What does Good Assessment Look Like? (Story)

By Ashley Weinard

A group of teachers tackled this question last weekend at the NCMA’s Creative Assessment workshop. Although they taught a wide range of subjects–art, ESL, math, science, kindergarten–they shared a vision and together brainstormed ways to bring it to life across classrooms.
Consider using these ideas as your own rubric the next time you create a project to measure student learning.

A good assessment…

• is creative…it stretches teacher and student practice and thinking
• includes an element of arts-based performance and/or arts investigation
• slows students down, encourages them to think deeply and pay attention to details
• includes a clear demonstration of the steps and skills that are necessary for the project
• allows students to respond to new knowledge in a personal way
• provides opportunities for mid- and post-project reflection

Need a model to get you started? This 6th grade science lesson features each of the components above.