Performance-Based Assessment

PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENT Performance based assessment is most commonly known as and educational assessment which judges the student knowledge and skills based on observation of the student behavior or the inspection of students products. On the other hand, standardized testing is a written form test, which measures the temporary understanding of facts and skills. As a result of standardized testing outcomes being temporary, the genuine of this testing type is obsolete. Hence, I will argue that performance based assessment should be the primary form of assessment used to determine the success of student?s knowledge and skills, because it assesses a wide range of student competencies, it allows student demonstrations, and it has ecological validity.

My first view for supporting my argument is that performance based assessment should be the primary form of assessment because it assesses students competencies in a wide range. Performance based assessment in a classroom could consist of the observation of a child?s development of a project to assess his or her analytical abilities, portfolios which illustrates the student?s progress (in many areas) over a period of time, station activities which could consist of a student?s interaction with problematic issues of critical thinking skill, videotaping, interview, and etc. While, the examples listed above are just a few of many examples of performance based assessment, all of thee above could serve as an instrument in an alternate form of assessment other than standardized. According to (Rotbert, Iris) Phi Delta Kappan ,2001, utilizing the performance based assessment allows one to widen the curriculum whereas standardized testing does just the opposite by narrowing the curriculum and encourages rote learning. Having argued one point for supporting my view of performance based assessment; I now wish to consider rival views of standardized testing. Author (Steege, 2001) has stated that one of the leading concerns of