Performance-Based Teaching and Assessment

II

What is Performance-Based Education?

The performance-based approach to education enables pupils to use their knowledge

and apply skills in realistic situations. It differs from the traditional approach to
education in that as well as striving for mastery of knowledge and skills, it also
measures these in the context of practical tasks. Furthermore, performance-based
education focuses on the process pupils go through while engaged in a task as well as
the end product, enabling them to solve problems and make decisions throughout
the learning process.

In addition, performance-based education stimulates the development of other

important dimensions of learning, namely the affective, social and metacognitive
aspects of learning.

Regarding the affective (emotional) aspect of learning, performance-based

education motivates pupils to participate in interesting and meaningful tasks. It helps
pupils develop a sense of pride in their work, fostering confidence in the target
language. Encouraging pupils to experiment with their increasing control of the
language alleviates anxiety over “making a mistake.” This further motivates them to
invest in learning the foreign language.

The social aspect of learning is reflected in the peer interaction that performance-
based tasks require. Pupils thus develop helpful social skills for life. Such cooperative
work leads to peer guidance and other kinds of social interaction such as negotiating,
reaching a consensus, respecting others’ opinions, individual contribution to the group
effort and shared responsibility for task completion.

As for the metacognitive aspect of learning (pupils’ thinking about their own
learning), skills such as reflection and self-assessment also contribute to the learning
process. When teachers require pupils to think about what they are learning, how they
learn and how well they are progressing, they develop skills which make them more
independent and critical pupils.

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What is Performance-Based Assessment?

The following is a comprehensive definition of performance assessment:

“Performance assessment is the direct, systematic observation of an

actual pupil performance … and rating of that performance according to
pre-established performance criteria. Pupils are asked to perform a
complex task or create a product. They are assessed on both the
process and end result of their work. Many performance assessments
include real-life tasks that call for higher-order thinking.”

(The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. NCREL site), (2001)

Performance-based assessment thus enables pupils to demonstrate specific skills and

competencies by performing or producing something. It can help English teachers in
Israel assess both what pupils can do (specific benchmarks) and what they have
achieved within a specific teaching program based on the Curriculum standards.
Besides focusing on the quality of the final product of a pupil’s work, performance-
based assessment also rates the pupil’s learning process. Assessing both product and
process provides an accurate profile of a pupil’s language ability. Teachers can track
pupils’ work on a task, show them the value of their work processes and help them
self-monitor so that they can use tools such as periodic reflections, working files and
learning logs more effectively.

Two examples of such process tools appear in the section on Classroom Assessment
Tools.

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What is a Performance Task?

A performance task enables pupils to demonstrate their ability to integrate and

use knowledge, skills and work habits in a meaningful activity. These tasks show how
a pupil uses language in a real-life situation, rather than just providing information on
pupils’ theoretical knowledge.

The following are some examples of performance tasks, divided into products and
performances:

PRODUCTS PERFORMANCES

 books (fables, cook books, stories,  song contest, poetry contest,

flip-flop books, accordion books, joke contest
scrolled books, big books, cartoons,
autobiographies, biographies)

 wall display (story train, collage,  game show

poster, ad, bulletin board,
exhibition)

 computer game, board game, card  radio broadcast

game

 advertising campaign  multimedia presentation

 survey  poster presentation

 poem/rap/advertising jingle  dramatic performance

 letter, petition, postcard  show-and-tell presentation

 album (alphabet, family, zoo,  speech

holiday)

 rules or instructions  video clip (news, weather,

interview)

 pamphlet (e.g., road safety rules  demonstration (cookery, craft)

for parents)

 3-D model  debate

 newspaper/ newsletter/article  storytelling

 plan or diagram

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The following characteristics should be remembered when designing a performance

task:

 It has various outcomes; it does not require one right answer.

 It is integrative, combining different skills.

 It encourages problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

 It encourages divergent thinking.

 It focuses on both product and process.

 It promotes independent learning, involving planning, revising and summation.

 It builds on pupils’ prior experience.

 It can include opportunities for peer interaction and collaborative learning.

 It enables self-assessment and reflection.

 It is interesting, challenging, meaningful and authentic.

 It requires time to complete.

(Adapted from Birnbaum, 1997)

See also Principles Underlying the Choice of Tasks in the Curriculum. Examples of
performance tasks are included here in the section on Classroom Assessment Tools.

