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This resource is so great for really any time you are working in a classroom where behavior changes, MTSS, or just any source of help when it comes to handing behavior in the classroom.LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS RESOURCE

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PBIS World | A Complete Tier 1 Through Tier 3 Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports System

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PBIS World is in no way affiliated, associated, or connected with any other website, entity, organization, or federal, state, local, or other government agency, department, program, policy, organization, or initiative.

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Pages 1 & 5 of Understanding the Role of Assessments in Learning 

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Pages 1 & 5 of Understanding the Role of Assessments in Learning 

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Understanding the Role of Assessment in Learning (queensu.ca)
This resource is defining and putting a deeper meaning of assessments in the classroom.

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Why Is Assessment Important? | Edutopia

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7 Things That Educators Should Know About Assessment and Evaluation - The Edvocate (theedadvocate.org)

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PPAT- The PPAT is an online portfolio that measures teachers abilities and readiness to teach
SLO- SLO stands for Student Learning Objective. Which is something that you make when you are writing a portfolio on your classroom.

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PPAT Assessment Task 2 Requirements (ets.org)

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Three_Parts_of_an_SLO_-_SLOHandbook_aspx (nctq.org)
EXAMPLE OF 🤬>https://suu.instructure.com/courses/675467/files/111898023?wrap=1

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RTI stands for Response to Intervention, which is a multiple tiered process to the early identification/support of students with learning and behavior disabilities and needs.

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MTSS stands for Multi Tiered System of Support which is a bunch of teams of people who become resources and support when working with students with learning and behavior needs.

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Utah State Office of Education (Links and resources) 

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Utah State Office of Education (Links and resources) 

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- Utah Multi-Tiered System of Supports (UMTSS)
- Utah MTSS 3-Tier Critical Components Definitions
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Utah's Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Mathematics

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5d9cb4fa139dea541b717452_PCBS Data Brief 10.7.19.pdf (website-files.com)

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This is specifically for Dyslexia and the multitiered support that can be provided to those students.

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This is a resource helps with MTSS and Action Planning. 

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This is a resource helps with MTSS and Action Planning. 

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This resource guides you through MTSS action planning, you would use this when planning for students behaviors.

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The IRIS's are full of their own resources and definitions.
IRIS | RTI (Part 1): An Overview (vanderbilt.edu)
IRIS | RTI (Part 2): Assessment (vanderbilt.edu)

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This is a quick little form for intervention for your students

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j

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Guidelines_for_Selecting_Appropriate_Tests.pdf (ceuonestop.com)

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Bell Curve Examples

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Bell Curve with Different Types of Scores (3)

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Bell Curve with Derived Measures and Visual 

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Resource: Mean, median, mean, range, and standard deviation. 

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Resource: Mean, median, mean, range, and standard deviation. 

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Mode, Median, Mean, Range, and Standard Deviation (1.3)

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https://suu.instructure.com/courses/675467/files/111898016/download?download_frd=1

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WJIV Cognitive and Achievement article and summary

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National Association for Gifted Children Article on Tests and Assessments 

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National Association for Gifted Children Article on Tests and Assessments 

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Tests should be aligned within the characteristics of gifted and talented students within a specific domain area. The variety of characteristics within the federal definition-intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, and specific academic fields-require more than one assessment to identify. Quantitative instruments such as those listed below use scores to describe the student's performance in relation to others or the degree to which a student possesses a particular characteristic in relation to a standard level of performance.

Achievement Tests

Achievement tests determine what the students already have learned and if they are more advanced than their grade level peers. They may be academic specific (i.e. Math or Language Arts) or standardized tests (such as SATs, ITBS, SRA, and MATs). These assessments should not have a ceiling so students are able to show all of what they know. Tests specifically designed for the gifted population include Test of Mathematical Abilities for Gifted Students or Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary Students (SAGES).

Ability Tests

Intelligence quotient (IQ) or cognitive abilities test scores are also used to identify gifted and talented students. While these tests provide information for the intellectual domain, these tests are not as helpful in identifying someone with creative, leadership, or other abilities. Typical ability tests include:
Individual
Nonverbal tests, such as the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test or the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, may be more effective for students from culturally and linguistically different or low-income backgrounds to eliminate barriers.
Group

CogAT

Otis-Lennon

Hemmon-Nelson

Ravens Progressive Matrices

Matrix Analogies Test

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Tests are common assessment tools for identification, but should not serve as the sole source of identification. Tests often exclude underserved gifted students who are English Language Learners (ELLs), disabled, or from minority or low-income backgrounds.

