Authentic Assessment Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Education Creighton University

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Skill Goals As a result of participating in this workshop, participants will be able to: Define “Assessment.” Use assessment to inform teaching and learning. Identify appropriate strategies to evaluate student learning, including test development and alternative assessments. Provide examples of a variety of assessment techniques and tools. Provide examples of rubrics and resources for rubric development.

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Assessment: “The systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development.” -Scritchfield (2002) -Scritchfield, S.A. (2002). Assessment of student learning: What,how, why bother. Workshop sponsored by Office for Excellence in Teaching, Learning & Assessment.

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D

5 Often the long-range goal is far downstream and difficult to measure because of the many intervening variables and time constraints within funding and reporting periods.

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Fairness in classroom assessment refers to giving all students an equal chance to show what they know and can do!! NEA Professional Standards and Practice

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Written Tests Paper & pencil or computer Essay or objective Standardized achievement Criterion-referenced

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Assessment Terms “Alternative” - one of several possibilities; another option. Any type of assessment in which students create a response to a question, rather than choosing a response from a given list.

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D “Authentic” Tests should involve real-life tasks, performances, or challenges that replicate the problems faced by an expert in a particular field. Students should understand up-front the criteria on which their work will be judged and be able to apply the criteria to their work. Students should be asked to demonstrate their control over the essential knowledge being taught by actually using the information in a way that reveals their level of understanding.

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Assessment Methods Observations Oral Questions Written Tasks Tests Class Presentations Extended Problem- Solving Projects Take-Home Tests Homework Journals Group Work Portfolios Standardized Achievement Tests Student Interviews Focus Groups Performance Tests Criterion-References Tests

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Making Assessments based on Observations

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D The Primary Components of Performance Assessment 1. Context: What performance will you evaluate? 2. Criteria: By what standards will you judge proficiency? How will these standards be determined? 3. Method: How will you elicit this performance so that you can observe it? How will you rate performance and create a record of your assessment? Who shall evaluate the performance?

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Performance Based Curriculum Key Quality Points Students are given quality models of performance based upon real-world examples of excellence. Students practice toward, and teachers teach toward those models. Criteria are clearly stated and set in advance. High standards are set and maintained and additional instructional support provided, for all students to meet standards. Students have the opportunity to reflect and practice self evaluation. The engagement and motivation factors that have traditionally involved students in sports and the arts are applied to academic endeavors.

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Criteria for Good Alternative Assessment National Research Centers (1993) A Tool Kit for Professional Developers: Alternative Assessment. Laboratory Network Program. Coverage Performance Criteria Sampling/ Representativeness/ Generalizability Tasks Extraneous Interference Fairness and Rater Bias Consequences/ Validity Cost and Efficiency.

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Performance Assessment Criteria for success: Content Details Quality, etc Rubric ers.org/index.php ers.org/index.php Checklist Reliability Validity

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Perceptual Data: views, judgments, or appraisals from an individual’s perspective (Bernhardt, 1998). Focus Groups Interviews Surveys Bernhardt, Victoria L. (1998). Data Analysis for Comprehensive Schoolwide Improvement. Larchmont, NY: Eye On Education, 292 pages.

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving!!

“Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.” - Albert Einstein

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Analyzing Focus Group Information Memory-Based Analysis Note-Based Analysis Tape-Based Analysis Transcript-Based Analysis

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D FOCUS GROUP ANALYSIS Least time- intensive Most- rigorous Most time- intensive Most- rigorous Memory- based Note-basedTape-based Transcript - Based Focus Groups, Second Edition: A Practical Guide for Applied Research. Krueger, R Sage Publications. Thousand Oaks, CA

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Portfolio Assessment Students compose a portrait of themselves as able learners, selecting and presenting evidence that they have met the learning standards for individual classes and for the broader learning tasks.

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D Final Thoughts Alternative assessment is not automatically better assessment. Alternatives have advantages and disadvantages. Take a balanced approach to assessment. Design alternative assessments to be tools for learning and teaching.

Lynne E. Houtz, Ph.D It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters in the end.” “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters in the end.” Ursula K. Le Guin