Performance Tasks and Projects

An extended performance task may develop into a project. Following is a definition of

a project adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (1999, p. 52):

“A project is an extended and complex performance task, usually

occurring over a period of time. Projects usually involve extensive pupil
inquiry culminating in pupil products and performances which are
assessed using a variety of assessment tools.”

Some examples of projects are included in the section on Classroom Assessment

Tools:

More information on project work can be found at

http://www.iearn-canada.org./guideontheside.html and at the site currently under
construction by the Ministry of Education and the ORT Network.
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How to Design and Assess a Performance Task

The process of designing performance tasks can be divided into three simple steps.

Step 1. List the specific skills and knowledge you wish pupils to
demonstrate.

Teachers should identify the goals (i.e., types of knowledge and skills) pupils are

expected to reach in each teaching unit. This step is quite simple, since the

knowledge and skills a pupil needs are the Curriculum’s standards and benchmarks in

the various domains. Once this list is compiled, the teaching goals to be assessed

through performance tasks (as opposed to other assessment tools) should be

selected.

Step 2. Design a performance task that requires pupils to demonstrate

these skills and this knowledge.

Teachers should set tasks that will demonstrate which language knowledge and skills

have been developed. The pupils’ performance on these tasks should illustrate what

they have learned and the degree to which they have achieved the teaching goals.

Performance tasks should be motivating, challenging and appropriate to pupils’

language level and cognitive ability. Foundation level tasks will be simple and

structured, and as pupils become more proficient and independent, the tasks will

become more complex and less structured. As mentioned above, the tasks should be

related to real-life experiences. See the list of performance task types above.

Step 3. Develop explicit performance criteria and expected performance

levels measuring pupils’ mastery of skills and knowledge
(rubrics).

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Determine criteria for successful task mastery. The Curriculum (for example, p. 25)

specifies criteria relevant to each domain. The following section on rubrics will further

clarify this point.

Rubrics

Introduction

How often have you tried to grade your pupils’ book tasks or other open-ended oral or
written projects, and not known if you have graded them accurately? Could you
justify the grade if necessary? Would another teacher give the same grade as you? In
other words, how reliable is your assessment?

Can you clearly evaluate your set goals using this task? Do these criteria reflect
quality performance on this task? In other words, is your assessment valid?

Having well-defined rubrics increases the validity and reliability of assessments.

What are rubrics?

A rubric is a scoring tool outlining required criteria for a piece of work, or what is
important to assess. It also indicates the weighting that has been determined for each
criterion, based on its relative importance to the overall task, and describes what the
performance would look like at different quality levels. If the pupils receive this before
beginning the task, they can more easily internalize the criteria, understand how they
will be assessed and thus the performance level they should be striving for. Ideally,
teachers develop this together with pupils, though it can be prepared by the teacher
and given to the pupils for comments before they begin the task.

A checklist or assessment list is a simpler version of a rubric, specifying the criteria. It

only gives the highest level of performance, not all the performance levels.

See p. 23 for an example of a checklist. Other samples can be found in the section on
Classroom Assessment Tools.

See p. 22 for a rubric to assess the benchmark of “interacting for purposes of giving
and following directions.” In this, pupils form pairs, giving and following directions

17
using a town map. The selected criteria are listed on the left. Expected levels of
performance for each criterion are outlined.

Unlike a traditional grade, which summarizes all aspects of pupils’ performance in a

single number, letter or word, a rubric provides information on pupils’ performance on
each of the criteria. This gives a profile of pupils’ ability, for formative and summative
purposes.

Advantages of using rubrics in assessment (Adapted from Goodrich, 2000)

Rubrics can improve and monitor pupils’ performance, by clarifying

teacher expectations. Rubrics require the teacher to clarify his/her criteria and
help define “quality” (i.e., what the teacher expects to see in the final product).

Rubrics can be used as a guide for self/peer assessment. They promote

pupils’ awareness of the criteria used in assessing performance. When the
pupils want to ensure they are meeting the teacher’s expectations, they can assess
their work using rubrics or request feedback from peers, based on these
expectations.

Rubrics increase validity, reliability and fairness in scoring. They provide

for more objective and consistent assessment. As criteria relevant to the task
are clearly defined, similar scores will be given no matter who is evaluating the
work.

Rubrics provide a profile of pupils’ performance, describing strengths and

weaknesses. This is due to the detailed description of the performance levels. The
teacher will underline or highlight those parts of the description which apply to the
pupil’s work.

Rubrics reduce the amount of time spent by teachers on evaluating pupils’

work. Once the assessment tool has been designed, it can efficiently grade even
the longest project.

