Dr. Diane Howard's Publications
Authentic Assessment
Progressive Evaluation
of American Student Performance
Copyright © 1992
Diane Howard, Ph.D.
Published in the International Educational Newsletter
of the John Dewey Society, 1992
"Authentic Assessment" has been one of the most progressive features
of school reform across the United States in the last decade. This new system of
evaluation of student performance involves progressive standards, which are practically
related to experience in the real world. This kind of assessment was developed by The New
Standard Project, a consortium of 17 states and half a dozen leading school districts
together serving half of American students. Those designing and implementing this new
system were state and district representatives working with learning and teaching
researchers, curriculum specialists, assessment experts, staff development professionals,
and leaders in systematic educational reform. These reformers contended that American
schools were not properly educating children for their futures. They were concerned about
developing educational standards that related to the real world students would face beyond
schools. This assessment system was based on performance standards related to tasks and
activities that mirror conditions under which a particular competence is demonstrated in
"authentic" (real) settings. At the heart of the New Standards evaluation system
were student portfolios, which contained work from three main sources: work chosen by a
district, school, teacher, and/or student; projects and learning activities; and responses
from NSP matrix examinations. Along with developing this performance-based assessment
system, the designers realized the need to train educators in the use of the system and
the need to do whatever was necessary to assist all learners in fulfilling the learning
objectives to be assessed. These reformers were also concerned about developing
international educational standards. Their goal was to develop an examination system which
reflected the best in present thinking about essential skills across disciplines and which
was able to be internationally adopted.
The Four Seasons National Faculty on Authentic Assessment, likewise, promoted and trained
teachers in this approach. This faculty was made of special, chosen classroom teachers
proficient in this kind of student evaluation; of regional educational leaders such as
Jack Dale, Washington coordinator of the New Standards Project; and of national
educational figures such as Maxine Greene and Ann Lieberman from Columbia University, and
Joe McDonald, with Coalition of Essential Schools from Brown University. The Four Seasons
Project was a collaborative partnership, which includes the Coalition of Essential
Schools, Foxfire Teacher Outreach Network, and Harvard's Project Zero. Other progressive
innovations in authentic assessment included such plans as that of the Bethel School
District in the state of Washington to keep computer portfolios of the "authentic
assessments" of each student in the school district.
Systematic assessment of student work that is authentically performance-based
is more related to the business community, to national and international economic systems,
to present social and political institutions, to demographic trends, and to new
technologies in information processing. Educational professionals across the nation have
recognized this approach to evaluation of student performance as a step toward preparing
students for the real world beyond their schools.
Contact Dr. Howard
dhoward@vvm.com
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