ASSESSMENT LEARNING 2 perspectives on assessment diverge.

Essentially, TA is grounded in educational

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT: philosophy that adopts the following
• A form of assessment in which students are reasoning and practice:
asked to perform real-world tasks that 1. A school's mission is to develop
demonstrate meaningful application of productive citizens.
essential knowledge and skills -- Jon Mueller 2. To be a productive citizen an
• "...Engaging and worthy problems or individual must possess a certain body
questions of importance, in which students of knowledge and skills.
must use knowledge to fashion 3. Therefore, schools must teach this
performances effectively and creatively. The body of knowledge and skills.
tasks are either replicas of or analogous to 4. To determine if it is successful, the
the kinds of problems faced by adult citizens school must then test students to see if
and consumers or professionals in the field." they acquired the knowledge and skills.
-- Grant Wiggins -- (Wiggins, 1993, p. 229). • In the TA model, the curriculum drives
• "Performance assessments call upon the assessment. "The" body of knowledge is
examinee to demonstrate specific skills and determined first. That knowledge becomes
competencies, that is, to apply the skills and the curriculum that is delivered.
knowledge they have mastered." -- Richard Subsequently, the assessments are
J. Stiggins -- (Stiggins, 1987, p. 34). developed and administered to determine if
acquisition of the curriculum occurred.
What does Authentic Assessment look like?
• An authentic assessment usually includes AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
a task for students to perform and a rubric In contrast, authentic assessment (AA) springs
by which their performance on the task will from the following reasoning and practice:
be evaluated. Click the following links to see 1. A school's mission is to develop
many examples of authentic tasks and productive citizens.
rubrics. 2. To be a productive citizen, an
• Examples from teachers in my Authentic individual must be capable of performing
Assessment course meaningful tasks in the real world.
3. Therefore, schools must help
How is Authentic Assessment similar students become proficient at
to/different from Traditional Assessment? performing the tasks they will encounter
• The following comparison is somewhat when they graduate.
simplistic, but I hope it illuminates the 4. To determine if it is successful, the
different assumptions of the two approaches school must then ask students to
to assessment. perform meaningful tasks that replicate
real world challenges to see if students
TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENT are capable of doing so.
• By "traditional assessment" (TA) I am
referring to the forced-choice measures of • Thus, in AA, assessment drives the
multiple-choice tests, fill-in-the-blanks, true- curriculum. That is, teachers first determine
false, matching and the like that have been the tasks that students will perform to
and remain so common in education. demonstrate their mastery, and then a
Students typically select an answer or recall curriculum is developed that will enable
information to complete the assessment. students to perform those tasks well, which
These tests may be standardized or would include the acquisition of essential
teacher-created. They may be administered knowledge and skills. This has been
locally or statewide, or internationally. referred to as planning backwards (e.g.,
• Behind traditional and authentic McDonald, 1992).
assessments is a belief that the primary • If I were a golf instructor and I taught the
mission of schools is to help develop skills required to perform well, I would not
productive citizens. That is the essence of assess my students' performance by giving
most mission statements I have read. From them a multiple-choice test. I would put
this common beginning, the two them out on the golf course and ask them to
perform. Although this is obvious with
 athletic skills, it is also true for academic Let me clarify the attributes by elaborating on
subjects. We can teach students how to do each in the context of traditional and authentic
math, do history and do science, not just assessments:
know them. Then, to assess what our
students had learned, we can ask students • Selecting a Response to Performing a
to perform tasks that "replicate the Task: On traditional assessments, students
challenges" faced by those using are typically given several choices (e.g.,
mathematics, doing history or conducting a,b,c or d; true or false; which of these
scientific investigation. match with those) and asked to select the
right answer. In contrast, authentic
AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT COMPLEMENTS assessments ask students to demonstrate
TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENT understanding by performing a more
• But a teacher does not have to choose complex task usually representative of more
between AA and TA. It is likely that some meaningful application.
mix of the two will best meet your needs. To
use a silly example, if I had to choose a • Contrived to Real-life: It is not very often in
chauffeur from between someone who life outside of school that we are asked to
passed the driving portion of the driver's select from four alternatives to indicate our
license test but failed the written portion or proficiency at something. Tests offer these
someone who failed the driving portion and contrived means of assessment to increase
passed the written portion, I would choose the number of times you can be asked to
the driver who most directly demonstrated demonstrate proficiency in a short period of
the ability to drive, that is, the one who time. More commonly in life, as in authentic
passed the driving portion of the test. assessments, we are asked to demonstrate
However, I would prefer a driver who passed proficiency by doing something.
