ERIC ED397201: Transforming Teaching and Learning in Urban Schools through Alternative Assessment. Urban Monograph Series.

23 Pages·1995·0.57 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 397 201
UD 031 082
.
A"THOR
Winking, Deborah L.; Bond, Linda Ann
:ITLE
Transforming Teaching and Learning in Urban Schools
through Alternative Assessment. Urban Monograph
Series.
INSTITUTION
North Central Regional Educational Lab., Oak Brook,
IL
SPONS AGENCY
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),
Washington, DC.
REPORT NO
UMS-TT-95
PUB DATE
95
CONTRACT
RP91002007
NOTE
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North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1900
Spring Road, Suite 300, Oak Brook, IL 60521-1480
($6.95).
PUB TYPE
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EDRS PRICE
MFOI/PC01 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Constructed Response; Educational Assessment;
*Educational Change; Educational Practices;
Elementary Secondary Education; Equal Education;
Learning; *School Culture; *Standards; Student
Motivation; Teaching Methods; Test Reliability; *Test
Use; *Urban Schools
IDENTMERS
*Alternative Assessment; Reform Efforts; Student
Empowerment; Teacher Empowerment
ABSTRACT
This paper looks at alternative assessment and
explores its place in educational reform. It gives
a snapshot of
alternative assessment in practice, guidelines for establishing
it as
part of the- urban school culture, and
resources for additional
information. Alternative assessments differ from traditional
tests in
that they require students to construct
responses to open-ended
problems that have more than one correct
answer. Alternative
assessments also make success explicit by using
a set of standards as
their measuring stick instead of using relative comparisons
to other
students. No form of assessment alone should drive educational
reform, but alternative assessment
can be an important part of reform
agendas because it fits well with current paradigm shifts
in
education. There are many misunderstandings about alternative
assessment, the most common being the assumption that it
i:
subjective, but approaches have been developed to
enhance the
reliability of alternative assessments. In the
urban context,
alternative assessment can be especially valuable
because it promotes
equity, increases motivation, raises standards,
empowers students and
teachers, and focuses attention on teaching and learning. Five
examples of the use of alternative assessment in urban public
schools
illustrate how useful it can be. (Contains 18 references.) (SLD)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that
*
can be made
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
(AD
Urban Monog,ph Señes
Transforming Teaching and
cc'l
Learning in Urban Schools
E
Through Alternative Assessment
U.11, DEPARTMENT OP EDUCATOR
Othce ot Educational Research and Imcrovement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
document has Omon reproduced as
ecowed from the penton Or organization
originating ot.
0 Minor changes have been made to Improve
URBAN EDUCATION PROGRAM
reproduction oualdy
Pomtsot v.** or oponroilli staled in thss dOCu-
meet do nOt n*CeSaardy reoresent othosi
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PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
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HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
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TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
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by Deborah L. Winking, Ph.D.
and
Linda Ann Bond, Ph.D.
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory
ISICREL.
BEST COPY AVMLABLE
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the individuals involved in NCREL performance assessment
pilots, scoring conferences, and evaluation studies during 1993-1994 who shared their
perceptions regarding assessment.
Executive Director
Jeri Nowakowski
Director, Urban Education
Lynn J. Stinnette
Robin LaSota
Program Coordinator, Urban Education
Program Assistant, Urban Education
Robin L. Fleming
Editor
Lenaya Raack
Desktop Publisher
Holly Jovanovich
Melissa Chapko
Graphic Designer
NCREL is one of ten federally supported educational laboratories in the country. It works with
education professionals in a seven-state region to support restructuring to promote iearning for
all studentsespecially those most at risk of academic failure in rural and urban schools.
The Urban Education Program's mission is to improve education for urban children and youth,
especially those who are underachieving and historically underserved. We provide products and
services that connect superintendents, principals, and teachers from nearly 5,000 urban schools
to research and best practice. We work in partnership with schools and districts tO build capac-
ity for (1) teaching advanced skills to all students, (2) implementing multicultural education,
(3) leading school change and innovation, and (4) supporting professional development that
promotes whole school change.
Copyright © 1995 North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, all rights reserved.
