be used to help students develop
skill and ability within a given
content domain. To a great extent,
curriculum standards describe the
instructional means to achieve content
standards.
Performance Standard See Criteria.
Lifelong Learning Standard
A lifelong learning standard is
not specific to any one discipline
and can be used in many situations
throughout a person's lifetime.
This type of standard is not even
specific to academics; it is a skill
that can be used in virtually all
aspects of life. For example, one
lifelong learning standard for students
might be, Make and carry out effective
plans.
Task
A task is a complex activity requiring
multiple responses to a challenging
question or problem.
Before reading on, reflect on the
relationships of the terms.
Did you ever have to sort through
the relationships of goals, generalizations~
and objectives? Do you recall being
unsure whether a statement was a
goal, a generalizations or an objective?
I do. I remember the frvstration
that went along with it. I expected,
neat, Jean definitions that everyone
would use in the same way. They
didn't then and they don't now.
Some people use alternative assessment,
authentic assessment, and performance
assessment synonymously. There
may be times when you see a statement
as a standard, someone else may
see it as a criterion, and someone
else may see it as an outcome. I
have tried to clarify how I see
the terms relating to one another.
Others, however, may ascribe a different
"mood" to the terms.
One term that stands out in this list
is authentic assessment.
It stands out because of its contrast
to conventional assessment methods
and its heavy use in current literature.
Although it is not the only model
of assessment that addresses the
contemporary characterization, it
seems to be the prevailing model
at this point. Thus, further description
is warranted at this point, but
let's start by looking at the strengths
of your
present assessment system.
This resource last updated: May 10, 2002
Database Information:
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Source: From a 1998 Fall Forum workshop given by Excelsior High School
Publisher: Other
School Level: All
Focus Area: Classroom Practice
STRAND: Classroom Practice: assessment
Assessment: Portfolios, Exhibitions, Using Rubrics
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