both portions. I would feel more comfortable
knowing that my chauffeur had a good • Recall/Recognition of Knowledge to
knowledge base about driving (which might Construction/Application of Knowledge:
best be assessed in a traditional manner) Well-designed traditional assessments (i.e.,
and was able to apply that knowledge in a tests and quizzes) can effectively determine
real context (which could be demonstrated whether or not students have acquired a
through an authentic assessment). body of knowledge. Thus, as mentioned
above, tests can serve as a nice
DEFINING ATTRIBUTES OF TRADITIONAL complement to authentic assessments in a
AND AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT teacher's assessment portfolio. Furthermore,
• Another way that AA is commonly we are often asked to recall or recognize
distinguished from TA is in terms of its facts and ideas and propositions in life, so
defining attributes. Of course, TA's as well tests are somewhat authentic in that sense.
as AA's vary considerably in the forms they However, the demonstration of recall and
take. But, typically, along the continuums of recognition on tests is typically much less
attributes listed below, TA's fall more revealing about what we really know and
towards the left end of each continuum and can do than when we are asked to construct
AA's fall more towards the right end. a product or performance out of facts, ideas
and propositions. Authentic assessments
TRADITIONAL VS AUTHENTIC often ask students to analyze, synthesize
Selecting a Response Performing a Task and apply what they have learned in a
Contrived Real-life substantial manner, and students create
Recall Recognition new meaning in the process as well.
Construction Application
Teacher-structured Student-structured • Teacher-structured to Student-
Indirect Evidence Direct Evidence 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 on the sample to be tested during
more student choice and construction in instruction, then good performance on that
determining what is presented as evidence sample does not necessarily reflect
of proficiency. Even when students cannot knowledge of all the material. So, teachers
choose their own topics or formats, there are hide the test so that the sample is not known
usually multiple acceptable routes towards beforehand, and teachers are admonished
constructing a product or performance. not to teach to the test.
Obviously, assessments more carefully
controlled by the teachers offer advantages • With AA, teachers are encouraged to teach
and disadvantages. Similarly, more student- to the test. Students need to learn how to
structured tasks have strengths and perform well on meaningful tasks. To aid
weaknesses that must be considered when students in that process, it is helpful to show
choosing and designing an assessment. them models of good (and not so good)
performance. Furthermore, the student
• Indirect Evidence to Direct Evidence: benefits from seeing the task rubric ahead of
Even if a multiple-choice question asks a time as well. Is this "cheating"? Will
student to analyze or apply facts to a new students then just be able to mimic the work
situation rather than just recall the facts, and of others without truly understanding what
the student selects the correct answer, what they are doing? Authentic assessments
do you now know about that student? Did typically do not lend themselves to mimicry.
that student get lucky and pick the right There is not one correct answer to copy.
answer? What thinking led the student to So, by knowing what good performance
pick that answer? We really do not know. At looks like, and by knowing what specific
best, we can make some inferences about characteristics make up good performance,
what that student might know and might be students can better develop the skills and
able to do with that knowledge. The understanding necessary to perform well on
evidence is very indirect, particularly for these tasks. (For further discussion of
claims of meaningful application in complex, teaching to the test, see Bushweller.)
real-world situations. Authentic
assessments, on the other hand, offer more
direct evidence of application and Alternative Names for Authentic Assessment
construction of knowledge. As in the golf You can also learn something about what AA is
example above, putting a golf student on the by looking at the other common names for this
golf course to play provides much more form of assessment. For example, AA is
direct evidence of proficiency than giving the sometimes referred to as
student a written test. Can a student
effectively critique the arguments someone • Performance Assessment (or
else has presented (an important skill often Performance-based) -- so-called because
required in the real world)? Asking a student students are asked to perform meaningful
to write a critique should provide more direct tasks. This is the other most common term
evidence of that skill than asking the student for this type of assessment. Some educators
a series of multiple-choice, analytical distinguish performance assessment from
questions about a passage, although both AA by defining performance assessment as
assessments may be useful. performance-based as Stiggins has above
but with no reference to the authentic nature
Teaching to the Test of the task (e.g., Meyer, 1992). For these
• These two different approaches to educators, authentic assessments are
assessment also offer different advice about performance assessments using real-world
teaching to the test. Under the TA model, or authentic tasks or contexts. Since we
teachers have been discouraged from should not typically ask students to perform
teaching to the test. That is because a test work that is not authentic in nature, I choose
usually assesses a sample of students' to treat these two terms synonymously.
knowledge and understanding and assumes • Alternative Assessment -- so-called
that students' performance on the sample is because AA is an alternative to traditional
representative of their knowledge of all the assessments.
relevant material. If teachers focus primarily
• Direct Assessment -- so-called because might include well organized, clearly stated,
AA provides more direct evidence of and sufficient support for arguments. (The
meaningful application of knowledge and singular of criteria is criterion. For a fuller
skills. If a student does well on a multiple- description of criteria and for examples, go
choice test we might infer indirectly that the to Identifying the Criteria for the Task.)
student could apply that knowledge in real- • Descriptors: Statements of expected
world contexts, but we would be more performance at each level of performance
comfortable making that inference from a for a particular criterion in a rubric - typically
direct demonstration of that application such found in analytic rubrics. See example and
as in the golfing example above. further discussion of descriptors.