Rubrics accommodate heterogeneous classes. All levels are included in the

performance descriptions. In fact, the more detailed they are, the better they cover
the pupils’ varying levels. Pupils can strive to improve performance, as the
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requirements for doing so are clear. Rubrics encourage those pupils who may be
weak in some criteria but talented in others, since they will not just be evaluated by
a low overall numerical grade.

Rubrics make teachers and pupils accountable and aware of the learning
objectives.
The teacher will be able to justify the grade clearly, with reference to the criteria.
Moreover, involvement of pupils empowers them, leading to more focused and self-
directed learning.

Rubrics are easy to understand and use. They can be referred to in parent-

teacher meetings and pupil-

teacher conferences where performance is discussed.

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Building a rubric

The following flow chart shows the process of designing a rubric. Samples of rubrics used in tasks are presented in the section on
Classroom Assessment Tools.

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 Instructions Explanations Tips

List the teaching goals, Think in terms of what Use the curriculum
including prerequisites you want the pupils to benchmarks.
(enabling skills) that accomplish. For example: criteria for
the task should an oral presentation
address. These will be require presentation skills
used to judge pupils’ Ensure the chosen (a catchy opening,
product or criteria focus on the awareness of audience,
performance. essential elements for etc.) as well as content,
that task. accuracy and fluency.


Determine the Determine the most Ask your pupils what they
weighting of each of important indicators that think “counts" in assessing
the different criteria. ensure that the goals of the task, and which of
the task have been met. these elements should
When possible, do this receive most points.
stage with your pupils.
Criteria related to content
should come first (most
important), while the
technical ones (e.g.,
 spelling) should come
lower down in the table.

Describe different Instead of using general Start by describing the

levels of performance words such as extremes (outstanding and
for each criterion and poor/good/excellent, poor performance). Then
choose words or include descriptions describe the middle
phrases to capture the such as “a catchy level/s.
differences between opening,” “includes
them. specific examples.”

Show the rubric to Another person is often .

colleagues for able to see things you
feedback. missed.


Discuss the rubric with Bring in models of pupils'

pupils for clarity. work to illustrate poor,
average and excellent
 performance. Keep sample
tasks for future use as
examples to show pupils
when building rubrics
together.

Revise the rubric on Be prepared to make

the basis of feedback. changes according to
 colleagues' and pupils'
21
 feedback.

Assess the tasks using You will discover the Modify your rubric
the rubric. strengths and accordingly before using it
weaknesses of the rubric next time.
only when you start
using it to judge pupils'
work.

Vignette: involving pupils in building a rubric

My name is Ora Davidson. I teach weak pupils in a Junior High School in central
Israel. I instructed my pupils to graphically present a story they had read, using
collage, poster, comics and short captions describing events and characters.
Before they began their work, I split the class into groups and asked them, “If you
were me, how would you grade each graphic representation? What would you look
for specifically?” After allowing time for discussion, I asked each group to rank the
qualities they had selected in order of importance, from most important to least
important.

Next, each group presented their top three criteria to the class. I wrote them on
the board and asked the class to determine the most relevant ones. With my
guidance, they agreed on four qualities: inclusion of main events, relevant
descriptions, accurate language and presentation.

Pupils were then asked, “What should be considered ‘poor,’ ‘fair,’ ‘good’ and
‘excellent’ performance for each criterion?” One pupil suggested a poor
presentation would include mostly incorrect captions, or a large number of
language errors, which the other pupils conceded. “What if only some of the facts
are wrong?” I asked. “That would be a fair grade,” said one pupil. “I think having
some of the facts wrong should still be a poor grade,” argued another pupil.
Finally, after further discussion, a consensus was reached among the class that
making only a few factual errors would earn a “fair” grade, and correctly
composing all the captions warranted an “excellent” score on accuracy. Similarly,
outstanding graphics demonstrating effort and time invested would earn an
“excellent” rating on the fourth criterion.

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Following our negotiations, before the pupils began to work, they were given a
copy of the rubric we had designed. Pupils had the satisfaction of having input into
establishing a rating system they considered clear and fair.

Although it may initially be difficult (and some of our discussions did take place in
Hebrew), I highly recommend involving pupils in the rubric design. It is extremely
rewarding.

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Implementing Performance-Based Teaching and Assessment

The importance of planning

Performance-based teaching and assessment require teachers to determine the

knowledge the pupils need to acquire and how it can be applied, at the beginning of
the planning process.