This publication is based on work sponsored wholly or in part by the Office of Educational
,
Research and Improvement (0ERI),1Department of Education, under contract number
RP91002007. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of OERI,
the Department of Education, or any other agency of the U.S. Government,
UMSTT-95 s6A 95
Dear Colleague:
increas-
Many urban students complete school and make a successful transition to higher education. However, an
knowledge they
ing number of poor and minority youth either drop out of or finish school without the skills and
need to continue their education and participate in today's high-tech, information-service economy.
NCREL believes that connecting practitioners and policymakers to information about what works in urban
schools is an important step in bridging the achievement gap between the region's urban children and others.
and
Traditionally, solutions to problems of urban schools have focused on isolated programs or single subjects
children and
have relied heavily on knowledge from one fieldeducation. The achievement gap between urban
effective
others is the result of many factors. Solutions that draw on a broad knowledge base are more likely to be
solely on
in attacking the problems that impede urban children's success in school than solutions that rely
knowledge about schooling.
information about
The Urban Education Monograph Series connects practitioners and policymakers to important
anthropol-
what works in urban schools by drawing on knowledge from the fields of education, sociology, cultural
ogy, and others. This series includes the following papers:
University of
Building Collaborative Cultures: Seeking Ways to Reshape Urban Schools (Kent Peterson,
Wisconsin at Madison, with Richard Brietzke, Purdy Elementary School, Fort Atkalson, Wisconsin)
by
Cultural Diversity and Academic Achievement (Barbara Bowman, Erikson Institute, with an introduction
John Attinasi, California State University)
Developing Resilience in Urban Youth (Linda Winfield, University of Southern California)
el
Getting Ready to Provide School-Linked, Integrated Servi:es (Jeanne JehI, San Diego Public Schools and
Michael Kirst, Stanford University)
Multicultural Er7.1cation: Challenges to Administrators and School Leadership (Carol Lee, Northwestern
University, with an introduction by John Attinasi, California State University)
Organizational Structures to Promote Teacher Engagement in Urban Schools (Karen Seashore Louis,
University of Minnesota at Minneapolis)
Raising Expectations to Improve Student Learning (Jerry Hamburg, University of Washington at Seattle)
Rising to the Challenge: Emerging Strategies for Educating Youth At Risk (Nettie Legters, Johns Hopkins
University and Edward L. McDill, Johns Hopkins University and Center for Social Organization of
Schools)
Synthesis of Scholarship in Multicultural Education (Geneva Gay, University of Washington at Seattle)
Transforming Teaching and Learning in Urban Schools Through Alternative Az cessraent (Deborah L.
Winking and Linda Ann Bond, NCREL)
We welcome your comments on the Urban Education Monograph Series and your suggestions allout other issues
that you would like us to address in the future.
Sincerely,
inette
Director, Urban Education
Transforming Teaching and Learning in Urban
Schools Through Alternative Assessment
by Deborah L. Wmking and Linda Ann Bond
school, guidelines for establishing alternative
What You and Your School Should
assessment as part of the urban school culture,
Know About Alternative Assessment
and resources for additional information.
As administrators and teachers only five years
shy of entering the 21st century, we find our-
What Is Alternative Assessment and
selves in the midst of yet another "new"
Why Is it Considered "Alternative"?
national fervor around educational accountabil-
ity. Concerns for accountability, which are
Alternative assessment stands in direct contrast
aggravated by harsh fiscal realities and global
to more traditional tests, which measure facts
comparisons, underlie increasing public
alone. It has its roots in classroom practice
demands for hard evidence of what students are
teachers informally using practical assignments
learning. These demands have led to the
to help make decisions about their students'
proliferation of norm-referenced standardized
progress, to diagnosis specific learning difficul-
tests, minimum competency examinations, and
ties, and to help refine instructional methods
standards designed to "raise the bar" for stu-
accordingly. Because our notion of important
dent achievement. However, dissatisfaction
learning outcomes have been changing over the
with the overall job norm-referenced standard-
past decade, alternative assessment methods
ized tests alone have done in accurately por-
have become recognized as a vital part of
traying what students can and should be able to
school, district, and state assessment efforts.
