This report describes educators' collaborative self-directed experiences in learning about and producing alternative forms of assessment for use in elementary-level classrooms. The report analyzes the Virginia Standards of Learning and local curricula in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science/Health in grades 2-4, to…

Asserts that authentic assessment can be applied successfully to the social studies. Describes a long-term, role-playing activity recreating the voyages of Ibn Battuta, who lived during the Islamic golden age. Includes project objectives, student assignments, a biographical sketch of Ibn Battuta, and a model of a student presentation sheet. (CFR)

Asserts that two forgotten facts in educational reform are that the student is the primary client of all assessment and that testing should be designed to improve performance, not just monitor it. Includes sample portfolio performance tasks on a variety of social studies topics. (CFR)