Performance Assessments

Performance AssessmentsStudents construct responses and knowledgeCreate products, or perform demonstrations to provide evidence of their knowledge and skillAdapt the content knowledge and apply it to a situation based in realityMotivate students with engagement in a scenarioStudents solving problems nurturing critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and problem solving

Why Performance Assessments?Learning should prepare students for life by being an integral part of life itself -- John DeweySimulating real problems and real problem-solving is one way to encourage this connection!Performance assessments give students opportunities to choose among a diverse selection of projects Performance assessments facilitate the creation of learning opportunities based upon students individual interests and strengths Shift from How will we test students on what we have taught? to What performances can we design to see what students can do with what they know?

One of the challenges in teaching is designing, and to be a good designer you have to think about what you're trying to accomplish and craft a combination of the content and the instructional methods, but also the assessment.Grant Wiggins, co-author of Understanding by Design"

Thinking about the academic standardsReflect on the standards that you selected as you designed your instructional unitWhat performances would allow students to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skills identified within the academic standard or assessment anchor?How can students create answers or products to demonstrate knowledge and skills?

Characteristics of Performance AssessmentsStudents as active participants, not passive selectors of a right answerOutcomes should be identified and should guide the design of the taskStudent activities should match the objectives and allow student demonstration of mastery of intended outcomesStudents should actively apply knowledge and skills to reality based situations and scenariosClear set of criteria should be available to help judge the proficiency of student response

Process for Performance Assessment Task DesignReflect on standards identified as you developed your planned instructional unitIdentify observable and measurable indicators for each standardGenerate a meaningful context for the task (real issues, problems, themes, student interest areas)Identify thinking skills or processes that encourage application of knowledge and skillsIdentify student products or performances

Step 1: Standards and OutcomesReflect on standards identified as you developed your planned instructional unitIdentify observable and measurable indicators for each standard

PA Academic Standard for Science and Technology 3.3.10.C: Distinguish among the principles of force and motion.

Identify elements of simple machines in compound machines.

My Academic Standard:

Observable OutcomesMy performance assessment will focus on the ability of my students to: Compare and contrast simple machines to complex machines

Next StepsGenerate a meaningful context for the task (real issues, problems, themes, student interest areas) Identify thinking skills or processes that encourage application of knowledge and skillsIdentify student products or performances

ContextYou are a graphic designer and have been asked to assist in the creation of cartoon characters created in the likeness and movement of simple and complex machines.

ProcessYour goal is to identify a minimum of 8 simple machines and complex machines, observe the workings of these machines, compare and contrast these machines, and determine movements and combinations of movement that could be used to represent these machines.

ProductDevelop cartoon characters as graphical representations of the machines and the movements of these machines. Be sure to distinguish between simple and complex on the graphics, identifying the reasons for the difference. Create a cartoon with your characters telling a story about what makes them the same, and what makes them different!

Criteria for SuccessYour work will be judged by a panel of cartoon designers who will judge the creativity of your work. In addition, an engineer will evaluate your classification and identification of simple and complex machines. A successful result will lead to the creation of a new cartoon series!

Possible Roles for these tasksAdvertiserAuthorPolitical CandidateCartoon CharacterCoachComposerFilmmakerTeacherLawyerNewscasterPhotographerDetectiveInterviewerResearcherPlaywrightPark RangerTour GuideTravel AgentNutritionistBoard MemberCatererTranslatorEngineerScientistDoctorFire FighterPolice Officer

Possible products for these tasksAdvertisementBrochurePuzzleMagazine ArticleMemoPosition PaperPoemQuestionnaireStoryTestJournalBlogMovieDiscussionSkitSpeechSongDanceNewscastPlayAdvertisementCollageCollectionGraphicDiagramModelMapPaintingPhotograph

Model for the development of performance assessmentsIdentify Setting and Role:You are..You have. been asked toYour job isGoal or ChallengeYour task isThe goal isThe problem/challengeProduct/PerformanceYou will createIn order toYou need to developSo thatYou need to decideFor

AudienceYour clients areYour audience will beYou will work to convinceCriteria for SuccessYour performance needs toWill be judged byShould meet the following standardsA successful result will

Using Wiggins and McTigues GRASPS to develop Performance AssessmentsGoalRoleAudienceSituationProductStandards for Success