do has led to the development of alternative
Knowledge is important, but simply memoriz-
Educators increasingly use
assessments.
ing facts is not enough. Since information
alternative assessment to help them gain a
doubles every three years, tests that measure
deeper understanding of student learning, and
acquisition of facts alone aren't sufficient for
more successfully communicate evidence of
understanding what it takes to succeed in
that learning to parents, employers, and the
today's complex society. Students need to be
community at large.
able to sort through vast quantities of knowl-
edge and apply that which is appropriate to
This paper will provide you with a practical
unique and ambiguous problems.
introduction to what alternative assessment is
and its place in education reform. It will also
Traditional tests require students to identify an
provide a snapshot view of what alternative
ans Ner from a list that includes a correct
assessment looks like in practice within a
level of learning and expertise that we want to
publisher)
response (predetermined by the test
foster in all students. Alternative assessments
and three or four plausible distracters or incor-
make explicit exactly "what is good enough"
Alternative assessments differ
rect answers.
by using a set of standards as their measuring
from traditional test in that they require stu-
stick instead of relative comparisons.
dents to construct responses to open-ended
problems that have more than one correct
Generally speaking, standards are statements
answer.
that groups and individuals, usually with a
vested interest in education, believe best
describe a desired performance. Content
Alternative assessments differ from
standards, sometimes called content frame-
traditional tests in that they require
works, describe what students should know
students to construct responses to
and be able to do. Performance standards
open-ended problems that have more
describe the quality level or fluency of desired
than one correct answer.
student performance and/or with what fluency a
performance is desired in a given assignment.
These two types of standards delineate gc als
Using this definition, short answer and essay
for student performance or student accou.itabil-
questions, oral presentations, exhibitions,
ity. However, states, districts, and schooh that
drawings, dramatic performances, and portfo-
are concerned with systemic school improw-
lios of work completed over time all may be
ment, and not just "raising test scores," have
Possibly
considered alternative assessments.
learned they will not succeed in realizing stu-
one of the most important contributions of the
dent accountability standards without address-
proliferation of new forms of assessment has
ing school or system accountability as well.
been the realization that we, as educators, need
an array of assessment tools at our disposal to
Standards that specify the level of resources,
Traditional assessment is
understand learning.
materials, opportunities, instruction, and
particularly useful for efficiently assessing
general learning climate needed within a school
student knowledge and the limited applications
are called delivery standards. Resnick (1987)
of that knowledge. However, alternative
describes opportunity-to-learn or deliver/
assessment is the appropriate tool when the job
standards as the promise of the system to
is understanding the process students go
students that they will only be held accountable
through in solving complex, "real world"
for high standards if they are ensured the
problems.
opportunity to learn that which will be
assessed.
Another fundamental way in which alternative
and traditional assessments differ is their
reference points. In the past, the "ruler"
The Place of Assessment in
against which we measured success was the
Educational Improvement
typical pmformance of a student's peers (i.e.,
"the norm"). We know that the norm can be
No form of assessment aloneneither tradi-
highly inflated or deflated, depending on
tional nor alternative--alone should drive
individual scores. Therefore, gauging "how
educational reform. On the contrary, assess-
good is good enough" based only on relative
ment should be one important part of helping a
standing within a group ignores an absolute
school community achieve its vision for school
Transforming Teaching and Learning in Urban Schools through Alternative Assessment
I.
Alternative Assessment Fits Well
improvement. What alternative assessment
Within Current Educational
is
seeks to assist in overall school improvement
educa-
to shift focus to those things that we as
Paradigms
the outcomes,
tors think are importantthat is,
will need to
processes, and skills that students
Because it fits well with current paradigm shifts
If seen as a
succeed in the 21st century.
in education, alternative assessment can be a
seamless part of the teaching-learning-evalua-
critical vehicle for furthering and realizing
tion loop, alternative assessment can help
reform agendas. Some of its uses and benefits
teachers, parents, and the community at large
are outlined below.
should
better understand what students can and
be able to do.
students know and Can do should be one
The task of chanelg the way we assess what
This vision,
vision for improved learning, not the only part.
