This training module is intended to clarify the notion of portfolio assessment and help users design such assessments. The rationale for assessment alternatives is presented; and portfolio definitions, characteristics, pitfalls, and design considerations are reviewed. The use of portfolios in large-scale assessments is particularly demanding of…

Data are presented that demonstrate the reliability and construct validity of a 27-item behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) used to rate the performance of 757 nursing assistants in South Carolina. Results support the reliability and construct validity of the BARS and the usefulness of the BARS approach for evaluation. (SLD)

Presents eight themes concerning the superintendents' roles in the 1990s that demand a bold restructuring of school leadership. Future superintendents must project passionate instructional leadership, recapture the focus on student learning, coordinate community child services, redefine success with performance-based assessment, fight for…

A study with more than 1,000 students in grades 3 and 8 explored the advantages of analytical scoring in writing assessment. Cluster analysis revealed 11 patterns of student scores, reflecting different patterns of writing strength and weakness, and replicated across 5 modes of writing. (SLD)

Theme articles focus on the relationship of experiential learning to school-to-work transition, science fair projects, leadership training, performance-based assessment, livestock judging, management instruction for farm women, and instructor preparation. (JOW)

Two studies are reported that measure the long-term stability of performance assessments involving story-writing and poetry-writing (involving grade four and five students) and story-telling (involving grade two students). The long-term stability of these assessments compares favorably with stability figures for other creativity tests. (Author/JDD)

The background of practice and ideology that led to the national curriculum and national assessment in England and Wales is traced, along with the development of national assessment policy. The breakdown, which has resulted in teachers who refuse to conduct the prescribed testing, is described. (SLD)

Provides personal perspectives from teachers about the prospects and problems illuminated by Stanford University's Teacher Assessment Project. Teacher remarks address the portfolio development process, assessment centers, implications for national board certification for teachers, personal thoughts and perspectives on teaching, and the future of…

The stability of scores on 2 types of performance assessments, an observed hands-on investigation and a notebook surrogate, was investigated for 29 sixth graders on 2 occasions. Results indicate that student performance and procedures changed and that generalizability across occasions was moderate. Implications for assessment are discussed. (SLD)

Presents suggestions for using math performance assessments in elementary classrooms to help students develop mathematical thinking skills. The article lists National Council of Teachers of Mathematics evaluation standards for mathematics assessment and describes a number of problem-solving activities for students. (SM)

Using responses of 123 elementary school teachers, a battery of performance-assessment tasks designed to generate responses to reading tests was evaluated from task development and scoring perspectives. More than one dozen types of errors were identified. Practical outcomes of the study and improvement of task development and scoring are…

Examines problems inherent in the overuse of testing as a way to identify giftedness, especially with respect to assessing the culturally diverse. Use of portfolios is suggested as an alternative procedure that can provide a more equitable and culturally fair assessment of the culturally and linguistically diverse child. (SLD)

Unlike traditional objective testing methods, alternative assessments encourage student involvement in real-life problems and challenges. The teacher's role is to help students determine and identify assessment tasks and criteria, participate in ongoing assessment of work in progress, and propose alternative ways to meet criteria. This article…

Two eighth-grade teachers at a Georgia middle school recently redesigned their curriculum to emphasize problem-centered, hands-on learning projects focusing on issues relevant to students. To demonstrate what was learned, students and teachers employed various student projects assessed by using rubrics that define a wide range of acceptable and…

Using authentic assessment means making assessment practices match instructional practices. Biological Sciences Curriculum Study divides assessment into three categories: informal, formative, and summative. Specific strategies are provided for using each assessment type. Teachers are assessing authentically when evaluation becomes an ongoing…