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Kindergarten

Utah's Kindergarten Entry and Exit Profile (KEEP) is intended to inform various stakeholders, such as parents, teachers, and leadership, on the academic and social-emotional development of entering and exiting kindergarten students. The information gained from the profile will be used to:

provide insights into current levels of academic and social-emotional performance upon entry and exit of kindergarten,

identify students in need of early intervention instruction and promote differentiated instruction for all students,

analyze the effectiveness of programs, such as extended-day kindergarten and preschool,

provide opportunities for data-informed decision-making and cost-benefit analysis of early learning initiatives,

identify effective instructional practices or strategies for improving student achievement outcomes in a targeted manner, and

understand the influence and impact of full-day kindergarten on at-risk students in both the short- and long-term.

Administrative Rule

R277-489: Kindergarten Entry and Exit Assessment. Enhanced Kindergarten Program
Utah State Board of Education Administrative Rules

Assessment Administration Windows

KEEP Entry

Entry (Beginning of Year): 3 weeks before the first day of school until 3 weeks after Kindergarten starts

Data entry due by September 30, 2022

KEEP Exit

Exit (End of Year): Last 4 weeks of Kindergarten

Data entry due by June 15, 2023

Reports
KEEP School Year 2022-2023 KEEP School Year 2021-2022 Utah's 2020-2021 KEEP Report Utah's 2019-2020 KEEP Report Utah's 2018-2019 KEEP Report Utah's 2017-2018 KEEP Report
Testing Materials

KEEP Entry
Utah's KEEP: Student Materials Utah's KEEP Entry: Test Administration Manual Utah KEEP Data Entry: Getting Started
KEEP Exit
Utah's KEEP: Student Materials Utah's KEEP Exit: Test Administration Manual KEEP Exit Additional Guidance Questions 7 and 13 Scoring
Alternate KEEP
Guide to the Kindergarten Entry and Exit Alternate Assessment (KEEPAA) For Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (SCD) KEEP Alternate Assessment Literacy and Numeracy Rubric KEEPAA (Presentation)
Resources
KEEP Cut Scores
Training Information

KEEP Trainings
YouTube

Self-directed Canvas Training
Enroll in KEEP Entry Training Enroll in KEEP Exit Training
Contact

Teresa McEntire
Elementary English Language Arts Assessment Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7542 | E-mail

Readiness Improvement Success Empowerment (RISE)

The RISE assessment is a computer adaptive criterion referenced assessment system that includes summative tests for English Language Arts (ELAs), Mathematics, Science, and Writing. The summative tests are scheduled to be delivered to the following grades.

Portal
Utah RISE Portal
Testing Window Information

Testing Window information for the RISE Assessment is broken down in the Assessment Director Resource Guide.
2023-2024 Assessment Director Resource Guide
Training

RISE Trainings
YouTube

Contacts

Utah Aspire Plus

The Utah Aspire Plus assessment is a hybrid of ACT Aspire and Utah Core test items. It is a computer delivered, fixed form end-of-grade-level high school assessment for students in 9 and 10. Utah Aspire Plus includes four subtests:

Students receive predicted ACT score ranges for each subtest, as well as an overall predicted composite ACT score range. The assessment also provides proficiency scores for end-of-grade-level expectations for 9th and 10th grade students in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.

Portal
Utah Aspire Plus Portal
Testing Window

Testing Window information for the Utah Aspire Plus Assessment is broken down in the 2023-2024 Assessment Director Resource Guide.

Testing Times

Tests cannot be divided into sections. Each test must be completed in one sitting, unless a student has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 accommodation for stop-the-clock breaks or for securely extending the test over multiple days.

Access blueprints, reporting guides, sample reports and other reporting resources.

Additional Reporting Resources
Pearson Education, Utah Aspire Plus

Resources
ACT College and Career Readiness Standards
Training

Utah Aspire Plus Trainings
YouTube

Contacts

High School (HS) Core Benchmarks

Utah Core Standards Benchmarks for Grades 9-12

The Utah Core Standards Benchmark Assessments are a productivity tool for Utah teachers and students that focus on specific strands within the Utah Core Standards. The Benchmarks are testlets-typically between 8 and 15 items, depending on the content area-that are designed to give teachers and students an opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses with specific knowledge, skills, and abilities outlined in the Utah Core Standards.

