Assessment theorists and academics alike espouse the importance of feedback on performance assessment tasks for supporting improvement and progress in student learning achievement. Despite these espoused ideals, students claim a lack of adequate, timely feedback and their teachers claim that students fail to heed the advice given. This paper…

This article explores the impact of high-stakes gate-keeping assessments (of both K-12 students and new teachers) on teacher development of equitable teaching practices. Drawing from two studies of field experiences in Washington State--one of teacher interns and one of cooperating teachers--findings include that state level policies in response…

Background: Research into teacher expectations has shown that these have an effect on student achievement. Some researchers have explored the impact of various student characteristics on teachers' expectations. One attribute of interest is ethnicity. Aims: This study aimed to explore differences in teachers' expectations and judgments of student…

This paper presents a comparison of performance auditing and evaluation. It is the product of a collaboration between the senior evaluator from the Office of Research and Evaluation in the Austin Independent School District (Texas) and the senior auditor of Austin's City Auditor's Office. These officials were required to work together when the…

The articles in this bibliography represent holdings to date in the area of assessment alternatives in mathematics. The annotated articles are intended mainly to stimulate thinking and provide ideas. Some of the entries are formal assessments and are intended mainly for the classroom. Other articles discuss performance based assessment and other…

This book offers portraits of portfolio keepers--from first graders to university sophomores and graduate students, from teachers in graduate classes to administrators in public schools--as they learn how to use portfolios. The book's introductory chapter looks at shifting definitions of portfolios and offers seven principles to ensure growth of…

This study explored the application of authentic discovery laboratory techniques in the teaching of motor learning with 35 undergraduate students. Students received either the traditional theory driven protocol during the laboratory component of a required motor learning class or were asked to complete the laboratory component utilizing "consider"…

Establishing and refining a framework for performance assessment is especially difficult in large-scale settings that can involve hundreds of judges and thousands of students. This presentation advocates the interactive use of two complementary analytic perspectives and illustrates the approach in the context of the College Entrance Examination…

The "Principles and Indicators for Student Assessment Systems" of the National Forum on Assessment, 1995, proposes a view of testing and assessment in elementary and secondary education that challenges the basic concepts and practices underlying the "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" of the American…

More and more, schools are looking to student portfolios as a valid, reliable, and authentic form of assessment. This collection offers practical, well-researched answers to a variety of philosophical, organizational, and implementational questions surrounding portfolio assessment. Articles in the first section provide a rationale for student…

The focus on practical investigations in the National Curriculum is seen to be important if students are to attain a connoisseurship in science experimentation. The chain of processes involved in doing real science involves: non-linear thinking; creative flair; and critical evaluation within an authentic setting. The research presented in this…

Although few question the positive impacts alternative forms of assessment can have on instruction, concerns about the psychometric quality of data obtained from such assessments are taking their toll. Scoring issues are at the heart of many of these concerns. This paper addresses the causes of these concerns: misinformation about psychometric…

Intended for teachers who have asked for information on how to manage a multi-age classroom, this book outlines the ideal classroom as it exists when all of the multi-age components are put in place. Opening sections of the guide discuss creating the multi-age classroom, and the advantages and principles of multi-age instruction. The next sections…

This paper reports the results of a large-scale portfolio pilot in which over 2,000 secondary students submitted portfolios in language arts, mathematics, and science classes. Students were asked to select work for their portfolios based on the criteria that would be used to evaluate the work. Students also reflected on how their work satisfied…

The research question addressed in this paper concerns the degree to which teachers use authentic pedagogy, i.e., teaching strategies that foster authentic learning. Three questionnaires were developed, covering four characteristics of authentic pedagogy: (1) the construction of knowledge in complete task environments; (2) the connection to the…