Performance Assessments

Summarized through the use of Thinking Maps

Compiled by: Eliza Akana, Jonelle Flight, and Francine Hughes

Sources

• Learning in Overdrive• Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD• Stanford Center For Assessment Learning and

Equity, CA• Center for Performance Assessment• The Leadership and Learning Center

Performance Assessment

Complex Task(s)

Multiple Standards

Usually Interdisciplinary

Multiple steps

Student-initiated planning

Note-Taking

Discussion with Others

Scoring Criteria

Rubric

Exemplars

Student Reflection

Parts of a Performance Assessment

Characteristics of Performance

Assessment

Student application of knowledge and skills

Authentic, real-world,and relevant

Inter-disciplinary, scenario-based tasks

Utilization of problem-solvingand critical thinking skills

Sometimes collaborative in nature

Open-ended

Addresses multiple standards

Students are active participants

Product or performance

Stanford Center For Assessment Learning and Equity

Learning in Overdrive Prince George’s Co. Public Schools, MD

Center for Performance Assessment

1. Select standard(s) and

indicators

2. “Unwrap” those standards and indicators

3. Determine the Big Ideas

4. Write the Essential

Questions

5. Plan the performance

tasks*

6. Find interdisciplinary

connections

7. Create the Engaging Scenario

8. Write the scoring guides

Steps for Creating a Performance Assessment

Center For Performance Assessment

* Steps for building the performance task are on the following page.

The Leadership and Learning Center

S – Which Standard(s) will this task target?

Q – What essential Question(s) and Big Idea(s) will this task

target?

U – Which “Unwrapped” specific concepts and

skills will this task target?

A – How will the students Apply the concepts and

skills? What will they do and/or produce?

R – What Resources, instruction, and

information will students need in order to

complete the task?

E – What Evidence of learning will I look for?

D – How can I Differentiate to meet the

needs of students?

Steps for Creating each Performance Task (SQUARED)

Center For Performance Assessment The Leadership and Learning Center