Presents an interview with Grant Wiggins, executive director of an educational consulting group. Discusses performance assessment and authenticity in testing. Addresses topics such as the student as worker, diploma as exhibition of mastery, authenticity of assessment, fairness, and skill as opposed to knowledge. Urges examining desired social…

Describes a case study to determine whether performance tests are a feasible alternative to multiple-choice tests. Examines the difficulties of administering and scoring performance assessments. Explains that the study employed three performance tests and one multiple-choice test. Concludes that performance test administration and scoring was no…

It is argued that establishing assessment criteria in teacher evaluation is not synonymous with demonstrating content validity. Validity and standards-related issues in developing teacher performance assessment criteria are discussed, with reference to the Praxis Series of professional assessments for beginning teachers. (SLD)

The context and development of the assessment center exercises used in the field of secondary history and social studies under Connecticut's Teacher Assessment Center Program are reviewed. Preliminary findings suggest success in designing an assessment that combines the knowledge from formal instruction with the skills gained through classroom…

Industry's experience with performance appraisal and performance management are examined, and a University of New South Wales (Australia) performance management program for general staff is discussed. The issues raised appear to be common to universities, and it is concluded that the approach is unlikely to work effectively in the university…

Reviews alternative assessment practices in several nations and questions whether these techniques should be used in the United States. Focuses on moderation, a technique in which trained evaluators adjust grades to ensure equitable distribution among participating schools. Concludes that evaluation in art education presents special problems and…

Analyzes the concept and purposes of school delivery standards. Argues against using school delivery standards for accountability, but supports school process standards to create a vision of what education can be. School performance standards that lead to school input and process indicators would provide useful insights. (SLD)

Performance assessment is discussed as it relates to evaluation of clinical performance in medical education. Issues include the meaning of reliability and validity in performance assessment and the balance between them, including simple vs. complex behaviors; stability of performance; specific vs. generic abilities; and experts' roles in clinical…

The power of an adult developmental perspective for educators is discussed and its relevance to teacher evaluation explored. The conversation among four Florida school districts about teacher evaluation, professional development, and school improvement shows their interest in methods to allow adults to participate in shaping their own professional…

Teachers must learn to distinguish among performance assessments of different quality and appropriateness. Design criteria (cognitive complexity, linguistic appropriateness, content quality and coverage, and meaningfulness) are judged by examining assessment tasks and scoring rubrics. Effects criteria (transfer, generalizability, instructional…

A quiz is presented that may call the attention of school personnel to regression effects in educational measurement, and clarify the meaning of statistical regression for educators in schools. Ten questions and their answers explore regression in the contexts of classroom testing, grading, and performance assessment. (SLD)

Describes teachers' efforts at a New Jersey middle school to learn alternative assessment strategies and implement a portfolio system. As they became more student-centered and interdisciplinary colleagues, these teachers realized they needed new student assessment tools. Portfolio neophytes are advised to start small and simple, using a limited…

Teachers at an interdisciplinary magnet middle school in Pensacola, Florida, collaboratively developed performance assessments to help them evaluate defined student processes and outcomes shown in student writings, oral and electronic presentations, and other portfolio offerings. In interdisciplinary schools, collaboration between curricula and…

Two extensions of the Mantel Haenszel procedure that may be useful in assessing differential item functioning (DIF) are explored. Simulation results showed that, for both inferential procedures, the studied item should be included in the matching variable, as in the dichotomous case. (SLD)

Describes how conceptual frameworks, portfolio assessment, and faculty mentoring were used to transition a teacher preparation program to a standards-based approach, explaining that standards-based teacher education and authentic assessments have the potential to greatly change teacher preparation programs, though there must be ways to ensure that…