• Distractors: The incorrect alternatives or
Mueller's* Glossary choices in a selected response item. (For
of Authentic Assessment Terms more see terminology for multiple-choice
items.)
• Analytic Rubric: An analytic rubric • Goal: In the field of student assessment, a
articulates levels of performance for each goal is a very broad statement of what
criterion so the teacher can assess student students should know or be able to do.
performance on each criterion. (For Unlike a standard or an objective, a goal is
examples and a fuller discussion, go to often not written in language that is
Rubrics.) amenable to assessment. Rather, the
• Authentic Assessment: A form of purpose for crafting a set of goals typically is
assessment in which students are asked to to give a brief and broad picture of what a
perform real-world tasks that demonstrate school, district, state, etc. expects its
meaningful application of essential students will know and be able to do upon
knowledge and skills. Student performance graduation. (For a fuller description of the
on a task is typically scored on a rubric to distinction between these types of
determine how successfully the student has statements and for examples of each, go to
met specific standards. Standards.)
• Authentic Task: An assignment given to • Holistic Rubric: In contrast to an analytic
students designed to assess their ability to rubric, a holistic rubric does not list separate
apply standards-driven knowledge and skills levels of performance for each criterion.
to real-world challenges. A task is Instead, a holistic rubric assigns a level of
considered authentic when 1) students are performance by assessing performance
asked to construct their own responses across multiple criteria as a whole. (For
rather than to select from ones presented; examples and a fuller discussion, go to
and 2) the task replicates challenges faced Rubrics.)
in the real world. Good performance on the • Objective: Much like a goal or standard, an
task should demonstrate, or partly objective is a statement of what students
demonstrate, successful completion of one should know and be able to do. Typically,
or more standards. The term task is often an objective is the most narrow of these
used synonymously with the term statements, usually describing what a
assessment in the field of authentic student should know or be able to do at the
assessment. (For a fuller description of end of a specific lesson plan. Like a
authentic tasks and for examples, go to standard, an objective is amenable to
Authentic Tasks.) assessment, that is, it is observable and
• Content Standards: Statements that measurable. (For a fuller description of the
describe what students should know or be distinction between these types of goal
able to do within the content of a specific statements and for examples of each, go to
discipline or at the intersection of two or Standards.)top
more disciplines (e.g., students will describe • Outcome: See Standard. Preceding the
effects of physical activity on the body). current standards-based movement was a
Contrast with Process Standards and Value drive for outcome-based education. The
Standards. term standard has replaced the term
• Criteria: Characteristics of good outcome with much the same meaning.
performance on a particular task. For
example, criteria for a persuasive essay
• Performance Assessment: See Authentic of intelligence. Such an inference would be
Assessment above. I use these terms invalid.
synonymously. • Value Standards: Statements that describe
• Portfolio: A collection of a student's work attitudes teachers would like students to
specifically selected to tell a particular story develop towards learning (e.g., students will
about the student. See Portfolios for more value diversity of opinions or perspectives).
details.
Contrast with Content Standards and
• Process Standards: Statements that
describe skills students should develop to Process Standards.
enhance the process of learning. Process
standards are not specific to a particular
discipline, but are generic skills that are
applicable to any discipline (e.g., students
will find and evaluate relevant information).
Contrast with Content Standards and Value
Standards.
• Reliability: The degree to which a measure
yields consistent results.
• Rubric: A scoring scale used to evaluate
student work. A rubric is composed of at
least two criteria by which student work is to
be judged on a particular task and at least
two levels of performance for each criterion.
(For a fuller description of rubrics, their
different variations, and to see examples, go
to Rubrics. Also, see Analytic Rubrics;
Holistic Rubrics.)
• Standard: Much like a goal or objective, a
standard is a statement of what students
should know or be able to do. I distinguish
between a standard and these other goal
statements by indicating that a standard is
broader than an objective, but more narrow
than a goal. Like an objective and unlike a
goal, a standard is amenable to
assessment, that is, it is observable and
measurable. (For a fuller description of the
distinction between these types of goal
statements and for examples of each, click
standards. Also, see Content Standards;
Process Standards; Value Standards.)
• Stem: A question or statement followed by a
number of choices or alternatives that
answer or complete the question or
statement. (Stems are most commonly
found in multiple-choice questions. See
terminology for multiple-choice items.)
• Validity: "The degree to which a certain
inference from a test is appropriate and
meaningful" (AERA, APA, & NCME, 1985).
For example, if I measure the circumference
of your head to determine your level of
intelligence, my measurement might be
accurate. However, it would be inappropriate
for me to draw a conclusion about your level