Available Benchmarks

The following are available as part of the Utah Core Standards Benchmark Assessments:

Biology

Chemistry

Earth and Space Science

Physics

Reading Informational

Reading Informational 10

Reading Literature 9

Reading Literature 10

Listening Comprehension 9

Listening Comprehension 10

Editing 9

Editing 10

Secondary Mathematics I

Secondary Mathematics II

Secondary Mathematics III

If you have any questions, please contact Aliese Fry at aliese.fry@schools.utah.gov or Kim Rathke at kim.rathke@schools.utah.gov.

WIDA

Utah is a member state of the WIDA Consortium. WIDA advances academic language development and academic achievement for children and youth who are culturally and linguistically diverse through high quality WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards, assessments, research, and professional learning for educators. Utah uses WIDA Screener for Kindergarten and WIDA Screener Online (Grades 1-12) identify English Learners (ELs). Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State (ACCESS) for English Language Learners (ELLs) is given to all EL students during the annual testing window to measure proficiency and growth toward academic language proficiency in English.

All who administer WIDA assessments must completed the online test administer trainings annually. It is the responsibility of the LEA to ensure these trainings are being completed in the WIDA Secure Portal.

ACCESS Testing Requirements

ACCESS for ELLs Online is Utah's online summative assessment of EL students. It is developed and maintained by WIDA.

This assessment is administered for a number of purposes:

to measure individual students' progress in achieving proficiency in speaking, listening to, comprehending, reading, and writing academic English,

to determine the success of language development programs in individual schools and school districts, and

to fulfill federal requirements of The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 and Title III law.

All EL students must be tested annually using the ACCESS assessment. When students earn an Overal Composite score of 4.2 or higher with a Speaking score of 3.5 or higher, they are considered fluent in English. Students are then re-designated to monitoring status for four years. Students are not required to take the ACCESS assessment during these four years of monitoring. The Local Education Agency (LEA) may use appropriate data, evaluation, and team-based problem solving to consider reclassifying the student as EL if, while in monitoring status, the student demonstrates consistent and continued need for increased language support services.

For students in grades 1 through 12, LEAs are required to give WIDA ACCESS for ELLs Summative Assessment. ACCESS Paper is allowable for students with specific needs (e.g. students with disabilities; recently arrived English Learners, such as immigrant and refugee students).

Students with significant cognitive disabilities who take Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Utah State Board of Education Special Education Accessibility, are eligible for WIDA Alternate ACCESS for ELLs.

Students in Kindergarten are administered WIDA Kindergarten ACCESS for ELLs.

Screener Testing Requirements

LEAs are required to administer a WIDA Screener to newly enrolled students who indicate on the home language survey that they speak any language other than English. Screener is available to LEAs all year; however, federal and state law requires that students must be administered Screener within 30 days of enrollment within the first month of school, and within 10 days of enrollment thereafter. Screener should only be administered once during a student's enrollment in Utah schools.

Students are eligible for EL services if they earn a score of 1-4.9 on Screener for grades K-12.

For students in grades 1 through 12, LEAs are required to give WIDA Screener Online. WIDA Screener Paper is allowable for students with specific needs (e.g. students with disabilities; recently arrived English Learners, such as immigrant and refugee students). Both Screener online and Screener Paper are provided by Utah State Board of Education at no cost to LEAs.

Students in Kindergarten are given the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten.

WIDA Measure of Developing English Language (MODEL) is also an acceptable tool for screening for grades K-12 that can be purchased by the LEA.

2023-2024 Test Dates

Screener: Available all year

ACCESS Testing Window: January 8, 2024 through March 8, 2024

Detailed ACCESS Dates
WIDA

2023-2024 Professional Development and Training

Register through Massively Integrated Data Analytics System (MIDAS) using Course Number 62899.

The following trainings will be available in person, in a hybrid, or in a virtual setting:

Self-Paced Workshops in the WIDA Secure Portal: September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024
Interpreting ACCESS for ELLs Score Reports for Instruction (in-person): September 14, 2023
Nurturing Speaking Growth (webinars and self-paced): November 2, 2023 through November 9, 2023
ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator (webinar): November 15, 2023
Alternate ACCESS Overview (webinar): November 15, 2023
Scaffolding Learning through Language (webinars): November 30, 2023, December 7, 2023, and December 14, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Do LEAs have to screen students arriving from another WIDA state and have previous WIDA ACCESS scores?
Yes, students need to be screened in order to qualify for EL services in Utah.

