Authentic Assessment

Annotations:

• Definition "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, What Does Authentic).

1. Attributes
   1. Performing

      Annotations:

      • "Authentic Assessments ask students to demonstrate understanding by performing a more complex task usually representative of more meaningful application" (Jon Mueller, Defining Attributes). -In my classroom with EBs I can have students complete tasks such as writing papers, demonstrations, presentations, constructing portfolios, etc.
   2. Real-Life

      Annotations:

      • "In authentic assessments, we are asked to demonstrate proficiency by doing something" (Mueller, Defining Attributes). -Working with EBs, one way to assess my students authentically would be to have them perform tasks that they would normally have to do in real-life.  An example of this would be having students add tax to the subtotal of a purchase to get the grand total.  
   3. Construction/Application

      Annotations:

      • Traditional assessments, such as test, do have a place in a teacher's portfolio which is to help teacher's determine whether students know certain facts or not.  These, however should be coupled with authentic assessments (Mueller, Defining Attributes) -In my classroom one kind of traditional assessment such as test would happen in Math.  One instance would be with multiplication facts.  Students would be tested to see if they knew all of their facts; however in an additional authentic assessment students would be asked to demonstrate the representation of certain multiplication facts.  Example: a student could a picture with 3 apples each in 4 different baskets to represent the multiplication fact 3 x 4 = 12.
   4. Student-Centered

      Annotations:

      • "Authentic assessments allow more student choice and construction in determining what is presented as evidence of proficiency" (Mueller, Defining Attributes). -In my classroom assessments will be centered around my EBs.  I will present them with options to show their understanding through construction of a product or through a performance, and not through testing alone.
   5. Direct Evidence

      Annotations:

      • "Authentic Assessments offer direct evidence of application and construction of knowledge" (Mueller, Defining Attributes). -In my classroom with my EBs, using authentic assessments will provide me with direct evidence of whether or not my students are analyzing, sythesizing, and constructing knowlege, and if so to what degree.
2. Why use Authentic Assessment?

   Annotations:

   • Answer: "We do not want students to know the content of the disciplines when they graduate.  We, of course, want them to be able to use the acquired knowledge and skills in the real world" (Mueller, Why Use Authentic Assessment). -I want my emergent bilinguals (EBs) to be proficient in the English language as well as proficient in their Core Content areas.
   1. Direct Measures

      Annotations:

      • As mentioned in the Attributes section of this map, under the Direct Evidence node, direct measure will help me know whether my EBs have the ability to use what they have learned in meaningful, real-life situations.
   2. Capture Constructive Learning

      Annotations:

      • According to Mueller, "we cannot simply be fed knowledge.  We need to construct our own meaning of the world, using information we have gathered and were taught and our own experiences with the world".   -In my classroom with my EBs, they will engage in authentic tasks that will help them construct meaning and learn the necessary skills and concepts. 
   3. Multiple Demos

      Annotations:

      • Many different kinds of assessments should be used with students so that a "sufficient number of samples are obtained" and "a sufficient variety of measures are used (Mueller, Why Use Authentic Assessment?).   -In my classroom with my EBs I will provide students with various opportunities for assessments so, as stated above, there will be multiple varied samples of their knowledge.  I will do this by allowing students to chose ways they can present what they know; that could be through performance based assessments or product construction.
   4. Integration

      Annotations:

      • Teaching, learning, and assessment are all integrated in authentic assessment model.  "The same authentic task used to measure the students' ability to apply the knowledge or skills is used as a vehicle of student learning" Mueller, Why Use Authentic Assessment?).   -In my classroom with my EBs I will integrate teaching, learning, and assessment to help student construct their learning.  I will facilitate their learning and use the students work throughout the process as assessments; therefore there will be on-going assessments and not just assessments at the end of the lessons/units.
3. Creating Authentic Assessment
   1. Step 1: Standards

      Annotations:

      • I will identify standards for lessons and units with my EBs;   Alabama Core Content standards (http://alex.state.al.us/browseStand.php) and TESOL Standards (http://www.tesol.org/docs/books/bk_prek-12elpstandards_framework_318.pdf?sfvrsn=2) 
   2. Step 2: Authentic Tasks

      Annotations:

      • I will "develop a task [my] students could perform that would indicate that they have met [the] standards" chosen in Step 1: Standards. (Mueller, How Do You Create).
   3. Step 3: Identify Criteria

      Annotations:

      • I will identify "the characteristics of good performance on the task, the criteria, that, if present in [my] students' work, will indicate that they have performed well on the task" (Mueller, How to Create).
   4. Step 4: Create a Rubric

      Annotations:

      • I will create a rubric (or checklist) that identifies my EBs levels of performance for each criterion listed in Step 3.  There will be a minimum of 2 levels of performance.
      1. Benchmark

         Annotations:

         • My benchmark for my EBs will be chosen according to the minimum level that I would want each student to perform. 
      2. Adjustments

         Annotations:

         • I will adjust my instruction according to the results I receive from the assessment.  Various adjustments could be re-teaching a lesson, reviewing specific parts of a lesson, or possibly making no adjustments at all if all students are proficient in the task being assessed and ready to move on.
4. Diverse Learners Assessment Areas

   Annotations:

   • Diverse Learners are "ELLs with diverse linguistic, cultural, and educational backgrounds" (Brown University).
   1. High-Stakes Testing

      Annotations:

      • These kinds of Traditional Assessments are required by the State government so although I do not personally agree with them I will make sure that I am well informed so that I may help my EBs do their best on these tests.
   2. On-Going Assessment

      Annotations:

      • On-going assessments will be done in my classroom on a continuous basis to monitor my EBs progress.  These assessments will enable me to know what modifications or changes I need to make as a teacher to better meet my students' needs.
   3. Initial Assessment

      Annotations:

      • Initial assessments will be done in my classroom when EBs enter our school system.
5. What is NOT Authentic Assessment?
   1. Traditional Assessment

      Annotations:

      • Traditional Assessments are teacher-centered assessments that do not give the student an opportunity to truly express their academic abilities (Jon Mueller, What Does Authentic Assessment Look Like?).  
      1. Multiple-Choice
      2. True/False
      3. Fill-in-the-blank
6. Examples
   1. Oral Reports
   2. Portfolios
   3. Presentations
   4. Demonstrations
   5. Writings