Performance-Based Assessment: A Tool for Long-Lasting Learning

By Kathryn Lakin

Summer 2023 Intern

Introduction

Traditional assessment methods in education have relied on standardized tests, which often prioritize memorization of information over tests of creative thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills. Last spring, half a million parents across the country opted their children out of their annual standardized state tests.[1] Now, assessment methods are changing as more and more educators promote and implement performance-based assessments in their schools. Unlike traditional testing that focuses on memorization, performance-based assessment measures students' capacity to perform tasks or generate their own responses, mirroring the skills needed in college-level analysis papers and workplace scenarios. Performance-based assessment is designed to enable students to apply their content knowledge to practical situations. It assesses their ability to think critically, solve problems and engage in analytical tasks. This approach aligns education with real-world demands, preparing students for success beyond the classroom.

Designing Assessments

Successfully implementing performance-based assessment requires a structured approach. While performance-based assessment does not rely on multiple-choice style tests with only one correct response, determining the standards of the assessment is crucial for evaluation purposes. The first step is to clearly define performance outcomes or learning targets. These specific objectives guide the development of assessment tasks and ensure alignment with educational goals. When educators precisely define outcomes, they eliminate possible confusion and make it easier for those designing the assessments to create tasks that accurately measure the desired outcomes. This process involves creating tasks that challenge students to think critically and apply their knowledge effectively.

To ensure consistency and objectivity in evaluations, common scoring rubrics are essential. These rubrics provide clear criteria for grading, making the assessment process fairer and more transparent. By implementing shared assessment criteria, educators can reliably measure students' performance across multiple classrooms and schools. To ensure accurate and consistent scoring, teachers may view pre-graded sample responses to gain a better understanding of the rubric and calibrate grading protocol with other educators. Calibration sessions help align scorers' interpretations, ensuring fairness in evaluation.[2]

Benefits of Performance Based-Assessment

Performance-based assessment initiatives provide students with opportunities to demonstrate deeper learning competencies. Across a consortium of schools in California that tested the method, educators reported that performance-based assessment promotes personal growth and social-emotional skills, such as perseverance, creative problem-solving and openness to new information and perspectives. Performance-based assessments that aligned with district curriculum and instructional practices positively impacted student success and resulted in a deeper understanding of the material.[3]

Performance-based assessment has gained significant support from educators and the profession due to its numerous benefits. According to a study from the Stanford School Redesign Network, 90% of principals said that performance-based assessments were useful in judging school performance and 40% of teachers reported that open-response items and portfolios have had a positive impact on instruction. These assessment methods offer valuable insights into students' thought processes, allowing teachers to better understand students’ strengths and areas for growth. Additionally, performance-based assessment is consistent with modern learning theories, supporting the adoption of best practices by educators.[4] Performance-based assessment has received support and recognition from educational associations like the American Federation of Teachers . More schools, including the coalition of schools in the New York Performance Standards Consortium , have also implemented these assessments.[5]

Equitable Assessment

Performance-based assessment proved a more equitable system of evaluation than traditional testing when implemented across the consortium of schools in New York City. Performance-based assessment fosters a sense of deeper engagement with material and a decrease in cultural bias due to its elimination of simple answers in favor of acknowledging the complexities and contradictions of the world. Additionally, performance-based assessments have tangible, positive effects on academic performance in racially and culturally diverse school districts. The implementation of equitable performance-based assessments resulted in an increased graduation rate for Black and Latino students that was 10% higher than in all New York City public schools. Exposure to performance-based assessments also benefited students in the college search and admissions process, with 86% of Black male graduates and 90% of Latino male graduates from consortium schools receiving acceptances to colleges versus 37% and 42% nationally. Thanks to these quantifiable improvements for students of color, performance-based assessment systems have received praise from civil rights groups for contributing to more equitable educational practices.?

A study by the Learning Policy Institute stressed the fact that strong support structures are necessary to achieve equitable outcomes in performance-based assessment for all students. This includes access to mentorship, peer support and adequate preparation time. Equitable support structures are vital to ensuring that all students can benefit from this assessment method, preparing them for success in higher education and the workforce.[6] By addressing disparities in resources and opportunities, educational institutions can foster inclusivity and ensure all students can thrive under the performance-based assessment system.

Publishing Solutions Group

Publishing Solutions Group is here to help you design and implement various types of assessment, including multiple choice tests, essays, and performance tasks. With over 20 years of educational content creation experience, our staff can assist with everything from passage creation to providing scoring rubrics for essays and other performance-based assessments. PSG is ready to help you strengthen the future of assessment and bring more equitable, skill-focused assessments into the classroom.[7]

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References

Barlowe, Avram and Ann Cook, “Putting the Focus on Student Engagement,” American Educator, vol. 40, no. 1, (2016): https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1094334.

“Content Solutions,” Publishing Solutions Group. https://publishingsolutionsgroup.com/solutions/

“Educating for the 21st Century: Data Report on the New York Performance Standards Consortium.” New York Civil Liberties Union (2012): https://www.nyclu.org/sites/default/ files/releases/testing_consortium_report.pdf.

Layton, Lyndsey, “At least 500,000 students in 7 states sat out standardized tests this past spring,” The Washington Post (2015): https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/at-least-500ooo-students-in-7-states-sat-out-standardized-tests-this-past-spring/2015/11/18/356db342-8e15-11e5-ae1f-af46b7df8483_story.html.

Maier, Anna et. al., “Using Performance Assessments to Support Student Learning,” Learning Policy Institute (2020): https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/cpac-performance-assessments-support-student-learning-report.

“The Prize for Solution-Driven Unionism.” American Federation of Teachers (2013): https://www.aft.org/about/sdu.

“What Is Performance-Based Assessment?” School Redesign Network at Stanford University (2008): https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/events/materials/2011-06-linked-learning-performance-based-assessment.pdf.

[1] Layton, “At least 500,000 students…”

[2] “What Is Performance-Based Assessment?,” 4.

[3] Maier et. al., 37.

[4] “What Is Performance-Based Assessment?,” 2.

[5] “The Prize for Solution-Driven Unionism.”

[6] Maier et. al., ix.

[7] https://publishingsolutionsgroup.com/solutions/content/