Performance-based Assessment The types of work we choose to evaluate and the methods we use to evaluate that work deliver powerful messages to students about what we value.

Assessment: Past and Present PAST –Evaluate products –Evaluate accuracy –Evaluate control of discrete grammar points PRESENT –Evaluate process and product –Evaluate comprehensibility –Evaluate control of grammar within a context

Assessment: Past and Present PAST –Instruct, then test –Sort students into groups; some succeed and some fail PRESENT –Integrate instruction with assessment –Identify strengths of individual students; maximize the opportunity for all students to succeed

What is your destination? KnowledgeAchievementPerformance

Knowledge Applies to facts or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience (Merriam Webster Dictionary) What role do facts/ideas play in learning a world language?

Imagine…. A written test of your knowledge about the game of basketball. What would the test tell you? Would you be able to play basketball if you got an “A” on the test?

Achievement A test, often in a standardized format, for measuring a student's mastery of a given subject or skill (Merriam Webster Dictionary) What role does mastery of a world language play?

Imagine…. A test that includes reading comprehension, fill-in-the-blank with correct grammatical structures and vocabulary, and multiple-choice questions. What would the test tell you? What would the test tell you? Would you be able to write a letter of Would you be able to write a letter of application for a job? application for a job?

Performance Performance assessment is a measure of assessment based on authentic tasks that require students to show what they can do. What role does performance in a world What role does performance in a world world language play? world language play?

Making Communication Real Interpretive Presentational Interpersonal CULTURE

Making Communication Real Create a need to communicate Exchange information that is…. –Cognitively engaging –Intrinsically interesting –Culturally related –Communicatively purposeful

Example Imagine a unit: –Daily routines –Intermediate level –High school Important question: How do your actions reflect an environmentally friendly lifestyle?

Objectives Students will describe their daily routines and the routines of their friends and family orally and in writing, explaining what they did on a certain day and what they normally do.

Objectives Students will define “an environmentally friendly lifestyle”, listing actions and characteristics of someone who leads an environmentally friendly lifestyle; they will share how they as individuals can make a difference through their green actions.

Objectives Students will evaluate their daily routines and the routines of their friends and family in terms of “environmental friendliness”, making suggestions for ways to modify or change their routines to be more environmentally friendly.

Objectives Students will compare their “green” attitudes and actions to those of people around the world.

Unit Inventory Language functions: –Sequencing –Making comparisons –Making suggestions –Stating opinions –Summarizing Grammatical structures: Essential vocabulary:

Performance How do you want students to demonstrate that they have: –Increased their knowledge about leading an environmentally friendly lifestyle in their own culture and in the target culture

Performance How do you want students to demonstrate that they have: –Improved their skills in communication via the interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal modes

Performance Assessments Strength in learning and success in performance comes from interconnectedness of the three modes of Communication Providing practice in all three modes creates strong communicators

Interpretive Tasks Reading, Listening, Viewing –One-way communication –Global understanding....inferences –Pleasure..... Information Success influenced by –Prior knowledge of topic –Familiarity with organization of text –Past experience/success reading – listening – viewing

Example Students will visit the website: mlhttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/youth/index_fr.ht ml and select an article about actions they can take to respect the environment. They will summarize the actions suggested in the article. They will provide additional information related to France and its environmental policies/initiatives that enhance the understanding of the article. ml

Presentational Tasks Writing, Speaking for an audience –One-way communication –Classmates……..native speakers –Informal……formal –Rehearsals →performance –Drafts → publication

Example Students will create infomercials that give ideas and suggestions on how to move from “green to really green” in people’s daily lifestyles.

Interpersonal Tasks Two-way communication (verbal and ) –For pleasure……to accomplish a task –Spontaneous –Negotiated

Interpersonal Tasks Success influenced by: –Familiarity with the activity –Familiarity with the person/people involved in the interaction –Number/complexity of unexpected circumstances

Example Students will participate in a scored discussion sharing what they have learned about green efforts around the world and actions they are taking to lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Integrated Performance Assessment Interpretive Task Presentational Task Interpersonal Task Read article on website Make an infomercial Discuss world and personal green actions

What Counts: Interpretive Tasks Comprehension –Identifies main topic –Identifies main points, central ideas –States literal meaning –Retells, summarizes –Analyzes, interprets –Draws inferences –Discusses knowledgeably

What Counts: Interpretive Tasks Vocabulary –Understands identified vocabulary –Guesses meaning from context –Provides synonyms for identified vocabulary –Can use identified vocabulary in a new context

Evaluating the task What should be evaluated? What should be evaluated? –Completeness of article summary –Accuracy of summary –Additional information to enhance understanding of the article NOTE: Student responses are written in English as evidence of successful interpretation of the article

Interpretive Rubric Complete- ness AccuracyAdditionalInformation Strong Summary is thorough, and reflects the major topics and supporting details Summary is accurate; any error is minor and does not change the message of the text Additional information is relevant to the web article and enhances the understanding of the green movement in France. Acceptable Summary is adequate, and reflects major topics and many supporting details Summary includes minor errors that do not detract from the message of the text Additional information relates to the web article, providing some information about the green movement in France. Approaching Summary reflects some of the major topics and supporting details Summary is generally correct; an occasional error may change part of the message Limited additional information relates to the web article.

Interpersonal Task Students will participate in a scored discussion sharing what they have learned about green efforts around the world, and actions they take to lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle.

What Counts: Interpersonal Task Content/cultureComprehensionComprehensibilitySpontaneityNegotiation Balanced participation

Interpersonal Rubric StrongAcceptableApproaching Communication Maintains conversation by asking and answering questions related to the topic; provides additional information, comments as appropriate Maintains conversation by asking and answering questions related to the topic Responds to questions from others and may ask simple questions Content/Culture Stays on topic & includes information and understandings from own culture and the target culture Stays on topic & includes information from own culture and the target culture Stays on topic with limited or no reference to the target culture Comprehensibility Language is generally correct; errors don’t interfere with comprehension Language is generally correct; some errors may require repetition, rephrasing in order to be understood. Language contains some errors that make comprehension difficult occasionally.

Presentational Task Students will create infomercials that give ideas and suggestions on how to move from “green to really green” in people’s daily lifestyles.

What Counts: Presentational Task Comprehensibility: How well is the student understood (pronunciation, intonation, style, organization)? Accuracy: How well does the student use the language (grammar, vocabulary, spelling)? Content: How relevant, accurate, complete is the content? Impact: How engaging, creative is the presentation? ???

What Counts: Presentational Task What about the preparation for the presentation: rough drafts, rehearsals? The process needs to be valued

Presentational Tasks One perspective on valuing the process of rough drafts and rehearsals: –Taking the process seriously leads to high quality final products –Count the process but weight the final product more heavily as a reflection of good preparation

Presentational Tasks Rubrics for presentational tasks can be generic or task-specific, depending on the unique traits that might be emphasized in a presentational task.

Presentational Tasks Generic rubrics –Used to judge the same type of performance: all speeches, all dialogues, all essays –Helps students understand the nature of a quality performance

Presentational Tasks Task-specific rubrics –Used for a specific performance that has unique traits –Gives students feedback on that particular performance

Presentational Tasks Consider non-negotiables to reduce the number of criteria that need to be built into a rubric Non-negotiables: basic requirements of any performance that need to be in place before the performance can be evaluated

Non-negotiables: An example Word-processedDouble-spaced 250 words ParagraphsTitleSpell-checked At least 5 of the new vocab words Written in the past and imperfect