Performance Assessment: What is it and why is it important

1 LEARNING. POINT. Performance Assessment What is it and why is it useful? Various assessment techniques can challenges in using them. This paper Performance assessment' commonly be used to determine what students will describe the major types of refers to substantive activities . know and can do. Before selecting Performance assessments, why either short-term, on-demand tasks the assessment methods to be used, they are useful, challenges in using or curriculum-embedded, proj- however, it is important to determine them, and how these challenges ect-based tasks that yield reliable the purposes for assessment and the might be addressed. and valid scores. Products can be manner in which results will be extended writing, research reports, reported.

2 Assessment method(s) What is Performance presentations, works of art, perfor- need to be selected that are consis- assessment? mances, and more. (p. 1). tent with the purposes and intended As stated in a recent assessment de- uses of the assessment results. sign article (Kahl and Hofman, 2013): Performance assessments are mea- Rather than requiring students to sures on which students are asked Student content knowledge can select a response from two or more to perform in some manner, such as be readily assessed using select- ed-response (multiple-choice) and short-constructed-response items. These assessments are easy to administer and can provide consider- Rather than requiring students to select a able information on student content response from two or more options, knowledge in a relatively short period Performance assessment asks students to of time.

3 However, we often wish to learn more about students' levels of apply their knowledge and skills in creating understanding than just what they some form of product, presentation, or know. This includes learning more demonstration focused on key aspects of about what students understand of concepts they have learned, and academic learning .. Products can be extended having students use what they know writing, research reports, presentations, works to solve novel problems. of art, performances, and more.. One way to accomplish this is by Kahl, S and Hofman, P, (2013). using Performance assessments. These are assessments designed to measure what students are able options, Performance assessment conducting an investigation in to do in relationship to the content asks students to apply their knowl- science, developing a computer standards developed at the state and edge and skills in creating some form program to demonstrate functions in local levels.

4 These are some of the of product, presentation, or demon- mathematics, analyzing source most valuable means of assessing stration focused on key aspects of documents to compare and contrast students, and while they have several academic learning. In the context of different historical points of view in advantages, there are also several 21st century skills the term social studies, developing a September 2017 | This information is aligned with the Assessment Literacy Standards at multi-media presentation in English help the teacher to correct any the prompts (multiple prompts in class, acting out a character in a student misunderstandings, and some cases). This requires more theatrical production, or completing a provide instruction needed to move instructional time to administer the painting in an arts class.

5 The prod- thinking and learning along. assessments, and more teacher time ucts of Performance assessment can to score student responses. These be of many types. They also typically In addition, this type of assessment challenges may increase the cost of require a checklist, a rubric, or some can provide interesting and infor- using these items since teachers may manner for scoring students' mative learning opportunities in need to be reimbursed for addition-al responses to them. themselves to students, especially non-instructional time needed to if students are asked to create a re- score student responses. Major types of Performance sponse to a prompt that is not highly assessment structured.

6 The assessment process Overcoming the challenges can promote deeper student learning There are two major types of There are several ways in which the about the assessment topic, which is Performance assessment: events and challenges might be overcome. First, one reason why using Performance tasks. This division is somewhat if a pool of Performance assessment can help drive improved arbitrary, and it is determined by assessments is developed, teachers student learning and higher student the time needed for assessment and could be asked to select only a hand- achievement. These assessments can whether students are provided the ful of them for use, and to spread out also have the advantage of improving opportunity to revise or improve their their use throughout the school year.

7 Student engagement in their learning initial responses. Both types of This will help to both reduce the since loosely-defined Performance Performance assessment require burden of assessment administration assessment may present so many students to carry out some activity. and better embed the assessments different and interesting ways for students to respond. when instructionally relevant. Scoring Performance Event This is an costs can be rationalized by on-demand Performance assessment on which students are given little or Challenges in using considering these as opportunities for no time to rehearse before Performance assessment professional learning on the part of educators.

8 By collaborating on performing or responding, and limited There are several challenges in scoring, teachers can sharpen their opportunities to improve their initial developing and using Performance understandings of what high - quality Performance . Such assessments assessments. First, because these student performances look like and may take a class period or less assessments can be so meaty . improve their ability to gauge the to administer. ( high quality assessments such as extent of student understandings of these may contain many parts), they Performance Task In this type of the key concepts assessed. take more time and effort to admin- Performance assessment, students ister.

9 In addition, these assessments References have days, weeks, or months to can take more time to score, since Kahl, S & Hofman, P. (2013). Curriculum- prepare a response. The resultant students are creating responses to Embedded Performance Assessment for work may be lengthy and comprise Deeper Learning and Accountability. Dover, NH. multiple parts, involving multiple re- Measured Progress sponses of different types to multiple prompts. Embedded in the task may be written-response items, presenta- To learn more tions, papers, student self-reflections, performances, and so forth. Performance Assessment: Fostering the Learning of Teachers and Students Why Performance Voices in Urban Education (VUE) 2017, No.

10 46. assessment is useful (Annenberg Institute, 2017). This type of assessment is useful because students are asked to Re-balancing assessment: Placing formative and perfor- prepare a unique response to one or mance assessment at the heart of learning and accountability more prompts included in the assessment. This item type helps Peter Hoffman, Bryan Goodwin, Stuart Kahl (McREL, 2015). educators see what students are ac- tually able to do not just what they may know. Well crafted Performance The Best of Both Worlds assessments will help teachers gauge Jack Schneider, Joe Feldman, and Dan French (Kappan, Nov. 2016). the levels of student understanding, The Michigan Assessment Consortium's Assessment Learning Network (ALN), is a professional learning community consisting of members from MI's professional education organizations; the goal of the ALN is to increase the assessment literacy of all of Michigan's professional educators.