1. Bank of Performance Assessment Tasks in English
Betty Simelmits

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

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

4. 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

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

6. 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.

7. Focusing on..
Summative assessment
Formative assessment

8. 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.

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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!!

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

20. 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.

21. 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

22. 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