Performance Assessment: Moving Beyond the Standardized Test, DVD

In an age of multicultural classrooms and new understandings about multiple intelligences, what role should standardized tests play? And what direction should performance assessment take in tomorrow's schools? In this timeless program, Dr. Art Costa-Professor Emeritus at California State University, Former President of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and a leading proponent of the explicit teaching of thinking-addresses the urgent need to create viable alternatives to standardized tests that can measure creativity, problem-solving, and cooperation. (29 minutes)

Contents

Why Assess Student Achievement? (03:05)
Assessment is helpful in comparing student progress with that of other countries. It also allows the teacher and the student to see progress, and helps the students assess themselves.

Performance Assessment (04:42)
Performance assessment allows the student to apply, transfer and utilize information through performance by demonstrating ability in a subject, such as foreign language, athletics, or music.

Example of Performance Assessment (02:22)
Students cooperate with industry in creative problem-solving that utilizes their skills and demonstrates transference.

Benefits of Performance Assessment (02:47)
While standardized tests appeal to the visual learner, performance testing appeals to a variety of learning styles and gives immediate feedback to the student and the teacher.

Authentic Evidence vs. Test Scores (03:04)
Students present their knowledge and authentic evidence of achievement by presenting portfolios, journals and videotapes to the school board.

Performance Curriculum (01:10)
To reform schools, the curriculum needs to be reformed by teaching students significant information and skills, such as reasoning, creativity, cooperation, perseverance, and more.

Reforming Assessment and Learning (01:51)
Reforming assessment requires changing curriculum, which changes instruction and then changes learning. The enlightened teacher/team needs to be empowered to collect data.

The Public and Assessment Reforms (01:32)
Standardized tests are not accurate indicators of student achievement. School boards and communities need to raise their standards to include a wider range of skills.

Advice to Educators on Assessment (03:14)
Teachers must overcome traditional assessment, learn to communicate and create consensus of what defines desired product, such as attributes of intelligence, problem-solving and creativity.

Restructuring Education (02:12)
America is a nation at-risk. Curriculum and assessment should strive toward higher level thinking skills and self-analyzing autonomy for students.