Discusses how to adopt and use a performance-based grading system (for high school journalism classes) which offers flexibility and fairness and which motivates students. (SR)

Provides a broad perspective on results-based performance measurement (RBPM). It describes the reasons for its growing popularity in government and outlines several of the key elements and considerations that must be included in the implementation of the RBPM system in the public sector. (Author)

Provides information for constructing two-dimensional performance graphs for students to assess their competencies and to diagnose difficulties in the important area of problem solving. (ASK)

Discusses authentic assessment of student performance as it relates to academic improvement and educational reform. Points out that there is too much testing of basic knowledge and skills out of context, and too little teaching of complex concepts. (MMU)

Two studies focused on aspects of the rating process in performance assessment. The first, which involved 15 raters and about 400 medical students, made the "committee" facet of raters working in groups explicit, and the second, which involved about 200 medical students and four raters, made the "rating-occasion" facet…

Addresses one specific method of authentic assessment, portfolio assessment, by applying this method in two case studies assessing learning of instructional technology. Explains the differences between process portfolios and product portfolios, explains scoring rubrics, and provides suggestions for practitioners. (Author/LRW)

Building on New York State's long tradition of involving teachers in developing and evaluating state examinations, the standards-based prototypes developed through the Goals 2000 New Assessments Project relied on teachers to score exams, using guides and rubrics. The process helped teachers clarify goals and expectations, deepen disciplinary…

Compared four standard-setting procedures for an objective structure clinical examination (OSCE) in medical education. Applied Angoff, borderline, relative, and holistic procedures to the data used to establish a cutoff score for a pass/fail decision. The Angoff and borderline procedures gave similar results; however, the relative and holistic…

Montana Improving Schools Through Accreditation (MISTA) is a pilot program that empowers schools to attain accreditation through their own visions of improved student learning. Termed "performance-based accreditation," this process is voluntary and represents a consensus among the regional accrediting agency, the state education agency,…

Argues that understanding, in history or other domains, entails being able to use mental representations in order to engage in culturally meaningful performances such as creating products, solving problems, or building explanations. Examines challenges and possibilities for a performance-based view of understanding through the analysis of examples…

A "successful intelligence" intervention improved school achievement for a group of 225 ethnically diverse third-graders, both on performance assessments measuring analytical, creative, and practical achievements and on conventional multiple-choice memory assessments. Teaching for triarchic thinking facilitates factual recall, because learning…

Research on developing technology for large-scale performance assessments in science is reported briefly, and a conceptual framework is presented for defining, generating, and evaluating science performance assessments. Types of tasks are discussed, and the technical qualities of performance assessments are discussed in the context of…

Assessed the viability of the Comprehensive Clinical Performance Grid for Student Evaluation, introduced at The New England College of Optometry in 1996 in clinical student assessment. Analyzed faculty and student feedback and consistency with previous evaluations, between evaluators, and between clinical sites and tracts. Found satisfaction with…

Studied the sampling variability of estimated variance components using data collected over several years for a listening and writing performance assessment and evaluated the stability of estimated measurement precision. Results indicate that the estimated variance components varied from one year to another and suggest that the measurement…

Based on the experience of Michigan State University's emergency medicine residency program, proposes a practical method for modifying an existing student evaluation format. The model provides a template other programs could use in assessing residents' acquisition of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes reflected in the six general competencies…