Authentic Assessment combines performance tasks that are relevant to students' lives with the need for accountability. The book explores common mandated language arts expectations and shows teachers how to choose meaningful activities that will guide students toward achieving important learning outcomes. This practical approach to task design includes suggestions for planning through evaluating and generating a mark, as well as sensible ways to use assessment results to improve instructional practice.
The book presents:
- a thorough, constructive background for authentic assessment of student work;
- clear definitions of terms related to assessment and evaluation;
- a step-by-step process for developing performance-based tasks;
- strategies for relating tasks to goals and expectations;
- numerous activities that can be used as is or adapted for specific needs.
Designed for the busy teacher, the book includes ready-to-copy and use planning sheets, rubrics, and student surveys. Excellent samples of student work based on performance tasks complement this timely book.