If a student lived in Utah, moved out of state, then returned to a Utah school, do they need to be screened?

Yes, if it is during 2 different school years.

No, if it is during the same school year.

If a student arrives in Utah from another WIDA state and reached an Overall Composite score of 4.2 or higher with a Speaking score of 3.5 or higher on their ACCESS test, do they need to be screened?

Yes, to ensure they do or do not need EL services in Utah.

What Screener grade band should be used?
Please see the Online Screener TAM grade band for guidance.

Are LEAs be required to purchase Kindergarten Screener kits?
No, all materials are available in the WIDA Secure Portal for printing. If LEAs want professionally printed materials on high quality paper, they will be responsible for purchasing those materials through the WIDA Store.

When can LEAs begin using the Kindergarten Screener?
July 1 prior to the new school year

Resources
ACCESS Native Language Codes Utah Identification and Placement Guide
Utah Testing Ethics Policy (Testing Policies and Reporting Obligations)
Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) - WIDA's scoring and materials handling contractor. All ACCESS testing materials are ordered through DRC, and all testing materials are subsequently returned to DRC for scoring.
Utah WIDA Website WIDA Website WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS)
To request WIDA or DRC Accounts

WIDA Secure Portal Permissions:

Test Administrators should contact LEA Test Coordinator for permissions.

WIDA DRC/AMS Permissions:

Test Administrators should contact LEA Test Coordinator for permissions.

District Testing Coordinator Permissions:

LEA Assessment Directors, Testing Coordinators, and Alternate Language Services (ALS) Directors should contact the below state assessment contacts for WIDA and WIDA AMS accounts and permissions.

Contact Us

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Another WJIV resource

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The Construct of Adaptive Behavior -Article

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ABAS- Adaptive Behavior Assessment System 

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ABAS- Adaptive Behavior Assessment System 

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SPED Classification Evaluation Cheat Sheet 

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SPED Classification Evaluation Cheat Sheet 

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PLAAFP and Goals Templates With Examples (1)

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This is a great example of a discrepancy form, that way they can

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This is one of the many examples of the case studies being used.

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IRIS | IEPs: Developing High-Quality Individualized Education Programs (vanderbilt.edu)

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Progress Monitoring Within a Response-to-Intervention Model | RTI Action Network (rtinetwork.org)

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National Center on Student Progress Monitoring 

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National Center on Student Progress Monitoring 

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Studentprogress.org is a great resource!
Microsoft Word - monitoring student progress in IEPs with CBM 2-11-04.doc (ed.gov)

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This is a great resource to have when testing reading fluency.

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I chose this one specifically, because I see myself actually being able to use this resource

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Word their Way grading to check the assessment 

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Word their Way grading to check the assessment 

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Benchmarks, Diagnostic Tests, Formative & Summative Assessments

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Benchmarks, Diagnostic Tests, Formative & Summative Assessments

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This is what is within Tier 2

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This is a great heads up for what teachers need to know about formative assessments

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Formative Assessment_ What Do Teachers Need to Know and Do_

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This is a great article I found on my own to talk about what a formative assessment is, and why and how we should use it.
What Are Formative Assessments and Why Should We Use Them? | Scholastic

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What is a Diagnostic Assessment? Here's everything you need to know. (edulastic.com)

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The Value of Benchmarking: What’s the Difference Between Interim and Formative Assessments? | Edmentum Blog

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Benchmark Assessments: 4 Best Practices | Edmentum Blog

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UDL- Universal Design for Learning

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YouTube Video on UDL and different ways we can incorporate it into the classroom

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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Teacher made Assessments

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Good testing programs have three characteristics: efficiency, ease, and integration.

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Good testing programs have three characteristics: efficiency, ease, and integration.

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Efficiency. Time spent in testing (including administration, scoring, interpretation, and record keeping) is time not spent teaching and learning. Therefore, good assessment plans call for the least assessment necessary for decision making. This includes consideration of the amount of time both students and teachers must spend on assessment. Efficiency considerations are leading to greater emphasis on group testing, computer adaptive testing, and the use of technology systems to monitor and report frequently on student progress.

