What, Why, How, and When Authentic Assessments

What, Why, How, and When Authentic Assessments

1. How do you create authentic assessments?

   • In order to create an authentic assessment, educators must follow or check off certain steps to assure their assessments meet the performance or evaluative criteria.
     • Classroom Application
       • Based on the steps listed above, educators can utilize their knowledge of students and their funds of knowledge to create authentic assessments. Educators can begin with selecting a standard and utilizing students' knowledge to build the task, identify sound criteria, and how they can guide future instruction based on the performance results.
     • Step 1: Identify the standards, meaning what knowledge and skills will the students be able to bring to the table?
       • Step 2: Select an authentic task, meaning what task will show others or the educator that the students have met the standards
         • Step 3: Identify the criteria for the task, meaning outlining the expectations for good performances
           • Step 4: Create the rubric, meaning assess how all the students performed during the task based on the created/defined criteria

2. Performance-based Assessment Examples

   • Reading with partners
     • Classroom Application
       • Each of the listed examples above can be applied within any classroom to benefit the EB population, along with struggling readers.
     • Retelling stories
       • Oral reporting
     • Role-playing
       • Playing games

3. What is an authentic assessment?

   • An authentic assessment is a form of assessment where all students are presented with a real-world task in which the students must demonstrate their knowledge through the application of skills and knowledge. The assessment is created and based on the real-world environment and context of the participant (student).
     • Classroom Application
       • How can one identify an authentic assessment? In different regions or school systems, some may refer to authentic assessments as performance assessments, alternative assessments, or direct assessments. Educators must be made aware between traditional assessments and authentic assessments.

4. Why should we use an authentic assessment?

   • Educators and students would benefit from the utilization of authentic assessments because it presents a more in-depth performance and opportunity for the students to show their understanding and misconceptions. Authentic assessments are direct measures, capture the constructive nature of learning, integrates teaching, learning and assessment, and provides multiple paths to demonstrate a students' knowledge/understanding.
     • Classroom Application
       • Educators can easily create and implement authentic assessments for their students by looking at the ultimate benefits. Within the classroom, the educator can utilize authentic assessments to inform their knowledge about the students' abilities and provide opportunities for quick intervention. Compared to traditional assessments, educators can take immediate action to meet students on their level and by their areas of support.

5. How do you use informal assessments with EBs?

   • Educators can utilize informal assessments to understand and track EBs' learning, growth, and progress throughout the year and learning segment. Through informal assessments, educators can target students' areas of strengths and misconceptions, adapt/modify instruction, and intervene earlier than with formal or summative assessments.
     • Classroom Application
       • Educators can utilize informal assessments throughout the entire day and each learning segment. Informal assessments also work to provide immediate or quicker intervention to address misconceptions. Within the classroom, educators can use informal methods through performance-based assessments and portfolio assessments.

6. Levels of assessments

   • Ongoing Assessment
     • Classroom Application
       • Educators can utilize initial assessments at the beginning of the year to understand a student's abilities, strengths, and areas of support that can be addressed throughout the year. Then, educators can utilize ongoing assessments to understand the students' progress throughout the year; this can be addressed through feedback. In order to measure the students' ultimate progress, educators can utilize high-stakes testing to measure the students' growth compared to the performance standard; this will show if the students' have or have not met the performance standard.
     • Initial Assessment
       • Initial assessments need to occur at the beginning of the school year or when receiving the student. Educators need to assess EB students' language and literacy skills within their preferred and utilized language ("first" language and English
       • Classroom Application
     • High-Stakes Testing
       • High-stakes testing occurs during crucial periods within a year to assess the students' abilities compared to the performance standard. High-stakes testing assessments measure whether students have or have not met the performance standards.
       • Classroom Application
     • Ongoing assessments need to occur throughout the entire year. Within this assessment educators gain knowledge about the students' strengths and areas of support.

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