Bank of Performance Assessment Tasks in English Betty Simelmits

Kinds of Assessment Summative or Formative Formal or informal Final or Continuous Product or Process Convergent or Divergent Traditional or Alternative

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” Albert Einstein

Traditional formal assessment looks at what students know at the end of a given period of time. Informal assessment looks at how students know as well as what they know. We as teachers, must be very clear about our purpose when we choose an assessment tool

The focus must be on the quality of feedback and feed-forward rather than the quantity of information gathered by the teacher.

Assessment for Learning Almost everything a student does is assessed. Not all students learn at the same rate or in the same way. In order to provide evidence of understanding, students must be able to apply acquired knowledge and skills learned throughout the unit to new situations. Assessment provides evidence of student growth toward the learning goals.

Focusing on.. Summative assessment Formative assessment

The garden analogy If we think of our pupils as plants … Summative assessment of the plants is the process of simply measuring them. It might be interesting to compare and analyze measurements but, in themselves, these do not affect the growth of the plants. Formative assessment, on the other hand, is the equivalent of feeding and watering the plants appropriate to their needs - directly affecting their growth.

VIPs—Very Important Points Learning a foreign language is a complex process. Knowing a language means having the skills to communicate effectively in that language Students need multiple opportunities in different formats to provide evidence of learning Assessment and grading are not the same thing Traditionally, teaching has focused primarily on vocabulary and rules of grammar. It is not enough to know the rules – one must also know to apply them

“ Communication is knowing how, when and where to say/write what to whom”

Why Performance Assessment? It is a type of test that provides pupils with a context in which they are required to communicate There are no right or wrong answers Each pupil is given the opportunity to communicate to the best of his/her ability Each pupil gets his individual feedback Provides information on the quality of pupils’ performance, and assesses the pupils’ achievement of benchmarks and standards

Characteristics of Performance Task Enables multiple responses Integrative (combines different skills) Enables problem-solving Requires time to complete Requires examination, investigation, inquiry Requires pupils to practice, refine and revise in order to demonstrate their learning

Characteristics of Performance Task (cont.) Builds on background knowledge Enables collaborative learning (pair/group) Enables self-assessment and reflection Has personal significance for pupils Challenging and attractive Is designed as a standard assessment tool : Feedback on individual and collective base Process and product

How the Bank Is Structured The bank contains 30 tasks (each targets a specific benchmark/s) Each task consists of a booklet for the pupils and a section in the teacher’s manual Each section is made up of three parts: A description of the task, suggestions and implementation A scoring rubric Examples of pupils’ work scored according to the rubrics

How the Bank Is Structured (cont.) Each pupils’ booklet contains: The task itself with instructions A checklist for pupil self-assessment An assessment page (to fill out and return to pupils) The tasks: Are grouped according to the four domains of the curriculum Describe imaginary scenarios There are 3 levels of difficulty Social Interaction Access to Information Presentation Appreciation of Language, Literature and Culture

How to Work With the Bank When choosing a task, take into consideration the benchmark you want to assess, the relevance of the material to the class and whether the class has learned the prerequisite skills Prepare the pupils if necessary

How to Work With the Bank (cont.) Once you have chosen a task, prepare the following: A photocopy of the task booklet for each pupil Any additional material mention A whole class mapping form Be familiar with the contents of the task and rubrics

Scoring Scores range from 1 to 5 for each section of each task. A score of 1 = minimal language skills A score of 5 = good performance The total score should reflect overall communicative success It is very important to teach pupils how to use the checklist before they are given the task!!

The Thank-You Note (Task 3 / Level 1)

The Thank-You Note (Task 3 / Level 1) Domain: Written social interaction Benchmark: Give and receive short messages in writing, such as notes and invitations. Description: In this task, pupils write a thank-you note for a gift sent by a cousin who lives in Canada. Before writing the note, pupils complete a guided exercise to help them plan their work.

The Thank-You Note (Task 3 / Level 1) Rational for choice of topic: Most people enjoy receiving gifts Value: acknowledge gifts by writing tank-you note Suggestions for implementation: Have a class discussion about gifts When gifts are given, What gifts pupils have received / would like to give or receive, Who gives gifts to who and why Discuses appropriate behavior when receiving a gift

The Thank-You Note (Task 3 / Level 1) Prerequisites: Familiarity with the basic form of notes and letters Ability to write short sentences After scoring: Prepare a class mapping Prepare workplan – based on the findings