Ease. Easy testing programs from the teacher’s perspective are those that minimize teacher time and effort in all aspects of testing (that is, necessary training, preparation, administration, scoring, and record keeping). The easiest testing programs are those that can be carried out by technology devices (computers, responders, smartphones, tablets, etc.), paraprofessionals, or students. Easy testing programs from the student’s perspective are those with which the student feels familiar and comfortable, and that he or she has confidence in. It is important to set expectations about how assessment works in the classroom early in the school year and reinforce those expectations periodically.

Integration. Assessment activities can be integrated into the school day in two ways. First, teachers can monitor pupil performance during instructional activities. For example, basic skill drills can be structured to provide useful assessment information about accuracy and fluency, or computers can be used to manage instruction. Second, teachers can establish a regular schedule for brief assessments, such as daily one-minute oral reading probes. Making assessments frequent and part of the regular classroom routine has the added benefit of reducing student anxiety associated with higher stakes testing.

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The Pro’s and Cons of Teacher-Designed Tests - The Edvocate (theedadvocate.org)

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Assessments are no longer simply tests that students fret about or neglect to study for. As you may well know, today's environment of heightened accountability for educators has made assessments stressful for not only students, but for teachers as well. Not to worry, though. Assessments can actually be powerful (and even fun!) tools to evaluate how well your students are mastering the material you're covering in class and how well you're doing covering said material. Just follow these 6 simple tips:

1) Begin with the end in mind.

For years, teachers have planned their lessons in a linear fashion. First, we create daily lessons aligned with objectives followed by tests to assess the objectives each lesson addresses. Logical, right? Sure, but this traditional method of teaching and assessing learning may not necessarily be the most effective way to go about things. Instead, try creating an objectives-based assessment first, and then plan activities that target the learning goals the assessment evaluates. This not only ensures that the assessment aligns to your students' learning objectives, but it also allows the assessment to help drive your instruction, meaning you'll know for sure that you've actually taught the material and skills that require mastery.

2) Communicate your purpose.

The purpose of a traditional pencil and paper test may be fairly cut and dry to your students-I answer a bunch of questions and it tells the teacher if I've learned the material-but this may not be the case for a more open-ended assessment such as a project or essay that a student may see as busy work. In order to get the outcome you want from your students, it's important to let them know why they are doing something, including what skills and knowledge you're expecting them to demonstrate mastery of. One of the best ways to do this is to create a clear rubric and give your students a copy prior to beginning work on the assignment. This way, there will be no question as to what you expect your students to demonstrate, and it may even motivate many to perform.

3) Blend assessments into your teaching.

Highly effective educators use assessments to adapt and enhance instruction. Instead of treating assessments as intimidating bookends to curriculum units, successful teachers assess learning more frequently and less formally with the intention of using the results of the assessment as an arrow toward the next steps in the learning process. Create opportunities for non-threatening, formative checkpoints in your instruction. Give deliberate and targeted mini-quizzes that allow you to assess common misconceptions and truly know in real-time where your students are tracking. Craft your quiz by following assessment-writing best practices outlined in this article.

4) Identify and avoid bias.

Since assessments are such an important tool in your teaching toolbox, it's important to ensure that they are as authentic and targeted as possible. This means making an intentional effort to check for any biases that may affect students' performance or invalidate your results. An assessment should be designed in parts that specifically test single, targeted skills, and unintended bias will quickly invalidate your efforts. Although it may seem impossible to create an assessment with zero bias, we can still do our due diligence to identify and remove bias.

The most common types of bias in assessments are those that inadvertently assume knowledge other than the specific skill being tested. This bias can be blatant such as assuming knowledge of a certain cultural group, for instance, or it could be hidden. Hidden biases are often found in the language of the assessment. Teachers must be especially careful not to create written assessments that are on a higher reading level than their students, so that a mathematics assessment, for example, doesn't unintentionally assess how well the student can read the problem as well as the specific skills.

5) Consider non-traditional assessments.

Nothing crushes classroom morale faster than announcing a pop quiz or traditional paper and pencil test. In order to incorporate some fun into your assessment repertoire and keep your students engaged in their learning, you'll need to think outside of the box. Create a game or activity based on specific learning objectives to mix things up while bringing out the very best in your students. Or consider tying in a cross-curricular semester-long project that connects the material together and forces a higher level application of skills. You can pepper in traditional mini-assessments throughout the span of the project to determine where your students are, but the journey here is much more fun.

