Inclusion of students with disabilities in district-wide and state assessments is mandated by federal regulations, and teachers sometimes play an important role in rating these students' work. In this study, trained teachers rated student proficiency in performance assessments in language arts and mathematics in third, fifth, and ninth grades. The…

This case study examines the reasoning of a clinical supervisor as she assesses preservice teacher candidates with a state-mandated performance assessment instrument. The supervisor's evaluations were recorded using video annotation software, which allowed her to record her observations in real-time. The study reveals some of the inherent…

Assessing student performance is one of the most critical aspects of the job of a classroom teacher; however, many teachers in the United States do not feel adequately prepared to assess their students' performance. These feelings of inadequacy are exemplified when placed against the context of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, especially with…

The purpose of the study reported in this article was to provide empirical evidence of students' views about a state performance assessment and its effects in science and social studies classrooms in Maryland. We developed 2 student questionnaires, 1 for each subject, and administered them to a statewide, stratified random sample of students in…

Validation of assessments intended to improve instruction and learning should include evidence of instructional sensitivity. This study investigated the instructional sensitivity of a standards-based ninth-grade performance assessment that required students to write an essay about conflict in a literary work. Before administering the assessment,…

An IPPB (intermittent positive pressure breathing) inservice class was restructured to provide more practical skill experience and problem solving situations. Results of performance tests using a computer-monitored patient simulator indicated that previously used cognitive tests and subjective evaluations were not adequate for determining course…

Policy makers are turning away from individual performance pay, favoring school-based rewards that expand curriculum or fund other improvements. Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Texas have adopted performance-based rewards and sanctions. Policy makers must balance state and local control and align performance indicators with school…

This article presents a model of formative task-based language assessment implemented in the Chinese language program at the University of Iowa. The model was conceptualized from both empirical evidence, namely previous research done by other team members and me, and assessment theory, namely task-based learning and testing. Our formative…

Achieve was asked by the Washington State Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission, Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction, and the Partnership for Learning to conduct a study of the 10th grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The intent of the study was to compare the content, rigor and passing scores on…