The Republic of the Marshall Islands Public School System, requested information about alternative assessment evaluation, including detail on performance and competency-based assessment. In response, this high-level scan from the Region 19 Comprehensive Center identifies example tools and measures along with key resources and references. Also…

Although there is no globally accepted definition to guide micro-credential activity in higher education, many seek to boost the employability prospects of earners. To do this well, micro-credentials need to indicate skills and competencies. Assessment ensures those skills and competencies are verified, enabling trust and communication in the…

Students need far more than traditional academic skills to succeed in school, work and civic life. Decades of discussion about the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors that facilitate success in the information age have produced consensus that students should learn 21st century competencies. However, many schools struggle to meaningfully…

New Hampshire's Performance Assessment of Competency Education (PACE) innovative assessment system uses student scores from classroom performance assessments as well as other classroom tests for school accountability purposes. One concern is that not having annual state testing may incentivize schools and teachers away from teaching the breadth of…

Competency-based education that uses direct assessment in lieu of credit or clock hours as the measure of student learning is a relatively recent innovation in American higher education. Common features of these innovative programs include competency-based curriculum, authentic assessment, mastery learning, student self-pacing, federal financial…

Higher Education faces challenges in providing learning experiences and cultivating competencies in our modern environment. Academic discourse centres on tutoring automation, a complicated educational dilemma in the age of Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Artificial Intelligence. Establishing a structured technique for real competency…

Simulated testing has become more prevalent in higher education, especially as competency-based institutions begin to incorporate micro-credentials and skills certificates into their curriculum. Competency-based assessment falls outside traditional norm-based testing practices used in K-12 education, and is largely focused on criterion referenced…

Personalized learning (PL) has been internationally promoted as a future direction of educational reform efforts. While there is growing evidence of PL enhancing learning outcomes, teachers reported having difficulty envisioning PL in practice. This national survey study investigated how PL is practiced in K-12 learner-centered schools in the U.S.…

This issue brief discusses opportunities for states under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to redesign systems of assessments to support student-centered learning. In addition, this brief introduces "balanced systems of assessments" and "assessment literacy" as two key concepts required for long-term sustainable systems…

In New Hampshire, a new performance assessment system focuses on reciprocal accountability and shared leadership among teachers and leaders at the school, district, and state levels. This concept of reciprocal accountability, developed by school improvement expert Richard Elmore, is at the core of New Hampshire's Performance Assessment of…

Western Governors University (WGU) is an online competency-based university in which students demonstrate content competence through a series of assessments. Assessments most often are performance-based or objective assessments that are developed in accordance with specific content objectives. Objective assessments generally assess lower-level…

Just as testing generally is not the answer to the multifaceted problems facing contemporary American education, performance assessment is no panacea. Before embracing this new evaluation method, educators should assess the movement's claims, costs, and characteristics. At present, both goals and costs are uncertain. (30 references) (MLH)

Discusses President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act and addresses the flaws of the program. Addresses the program's focus on student assessments, relationship between assessment and accountability, and mandated assessments for public school. Also discusses how the program does not affect private and religious schools. (MZ)

The purpose and evolution of educational assessment are considered. Alternatives to standardized assessment include performance assessment, authentic assessment, and portfolio assessment. Issues concerning outcomes of the assessment revolution include appropriate standards, associated changes in curricula and grading, and questions regarding…

Outlines five popular alternative assessment measures that can be used to provide a multidimensional perspective of students' educational needs and enhance instructional programming, including portfolio assessment, performance-based assessment, authentic assessment, curriculum-based assessment, and criterion-referenced assessment. Guidelines for…