University of Wisconsin - Stout

Online Assessment Resources for Teachers

Click here to request more information online.

Here you will find a hand selected index of authentic assessment resources. You are one click away from vital information about performance assessment, rubrics, negotiable contracting, and electronic portfolios. We include links to web based tools for creating your own assessments.

The Case for Authentic Assessment
Grant Wiggins describes the need for authentic assessment. This article from the peer reviewed journal, Practical, Research, & Evaluation, provides a foundation of understanding for authentic assessment.

Defining Performance Assessment Discusses criticisms of current assessment and instructional practices.

Recommendations for Teachers - Alternative Assessment
Suggestions when developing and implementing alternative assessment activities.

Developing Performance Assessment Tasks
Characteristics of effective performance assessment tasks.

Creating Meaningful Performance Assessments
Four issues performance assessments must address to meet high standards for reliability and validity.

Connecting Performance Assessment to Instruction: A Comparison of Behavioral Assessment, Mastery Learning, Curriculum-Based Measurement, and Performance Assessment
Seven criteria performance assessment should meet to inform instructional decisions.

Recommendations for Developing Classroom Performance Assessments and Scoring Rubrics
Barbara Moskal provide a set of recommendations that guide the classroom teacher through the four phases of the classroom assessment process - planning, gathering, interpreting and using.

Designing Scoring Rubrics for Your Classroom
Craig Mertler describes the step-by-step process for designing scoring rubrics for classroom use. This journal article includes templates and diagrams describing scoring, rubrics, grade scales, sampling and data analysis.

Scoring Rubrics; What, When, and How?
Barbara Moskal describes the different types of scoring rubrics, explains why scoring rubrics are useful and provides a process for developing scoring rubrics.

Creating Rubrics
This five-part series explores how one teacher designs, refines, and implements rubrics in a variety of subject areas.

Examples of Rubrics
Includes rubrics for cooperative learning, research reports, PowerPoint/oral presentations, multimedia, video, and web projects

Authentic Assessment Toolbox
Describes how to create authentic tasks and rubrics for measuring and improving student learning and includes examples created by teachers.

Why Rubrics?
Nancy Pickett and Bernie Dodge describe the advantages of using rubrics for authentic assessment. Includes many examples and a link to a template.

Students and Teachers Alike Can Benefit from Rubrics
Joyce Kasman Valenza describes the advantages of using rubrics for authentic assessment. Includes a rich archive of web based rubric examples.

What is Ongoing Assessment?
How do I grade? Ongoing assessment involves teacher observation, teacher and students co-developing the assessment criteria for student-produced written material and products, peer feedback and self-reflection.

What Students Say About Rubrics
Lorrie LaCroix and Karen Maine, two 7th grade teachers, interviewed their students about how rubrics helped with the learning process.

Creating Rubrics Through Negotiable Contracting and Assessment (pdf)
Andi Stix discusses ways to help students accurately evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and pinpoint where to focus their efforts during learning activities. Includes examples and a bibliography.

Empowering Students through Negotiable Contracting
Another article by Andi Stix that describes the nuances of the negotiable contracting implementation process.

Implementing Performance Assessment in the Classroom
Amy Brualdi explains how use of performance assessment will help you assess higher order thinking skills.

Adopting, Adapting, or Developing an Aligned Assessment for Your Lesson
Lorraine Sherry and the STAR Center Technology Team describe how to use performance standards as the core of assessment development.

Assessment Strategies for Graphic Organizers
Detailed examples of webbing, content/concept maps, what we know/want to know/learned (KWL) charts, hypercard, timelines, flow charts, Venn diagrams.

Assessment Strategies
Includes student interview, listening, retelling, fishbowl, journals and logs, reflection logs, webbing and mapping, KWL chart, venn diagram, hypercard stack.

Peer Assessment and Peer Evaluation (pdf)
Includes strategies to hold students mutually accountable on team assignments.

Positive Interdependence, Individual Accountability, Promotive Interaction: Three Pillars of Cooperative Learning (pdf)
A discussion about cooperative learning activities that promote individual accountability. Includes pitfalls such as avoid grading on a curve.

Group Grades, Are They Pointless?
Dr. Spencer Kagan discusses whether group grades are appropriate when the goal is creating positive interdependence and facilitating well functioning teams.

Team Skills Self-Assessment (pdf)
Provides an example of how to assess strengths and weaknesses in working with or communicating with others.

Electronic Assessment
Ken Cardwell describes the advantages and disadvantages of online testing and shares free test creation tools. Includes links to many free online testing tools.

The Electronic Portfolio Development Process
Helen C. Barrett, Ph.D. University of Alaska, describes how electronic portfolio development brings together two different processes: multimedia development (assess/decide, design, develop, implement, evaluate) and portfolio development (collection, selection, reflection, projection). Review Dr. Barrett's model of portfolio development and how to create your own electronic portfolio

Create Your Own Electronic Portfolio: Using Off-the-Shelf Software to Showcase Your Own or Student Work
Helen Barrett describes seven different software and hardware tools to use when creating portfolios.

Teacher as Researcher - A Means to Assess the Effectiveness of Technology in the Classroom by Diane Painter. Examples of teacher action research from all curriculum areas at Deer Park Elementary. This site provides in depth information on teacher action research.

Electronic Portfolios (pdf)
Tammy Worcester describes how to create an electronic portfolio and what to include.

Portfolio Trouble-Shooting
Chart designed by RMC Research Corporation describing challenges when beginning portfolio implementation. What if the portfolio lacks student reflection? What if the portfolio has too many work samples? What if teachers are overworked and parents are confused or concerned about portfolio assessments? Includes links to Texas State Standards and provides examples from all curriculum areas.

Assessing the Effects of Technology in a Standards-Driven World
Harvey Barnett offers evaluation techniques to show how technology is affecting student learning in ways that can not be measured by standardized tests.

Web-based Tools for Survey and Assessment Activities

© COPYRIGHT 2007-2009 Joan Vandervelde
All Rights Reserved.
Updated: October 1, 2009

Search/Browse Online Graduate Courses
Master of Science in Education Online Degree Program