We all know that assessments provide feedback to us teachers-they let us know which material students have mastered and which material they still need to work on. They also tell us how well we're delivering the necessary information and facilitating learning in our classrooms. Don't forget, though, that assessments can and should provide vital feedback for your students as well. After all, if we want them to be in charge of their learning (and we do!), then we must give them the necessary information to make and reach their learning goals. Reviewing the results of a quiz or test has the potential to help students realize their deficits and detect meaningful patterns in their errors. These are discoveries that are crucial to correcting misconceptions and directing future learning. When planning a review or follow-up on an assessment, keep in mind that sooner is always better. The quicker you provide learners with feedback on their performance, the more meaningful this information will be.

When crafted carefully, assessments can be incredibly powerful tools for learning. Well-planned assessments provide teachers and students with the necessary information to gauge progress and plan the next steps in the learning process. When we assess learning clearly, frequently and without bias, we get a better picture of how well we're doing with instruction and how to best serve our students in the future.

For more, see:

Melissa Maypole is an English Teacher with a Master's of Science in Education, and is a contributor at .
Stay in-the-know with all things EdTech and innovations in learning by signing up to receive the weekly Smart Update

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6 Tips for Creating Powerful Assessments for Your Students

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Assessments are no longer simply tests that students fret about or neglect to study for. As you may well know, today's environment of heightened accountability for educators has made assessments stressful for not only students, but for teachers as well. Not to worry, though. Assessments can actually be powerful (and even fun!)

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Administering Assessment, feedback and overviews. 

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Administering Assessment, feedback and overviews. 

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Video on how to administer an informal reading EXAMPLE

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Video on how to administer an informal reading EXAMPLE

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How to Administer an Informal Reading Inventory

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Increasing students to confidence in reading 

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Increasing students to confidence in reading 

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By increasing your students reading confidence in reading you can increase their efficiency on reading.

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Four Major Sources  of Students Self-Efficacy 

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Four Major Sources  of Students Self-Efficacy 

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How to write good self-assessment questions-2 (2)

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SLO Assessment planning official resource 

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SLO Assessment planning official resource 

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This SLO resource is SO important and something that teachers will be used! During your PPAT

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SUPER SUPER SUPER Important!!!! A great resource that gets used and something that WILL be used!

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Definitions What Does Authentic Assessment Look Like?
How is Authentic Assessment Similar to/Different from
Traditional Assessment?
Alternative Names for Authentic Assessment

A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills -- Jon Mueller

"...Engaging and worthy problems or questions of importance, in which students must use knowledge to fashion performances effectively and creatively. The tasks are either replicas of or analogous to the kinds of problems faced by adult citizens and consumers or professionals in the field." -- Grant Wiggins -- ( Wiggins, 1993, p. 229).

"Performance assessments call upon the examinee to demonstrate specific skills and competencies, that is, to apply the skills and knowledge they have mastered." -- Richard J. Stiggins -- ( Stiggins, 1987, p. 34).

An authentic assessment usually includes a task for students to perform and a rubric by which their performance on the task will be evaluated. Click the following links to see many examples of authentic tasks and rubrics.

Examples from teachers in my Authentic Assessment course

The following comparison is somewhat simplistic, but I hope it illuminates the different assumptions of the two approaches to assessment.

By "traditional assessment" (TA) I am referring to the forced-choice measures of multiple-choice tests, fill-in-the-blanks, true-false, matching and the like that have been and remain so common in education. Students typically select an answer or recall information to complete the assessment. These tests may be standardized or teacher-created. They may be administered locally or statewide, or internationally.

Behind traditional and authentic assessments is a belief that the primary mission of schools is to help develop productive citizens. That is the essence of most mission statements I have read. From this common beginning, the two perspectives on assessment diverge. Essentially, TA is grounded in educational philosophy that adopts the following reasoning and practice:

1. A school's mission is to develop productive citizens.
2. To be a productive citizen an individual must possess a certain body of knowledge and skills.
3. Therefore, schools must teach this body of knowledge and skills.
4. To determine if it is successful, the school must then test students to see if they acquired the knowledge and skills.

