Publications
 A Review of Scale-up Efforts (2010) Rosann Tung, Center for Collaborative Education Pamela Stazesky, Center for Collaborative Education The purpose of this literature and field review is to understand previous efforts at scaling up performance assessments for use across districts and states. Despite many benefits, performance assessments in accountability systems are still relatively rare in the U.S. This review of such systems finds that the main challenges facing educators interested in using performance assessments at scale, and for accountability purposes, are the technical quality of performance assessments, the sustainability of implementation through strong professional development models, and political buy-in. Through a systematic description of seven performance assessment scale-up efforts, as well as descriptions of analogous efforts from teacher certification, medicine, and law, this review concludes with implications for future endeavors to integrate performance assessments into accountability systems.  Ready for the Future: The Role of Performance Assessments in Shaping Graduates’ Academic, Professional, and Personal Lives (2010) Laurie Gagnon, Center for Collaborative Education Based on in-depth interviews with graduates from three Boston Public Schools with well-established performance-based assessment systems, the study analyzes graduates’ preparation for future academic, professional, and personal endeavors. Graduates describe the process of learning from performance assessment, the ways their learning prepared them for future schooling or work, and the areas in which they faced challenges. Overall, despite a few challenge areas, the study schools’ performance assessment systems contributed to graduates’ success in college and in the world of work. Performance assessments helped study participants to discover their own learning styles, to master academic content and skills, and to develop critical thinking, communication, and real world skills.  Pamela Stazesky, Center for Collaborative Education Using an online survey, data were collected from a cohort of ten public schools in Massachusetts participating in the Building Quality Performance Assessments Initiative (BQPAI) to determine how and to what extent they use performance assessments. The findings indicate that the cohort of schools has shown a strong commitment to the inclusion of performance assessment tasks in their assessment systems. While the individual schools are in different places developmentally in regards to the creation and use of performance assessments, there are some commonalities. This diverse group of Massachusetts schools is committed to improving its assessment systems, to including performance assessments, and to engaging in technical assistance and professional development on assessment quality. Full Report Available Upon Request |