A major difference between implementing performance-based assessment and

traditional testing is that in a performance-based approach, assessment occurs
throughout the teaching-learning process. The teacher’s unit plan must illustrate how
each of the teaching goals is assessed in the unit. Within the Curriculum, teachers
select the principal benchmarks (in the various domains) and the prerequisite
knowledge and skills required to perform these benchmarks. At this stage, the
appropriate assessment methods need to be matched to each goal and should
measure pupils’ performance.

The tool presented below, the Advance Unit Organizer, is an efficient way to plan a
performance-based teaching unit. It comprises not only teaching activities, but also
goals (or benchmarks) and assessment methods at every stage. It helps the teacher
integrate these three interlinked aspects of teaching, as it combines planning,
teaching and assessment into a single integrated process, giving teachers a graphic
representation of the various domains, benchmarks, enabling skills (prerequisites),
classroom activities and assessment tools needed for a complete unit of performance-
based instruction.

Advance Organizer for Teachers

Class:____ Course book: __________ Unit: ________

Time Domain Level Benchm Enabling Performa Assessme

Fram ark Skills* nce Task nt Tools
e

Social Foundat Interactin The A pair- Filled-in

Interacti ion g for vocabula work map
on purposes ry of activity:
of giving direction Self/peer
and s Pupils checklist
following take turns
directions Familiari to give Rubric

24
 ty with and follow
maps directions
with town
Asking map.
and
answerin
g simple
question
s

Independe
nt pair-
work

* The enabling skills/prerequisites are the components enabling pupils to reach the
benchmark.
They include, for example, practice of vocabulary and grammar items that are needed
to meet the benchmark criteria.
The example shows this process for a single benchmark, “interacting for purposes of
giving and following directions.” The enabling skills/prerequisites for this benchmark –
“the vocabulary of directions,” “familiarity with maps,” the grammar of “asking and
answering simple questions” and “the ability to work independently in pairs” – are
mapped out on the Advance Organizer. These skills must be taught before pupils
perform the task.

To show the final stage of the process, let us take another, more detailed look at the
rubric for this benchmark.

Rubric for the benchmark ‘Interacting for purposes of giving and following
directions’

Criteria Quality/Levels of Performance Grad

e

5 10 15 20 25
Did not get * Followed part * Got message
Product message across; of route across: found
did not find place place on map
on map

5 10 15 20 25
Fluency Spoke hesitantly, Fairly fluent Spoke fluently
read out answers

25
 Accuracy 5 10 15 20 25
(vocabula Incorrect or no Some correct Correct
ry expressions and expressions expressions
and question forms and question and question
question used forms used forms used
form)

5 10 15 20 25
No evidence of Some Took turns,
Process cooperation and cooperation listened to
practice and practice each other and
practiced

* This rubric allocates points at five levels. The in-between columns (10, 20 points) are
to be used when a pupil’s performance falls between two of the descriptions.

This rubric includes the following criteria: product (Did they get the message across?);
fluency (Did they practice their performance? Did they speak without hesitation?);
accuracy (Did they use the correct vocabulary of directions and the correct question
forms?); and process (Was there evidence of cooperation; did they work in pairs
independent of the teacher?).

This tool ensures that assessment is an integral part of the learning-teaching process
and that performance is assessed systematically according to planned criteria
compatible with the teaching goals and made known to pupils beforehand. See below
a pupil’s checklist for this benchmark, to enable self-monitoring of the task.

Pupils’ Checklist

 Activity Yes Partl N

y o

 We found the places on the map.

 We spoke clearly and did not read out

our answers.

 We used the expressions we learned

in class.

 We practiced before we recorded it.

 We listened to each other and took

turns.

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 Poor Good
Excellent

We grade ourselves: 2 4 6 8 10

Thus, using an advance organizer, the planning (domains, benchmarks), teaching

(working toward performance of the benchmarks) and assessment (how well do pupils
perform) become integrated and unified.

Integrating assessment and teaching through advance planning

T

P A
The teacher as juggler

A teacher who keeps planning (P), teaching (T) and

assessment (A) as fairly separate areas of work must juggle
three distinct aspects of the teaching process. Since the three
spheres are separate, there is an increased risk of mismatch
between them.

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 An end to juggling: integrated planning, teaching and

assessment

By streamlining the teaching process into one that integrates

planning, teaching and assessment, the teacher avoids problems
of coordination between teaching and assessment.

Performance-based teaching and assessment require proper planning, or in other

words, proper planning prevents poor performance!

