This document discusses the history and definitions of alternative assessment in education. It provides the following key points: 1) Alternative assessment has evolved from broad definitions in the 1980s focusing on any non-standardized approach, to narrower definitions in the 2000s emphasizing performance-based assessments that mirror real-life contexts. 2) For an assessment to be considered authentic, it should be an ongoing process that reflects real-life situations, support growth through refined work samples, and evaluate performance according to explicit criteria like a rubric. 3) Common terminology for alternative assessment includes rubrics, portfolios of student work samples, performance-based tasks, and student exhibitions.

1. T461
Performance-Based
Assessment
Module 13
Part 1

2. Alternative Assessment: History
Curriculum Alignment
Alternative Assessment Classroom
Assessment
Standards
Accountability
1980s 1990s 2000s
1983 “A 1991 “All children in 2002
Nation at America will start NCLB Act
Risk” school ready to learn.”

6. Alternative Assessment: Definition
Broad Definition Narrow Definition
Almost any kind of A type of assessment used to
assessment approach demonstrate knowledge,
other than skills, or behavior in a context
conventional as close as possible to the
standardized tests or real-life situation, used
inventories. interchangeably sometimes
(McAfee & Leong, 1997) with authentic assessment
and performance-based
assessment.

7. What Makes An Assessment
Authentic ?
• Ongoing process and realist: Assessment is
conducted as an ongoing process and mirrors
real-life situation.
• Growth-oriented: Assessment and learning are
supported by continually refined and improved
products such as a child’s work samples.
• Performance-based: Performance is evaluated
according to explicit criteria of the domain
knowledge, often called rubric.

8. What Makes An Assessment
Authentic ?
The best way to
evaluate a child’s
performance is to
study performance,
not something else.
Samuel Meisels

9. Alternative Assessment:
Terminology
• Rubric/checklist
• Portfolio/work samples
• Performance-based assessment
• Student exhibition

10. End of Module 13, Part 1