In the TA model, the curriculum drives assessment. "The" body of knowledge is determined first. That knowledge becomes the curriculum that is delivered. Subsequently, the assessments are developed and administered to determine if acquisition of the curriculum occurred.

In contrast, authentic assessment (AA) springs from the following reasoning and practice:

1. A school's mission is to develop productive citizens.
2. To be a productive citizen, an individual must be capable of performing meaningful tasks in the real world.
3. Therefore, schools must help students become proficient at performing the tasks they will encounter when they graduate.
4. To determine if it is successful, the school must then ask students to perform meaningful tasks that replicate real world challenges to see if students are capable of doing so.

Thus, in AA, assessment drives the curriculum. That is, teachers first determine the tasks that students will perform to demonstrate their mastery, and then a curriculum is developed that will enable students to perform those tasks well, which would include the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills. This has been referred to as planning backwards (e.g., McDonald, 1992).

If I were a golf instructor and I taught the skills required to perform well, I would not assess my students' performance by giving them a multiple choice test. I would put them out on the golf course and ask them to perform. Although this is obvious with athletic skills, it is also true for academic subjects. We can teach students how to do math, do history and do science, not just know them. Then, to assess what our students had learned, we can ask students to perform tasks that "replicate the challenges" faced by those using mathematics, doing history or conducting scientific investigation.

But a teacher does not have to choose between AA and TA. It is likely that some mix of the two will best meet your needs. To use a silly example, if I had to choose a chauffeur from between someone who passed the driving portion of the driver's license test but failed the written portion or someone who failed the driving portion and passed the written portion, I would choose the driver who most directly demonstrated the ability to drive, that is, the one who passed the driving portion of the test. However, I would prefer a driver who passed both portions. I would feel more comfortable knowing that my chauffeur had a good knowledge base about driving (which might best be assessed in a traditional manner) and was able to apply that knowledge in a real context (which could be demonstrated through an authentic assessment).

Another way that AA is commonly distinguished from TA is in terms of its defining attributes. Of course, TA's as well as AA's vary considerably in the forms they take. But, typically, along the continuums of attributes listed below, TA's fall more towards the left end of each continuum and AA's fall more towards the right end.
Traditional --------------------------------------------- Authentic
Selecting a Response ------------------------------------ Performing a Task

Contrived --------------------------------------------------------------- Real-life

Recall/Recognition ------------------------------- Construction/Application

Teacher-structured ------------------------------------- Student-structured

Indirect Evidence -------------------------------------------- Direct Evidence

Let me clarify the attributes by elaborating on each in the context of traditional and authentic assessments:

Selecting a Response to Performing a Task: On traditional assessments, students are typically given several choices (e.g., a,b,c or d; true or false; which of these match with those) and asked to select the right answer. In contrast, authentic assessments ask students to demonstrate understanding by performing a more complex task usually representative of more meaningful application.

Contrived to Real-life: It is not very often in life outside of school that we are asked to select from four alternatives to indicate our proficiency at something. Tests offer these contrived means of assessment to increase the number of times you can be asked to demonstrate proficiency in a short period of time. More commonly in life, as in authentic assessments, we are asked to demonstrate proficiency by doing something.

Recall/Recognition of Knowledge to Construction/Application of Knowledge: Well-designed traditional assessments (i.e., tests and quizzes) can effectively determine whether or not students have acquired a body of knowledge. Thus, as mentioned above, tests can serve as a nice complement to authentic assessments in a teacher's assessment portfolio. Furthermore, we are often asked to recall or recognize facts and ideas and propositions in life, so tests are somewhat authentic in that sense. However, the demonstration of recall and recognition on tests is typically much less revealing about what we really know and can do than when we are asked to construct a product or performance out of facts, ideas and propositions. Authentic assessments often ask students to analyze, synthesize and apply what they have learned in a substantial manner, and students create new meaning in the process as well.

Teacher-structured to Student-structured: When completing a traditional assessment, what a student can and will demonstrate has been carefully structured by the person(s) who developed the test. A student's attention will understandably be focused on and limited to what is on the test. In contrast, authentic assessments allow more student choice and construction in determining what is presented as evidence of proficiency. Even when students cannot choose their own topics or formats, there are usually multiple acceptable routes towards constructing a product or performance. Obviously, assessments more carefully controlled by the teachers offer advantages and disadvantages. Similarly, more student-structured tasks have strengths and weaknesses that must be considered when choosing and designing an assessment.