part of realiimg our school's
(principal, teachers, students, parents, school
realized by involving the school community
in a school improvement process, will result
board, employers, and community members)
in:
is necessary to improve
Developing a consensus that changing the current system
learning.
identifying and defining what stu-
Determining valued learning outcomes by clearly
of their educational experiences.
dents should know and be able to do as a result
the school community's responsi-
Determining delivery standards by clearly delineating
all students will have the supports and
bility to students and providing assurances that
opportunity to learn that which will be assessed.
that will help students learn valued
Designing curriculum and instructional approaches
development opportunities for teachers to adapt
outcomes, and providing professional
and transform their classroom practice.
classroom, school, district, and state
Developing an aligned assessment system at the
achieving valued learning out-
levels that offers evidence of how well students are
comes.
and the community that offerg useful
Building a reporting system for students, parents,
stand with respect to the learning
information about where students and the school
outcomes and delivery standards.
for defining, teaching, learning, and
Evaluating the effectiveness of the above steps
for making adjustments as needed.
assessing valued learner outcomes, and
through Alternative Assessment
3
Transforming Teaching and Learning in Urban Schools
Alternative assessment:
lios and observation records, build a
basis for judging performance on a body
of work that is collected over time.
Is site-based or contextualized to schools
Allows students the opportunity to take
Teachers, parents, and students at the
learning into their own hands
school level have a say in determining
valued learning outcomes. Assessment
Students are involved in determining
tasks, projects, or exhibitions should be
the standards, assessments, and criteria
designed to have a high degree of
that will be used to judge their perfor-
respect for the learning outcomes
mances. What used to be considered
articulated by these local groups.
teaching to the test, is now part of
making expectations explicit so that
Supports professionalism and collegiality
students can take charge of their own
among teachers
learning.
According to Calfee and Perfumo
Prizes complete intellectual challenges
(1993), "The movement toward alterna-
and engaged learning
tive assessment is nothing short of a
grassroots revolution
that is, teach-
. . .
Today we know that good instruction
ers regaining control of assessment
actively engages students in the learning
policy." Alternative assessment systems
process (Jones, Valdez, Nowakowski,
are built using "bottom up processes" in
itasmusseri, 1994). Good assessment
which teachers are seen as central to
should do the same thing. For example,
creating valid, useful assessments.
Garcia & Pearson (1991) reported that
They are not seen as potential threats to
many standardized reading assessments
validity.
present students with a selection of
relatively short passages followed by a
Recognizes the need for use of multiple
series of multiple-choice questions to
measures collected over time to under-
stand complex learning
which there is one correct answer.
Students are required to complete the
tests within short, prescribed time
Partly because they represent complete
limits. Alternative assessments provide
real-world challenges, alternative
the opportunity to evaluate sustained
assessments are often complex ent!eav-
reading and nonroutine problem solving
ors that students engage in over a
of the stripe students are presented with
period of time. These differ from
standardized on-demand tests that
in dthly life.
provide only a snapshot view of student
Recognizes that adults often work in
performance on a single occasion.
groups and ensures that group work is
Newer forms of assessment many times
part of performance
require students to show what they
have learned using the written and
Alternative assessment, particularly
spoken word, performance, demi ristra-
portfolios, exhibitions, and observation
tion, and exhibition.
Particularly, two
records can recognize and give credit
forms of alternative assessment, portfo..
Transforming Teaching and Learning in Urban Schools through Alternative Assessment
4
there is subjectivity inherent in all human
for partial and/or developing knowl-
endeavors, including test construction. How-
edge, as well as credit group processes
ever, scoring processes have been developed
that go undetected using "one-shot"
that make alternative assessments highly reli-
timed tests.
able. The second generalization implies that
alternative assessments are merely stimulating
activities that have no consequences. Depend-
Determining Purpose and Use of
ing on the how assessment information is used
Assessment Information
and interpreted, newer forms are just as subject
to corruption as standardized tests have been in
Teachers and administrators selecting or devel-
the past. As these examples illustrate, under-
oping assessments think that their choice is
standing and clarifying the purposes for assess-
between standardized and alternative. The fact
ing are critical and should be the first step in
is, it's not that simple. Thinking of assessment
developing an assessment system. To clarify
in this limited way is grossly inadequate. It
assessment purpose, it is most important to
tends to oversimplify traits and lump all assess-
understand how the information generated will
ment into two types, each carrying misleading
be used and by whom.
generalizations. Consider these statements:
Mternative assessments are not as
To clarify assessment purpose, it is
reliable as standardized tests because
most important to understand how the
they are based solely on teacher judg-
information generated will be used
ments.
and by whom.
