Next Generation Assessment

A forward-thinking look at performance assessment in the 21st century Next Generation Assessment: Moving Beyond the Bubble Test to Support 21st Century Learning provides needed answers to the nation's growing concerns about educational testing in America. Drawing on research and the experiences of leading states and countries, this new book examines how performance assessments can offer a feasible alternative to current high stakes tests. As parents, educators, and policymakers have increasingly criticized the effects of the teaching to the test mandate from the No Child Left Behind Act, the need for this resource has never been more critical. This summary volume to Beyond the Bubble Test speaks to the nationwide unease about current tests' focus on low-level skills, like recalling and restating facts, rather than higher-order skills such as problem-solving, analyzing, and synthesizing information. It illustrates how schools can use authentic assessments to improve teaching and learning as they involve students in conducting research, designing investigations, developing products and solutions, using technology, and communicating their ideas in many forms. This important book: Serves as a must-have resource for those interested in the most current research about how to create valid and reliable performance assessments Explains how educators can improve practice by developing, using, and scoring performance assessments Helps policymakers and educators accurately assess the benefits and possibilities of adopting performance assessments nationally If you're an educator, researcher, graduate student, district administrator, or education policy specialist, Next Generation Assessment is an indispensable resource you'll turn to again and again.

A forward-thinking look at performance assessment in the21st centuryNext Generation Assessment: Moving Beyond the Bubble Test toSupport 21st Century Learning provides neededanswers to the nation's growing concerns about educational testingin America. Drawing on research and the experiences of leadingstates and countries, this new book examines how performanceassessments can offer a feasible alternative to current high stakestests. As parents, educators, and policymakers have increasinglycriticized the effects of the teaching to the test mandate from theNo Child Left Behind Act, the need for this resource has never beenmore critical.This summary volume to Beyond the Bubble Test speaks tothe nationwide unease about current tests' focus on low-levelskills, like recalling and restating facts, rather thanhigher-order skills such as problem-solving, analyzing, andsynthesizing information. It illustrates how schools can useauthentic assessments to improve teaching and learning as theyinvolve students in conducting research, designing investigationsdeveloping products and solutions, using technology, andcommunicating their ideas in many forms. This important book:* Serves as a must-have resource for those interested in the mostcurrent research about how to create valid and reliable performanceassessments* Explains how educators can improve practice by developingusing, and scoring performance assessments* Helps policymakers and educators accurately assess the benefitsand possibilities of adopting performance assessmentsnationallyIf you're an educator, researcher, graduate student, districtadministrator, or education policy specialist, Next GenerationAssessment is an indispensable resource you'll turn to againand again.

Acknowledgments viThe Authors vii1 Beyond the Bubble Test: How Performance Assessment Can Support Deeper Learning 12 Defining Performance Assessment 153 Experiences with Performance Assessment in the United States and Abroad 314 How Performance Assessment Can Support Student and Teacher Learning 435 Meeting the Challenges of Performance Assessments 576 Making High-Quality Assessment Affordable 757 Building Systems of Assessment 878 Conclusion 107Notes 113Index 125