Indirect Evidence to Direct Evidence: Even if a multiple-choice question asks a student to analyze or apply facts to a new situation rather than just recall the facts, and the student selects the correct answer, what do you now know about that student? Did that student get lucky and pick the right answer? What thinking led the student to pick that answer? We really do not know. At best, we can make some inferences about what that student might know and might be able to do with that knowledge. The evidence is very indirect, particularly for claims of meaningful application in complex, real-world situations. Authentic assessments, on the other hand, offer more direct evidence of application and construction of knowledge. As in the golf example above, putting a golf student on the golf course to play provides much more direct evidence of proficiency than giving the student a written test. Can a student effectively critique the arguments someone else has presented (an important skill often required in the real world)? Asking a student to write a critique should provide more direct evidence of that skill than asking the student a series of multiple-choice, analytical questions about a passage, although both assessments may be useful.

These two different approaches to assessment also offer different advice about teaching to the test. Under the TA model, teachers have been discouraged from teaching to the test. That is because a test usually assesses a sample of students' knowledge and understanding and assumes that students' performance on the sample is representative of their knowledge of all the relevant material. If teachers focus primarily on the sample to be tested during instruction, then good performance on that sample does not necessarily reflect knowledge of all the material. So, teachers hide the test so that the sample is not known beforehand, and teachers are admonished not to teach to the test.

With AA, teachers are encouraged to teach to the test. Students need to learn how to perform well on meaningful tasks. To aid students in that process, it is helpful to show them models of good (and not so good) performance. Furthermore, the student benefits from seeing the task rubric ahead of time as well. Is this "cheating"? Will students then just be able to mimic the work of others without truly understanding what they are doing? Authentic assessments typically do not lend themselves to mimicry. There is not one correct answer to copy. So, by knowing what good performance looks like, and by knowing what specific characteristics make up good performance, students can better develop the skills and understanding necessary to perform well on these tasks. (For further discussion of teaching to the test, see Bushweller.)

You can also learn something about what AA is by looking at the other common names for this form of assessment. For example, AA is sometimes referred to as

Performance Assessment (or Performance-based) -- so-called because students are asked toperform meaningful tasks. This is the other most common term for this type of assessment. Some educators distinguish performance assessment from AA by defining performance assessment as performance-based as Stiggins has above but with no reference to theauthentic nature of the task (e.g., Meyer, 1992). For these educators, authentic assessments are performance assessments using real-world or authentic tasks or contexts. Since we should not typically ask students to perform work that is not authentic in nature, I choose to treat these two terms synonymously.

Alternative Assessment -- so-called because AA is an alternative to traditional assessments.

Direct Assessment -- so-called because AA provides more direct evidence of meaningful application of knowledge and skills. If a student does well on a multiple-choice test we might inferindirectly that the student could apply that knowledge in real-world contexts, but we would be more comfortable making that inference from a direct demonstration of that application such as in the golfing example above.

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What is Authentic Assessment? (Authentic Assessment Toolbox)

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Definitions What Does Authentic Assessment Look Like? How is Authentic Assessment Similar to/Different from Traditional Assessment? Alternative Names for Authentic Assessment A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills -- Jon Mueller "...Engaging and worthy problems or questions of importance, in which students must use knowledge to fashion performances effectively and creatively.

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What does Authentic Assessment look like?

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What does Authentic Assessment look like?

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An authentic assessment usually includes a task for students to perform and a rubric by which their performance on the task will be evaluated.

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Unlike traditional assessments, authentic assessments foster disciplinary behaviours and ways of thinking and problem solving used by professionals in the field. For example, authentic assessments in engineering would demonstrate students' increasing ability to think and problem-solve in ways that resembles how experts in the engineering field think and act.

Assignments are and can only be authentic when they meaningfully connect with students beyond the assigned grade at the end of their obligatory participation in the project (Frey, Schmitt & Allen, 2012). Finding and celebrating that value for students, past the grade appearing on their transcripts, is vital to authentic education.

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Unlike traditional assessments, authentic assessments foster disciplinary behaviours and ways of thinking and problem solving used by professionals in the field. For example, authentic assessments in engineering would demonstrate students' increasing ability to think and problem-solve in ways that resembles how experts in the engineering field think and act.

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"Authentic" Assessment at School of the Future