Authentic assessment encompasses methods of evaluating what students know and can do, acknowledging that children learn best when they are actively involved and receive feedback. Criteria for judging authentic assessments include determining their consequences and noting whether they are cost-effective, meaningful, fair, and generalizable, with…

Uses two direct writing assignments to show that performance assessment denotes the kind of student response to be examined, whereas authentic assessment denotes assessment context. Although not all performance assessments are authentic, it is difficult to imagine an authentic assessment that would not also be a performance assessment. Educators…

Discusses the need to pay more attention to the type and nature of the content assessed. Provides five guidelines designed to help teachers select material that will contain important content, the heart of authentic assessment. (MG)

Performance assessment may be the best vehicle for validating student achievement. Performance assessment, in theory and practice, is compatible with middle-school philosophy, stated mission, organizational structure, and instructional models. The challenge is to reexamine program outcomes and decide what middle-level students should know and be…

Some educators believe that authentic, performance-based assessments can drive instructional improvement. The Kentucky Education Reform Act uses a measure-driven instructional approach (the Kentucky Instructional Results Information Program) that evaluates student portfolios in writing and mathematics, achievement on performance events, and scores…

Addresses issues arising concerning work undertaken by the National Center for Education Statistics to begin development of a National Assessment of College Student Learning (NACSL). Reviews assessment forms; identifies conditions assessment of "advanced ability to communicate" should meet; suggests how the communication component of the…

Responds to letters to the editor regarding comments on semantics, psychometrics, and assessment reform regarding authentic assessment of student academic achievements. Suggests that psychometric concerns need to be addressed. (MMU)

Reports the use of the Extended Logistic Model (ELM) of Rasch (D. Andrich, 1988) to validate the reduction of continuous motor-skill data to categorize performance. Data from 332 Australian preprimary and primary school students show that application of the ELM can provide a check on the quality of the rating mechanism. (SLD)

Examines assessment practices in a middle school mathematics classroom using two criteria for authenticity. Uses two frameworks to examine how well assessment practices meet the two criteria and to consider when the two criteria may be at odds. Contains 24 references. (ASK)

Describes the construction of assessments on inclines and friction from blueprints--or shells--which address the tasks of planning, hands-on, analysis, and application. Examines the reliability and validity of the assessments as well as the comparability of the assessments generated with the shell. Contains 48 references. (Author/WRM)

Used a comparative international format to examine the way performance models are applied in higher education in the United States, England, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The theoretical framework draws on understandings of performance measures as normalizing instruments. Discusses the new conceptualizations of…

Presents a historical perspective of performance measurement, describing types of performance measures, and examining their use in municipal parks and recreation agencies, noting that more and more parks and recreation agencies are developing performance measurement plans for all divisions and units. The benefits movement (specifically, benefits…

Examined the effects of concept maps on the task-related variance components of Political Science performance assessments for 187 college students. Task variance components were unchanged across groups using or not using concept maps. But the person main effect components increased and the task-by-person interaction components decreased for those…

This article first presents background information on outcome or performance-based assessment approaches, including use of portfolios, and then examines the feasibility of using portfolios for assessment in university personal health classes. Suggestions for course planning, instruction, and evaluation are offered. (DB)

Discusses the value of Tombari and Borich's work for explaining the need for authentic teaching and assessment practices, providing assessment techniques, and for inspiring inservice training sessions. (JPB)