Note: blank organizers are included in Appendices A and B for teachers and staff to
use as planning tools. Appendix B helps to distinguish between benchmarks and
enabling skills. Another format that can be used as a performance task/unit planner
appears in the section on Classroom Assessment Tools.

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Steps in Unit Planning- Guidelines and Tips

Guidelines Tips

1. Map the unit you plan to teach It is advisable to do this with a

from a textbook or any other colleague teaching the same unit.
collection of materials into Ensure the material in the unit (i.e.,
domains and benchmarks. texts and tasks) matches the
benchmarks. (For example, if you
plan on conducting a survey you
will need an exercise which solicits
opinions or questions and answers.)

2. Decide which domain(s) and To help you focus on the important

benchmark(s) you wish to teaching objectives, complete the
assess via performance tasks. following sentence:
These become your targeted “At the end of this unit/ lesson/
teaching and assessment activity/exercise, my pupils will be
objectives. able to…”

3. List the enabling skills and

knowledge pupils must have or
acquire to achieve the different
benchmarks.

4. For each targeted benchmark:

Think of a performance task
that will reflect what pupils
have been learning in relation
to the benchmark and indicate
whether the pupil has achieved
the benchmark.

5. Prepare the assessment tool

with criteria that will reflect
pupils’ achievement of the
benchmark.

6. Plan some preparatory While teaching, you may want to

activities, which will teach and modify the plan.
reinforce the enabling skills You may realize that more
and knowledge needed for activities or adaptations of existing
successfully completing the ones are necessary.
task.

7. Introduce the performance task

and assessment tools to pupils
with clear guidelines on how to
implement the task.

8. Consider the time frame. How Graphic formats, such as tables

much time is needed for and flowcharts, including dates,
teaching and completing the can be helpful at this stage.
task? This will help you focus

29
 Guidelines Tips

on the main target – achieving

the benchmarks and
completing the performance
tasks.

9. Monitor pupils' progress as To ensure pupils have acquired the

they are engaged in necessary enabling skills and
completing the task. knowledge, have them use the
previously prepared checklists,
self-assessments, quizzes etc.

10. Assess the end product The assessment tool should contain
with the assessment tool the same criteria as those used
designed in the preparation while monitoring pupils’ progress.
stage.

You have just completed a performance-based unit.

Experience has proven that teachers planning assessments before teaching a unit
achieve improved results, such as focused teaching and more valid and accurate
assessment.

The following teachers’ reactions on using an advance organizer prove this point.
They were documented in reflections by teachers on their final assignment,
submitted for a course on Curriculum Implementation (Northern District, 2000).

"Planning the 10th grade test was a critical incident for us… we realized that we
didn't teach it all. That hit us very hard. We chose our goals but rushed them
through toward the end. It made us really think what we had accomplished with
the pupils…We realized we didn't do enough to practice specific points… We
must plan in advance with the goals fixed in advance. We didn't feel it until we
planned the test."

"Performance-based tasks are exactly what answers our pupils' needs and
makes our work meaningful. This has become our goal in planning units and
lessons."

"Due to having to justify the lesson in terms of domains and benchmarks, I was
forced to be more aware of assessment tools."

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The place of performance tasks in the overall teaching plan

The goals of a teaching unit will be assessed by a combination of traditional and

alternative assessment methods. Some of them will be effectively assessed by
performance tasks. Performance-based tasks should be undertaken mainly in class,
rather than independently at home. Even if the task takes days or weeks, the teacher
can work in different ways in the classroom: as a monitor – to see how the pair or
group is working, or as a facilitator and supporter, with time to relate to individual
pupils and track the learning process. Homework time is for improving and composing
the final draft; class time for thinking, planning, first drafts, collaboration and
discussion. Teachers can therefore monitor each pupil’s progress and work more
effectively. Problems can be identified as they occur and pupils assisted in
overcoming them. It will also be much more difficult for pupils to present others’
materials as their own.

Working on process

Besides focusing on the product of a pupil’s work, the process of preparing work and
task implementation should be included in the assessment, as explained above.

We have included some tools for assessing process in the section on Classroom
Assessment Tools.

Portfolios

The Curriculum recommends multiple assessment methods. One effective method is

portfolio assessment, which is highly compatible with a performance-based approach
to teaching and assessment. Two portfolios have been included in the section on
Classroom Assessment Tools to exemplify this assessment method.

For detailed guidelines on using portfolio assessment, and further examples of

classroom use, see Guidelines for Portfolio Assessment in English Language Teaching
(Kemp and Toperoff, 1999).

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