Standardized tests are more likely to be
corrupted because teachers are under
pressure to make sure their students
Assessment is used to provide information.
score well.
Who is using the information and how it is used
determines the "stakes" in assessment.
In fact, neither generalization is true. Propo-
nents of alternative assessment recognize that
Q: Which of the following is an example of a "high-stakes" assessment for students?
(a) A chapter test at the end of a geometry book
(b) A new standardized state test
(c) A teacher's ongoing chronicle of student writing
(d) A language arts alternative assessment developed by district teams of teachers
A: This question illustrates the point made above. All or none of the above examples are
high stakes assessments, depending on whether the information is used in ways that have
specific consequences for students (e.g., assessment information is used to determine
retention, admission into advanced placement classes, graduation, etc.).,
Transforming Teaching and Learning in Urban Schools through Alternative Assessment
5
9
Information System, Kentucky Department of
High-stakes assessments are asses3ments
Education, 500 Mero Street, Frankfurt,
that have specific positive and negative
Kentucky 40601; and New Standards Project,
consequences for sites, districts, schools,
Learning Research Development Center
programs, and/or students.
(LRDC), University of Pittsburgh, 3939 O'Hara
Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260.
Low-stakes assessments are assessments
that encourage student and teacher reflec-
tion and are used to inform the teaching and
Ensuring That Our Assessments Are
learning process within classrooms.
Providing Lseful and Accurate
Common uses for assessment information
Information
include determining the efficacy of a new
computer lab, diagnosing a student's reading
Assessments are worthless unless they provide
miscues so a teacher can individualize instruc-
accurate information that teachers, students,
tional strategies, reporting mathematics gains
and parents can use to make important deci-
to the school board, describing overall trends in
sions about learning. When designing assess-
U.S. education, and so forth. Other examples,
ments and/or assessment systems, there are
considered by many as "misuses" include using
three major quality issues to be considered:
assessment data to label students in ways that
consistency or reliability of scores, the validity
exclude them from certain educational opportu-
of the decisions that are made because of those
nities. The "stakes" in each one of these
scores, and the extent to which the assessment
examples depends on what consequences are
gives all students an equal opportunity to
incurred by assessing and for whom are they
demonstrate what they know.
incurred.
First, the consistency or reliability of the scores
Because alternative assessments often have
is a prerequisite to any interpretation about the
their roots in classroom assessment practice,
If several teachers can look at a given
scores.
they are considered low-stakes assessments,
student's work and arrive at very different
assessments that help inform the teaching and
conclusions about the quality of that work, then
learning process within classrooms. However,
the assessment results are "inconsistent" or
because they provide more direct measures of
"unreliable." In other words, what good is the
student performance, alternative assessments
information if students who are achieving at
are increasingly being used as part of high-
essentially the same level are told that their
stakes evaluation systems. In fact, many high-
performances are high, medium, and low
stakes alternative assessment systems are being
depending on the teacher who judges their
designed to assist in improving instruction and
performances or the particular items/tasks
to ensure student and system accountability,
used? Lack of reliability is almost always the
thereby blurring the distinction between high-
result of poorly defined scoring criteria, misun-
stakes and low-stakes assessment. This is the
derstandings or disagreements among teachers/
case with high-stakes assessment systems being
scorers about what the scoring criteria should
developed by the New Standards Project and
be, and/or an inadequate selection of the
the Kentucky instructional Results Information
content to In assessed. It can also be the result
System (KIRIS). For further information about
of bias; that is, the test content or scorer favors
either of these assessment and standards initia-
one group of students over another based on
tives, write to Kentucky Instructional Results
Transforming Teaching and Learning in Urban Schools through Alternative Assessment
6