Performance Assessments & Local Alternative Assessments
Performance Assessment
Performance assessment measures subject-matter proficiency, requires students to apply the content and skills they have learned, and should present opportunities for students to demonstrate acquisition of the “Five C’s” – critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and citizenship – described in the Board of Education’s Profile of a Virginia Graduate. Performance assessment can be summative or formative in nature. A summative performance assessment evaluates student learning and skill acquisition at the conclusion of a unit, course, etc. A formative performance assessment determines student mastery of content and skills during instruction. As students learn new skills and content, they should be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery through the use of performance tasks. Both summative and formative performance assessments allow teachers and students alike to identify content that has been mastered, misconceptions, and gaps in learning. The evidence gained through performance assessment may be used to guide future classroom instruction.
Information about new resources related to performance assessment will be posted on this web page as it becomes available.
Local Alternative Assessments
The 2014 General Assembly eliminated Standards of Learning assessments in Grade 3 History, Grade 3 Science, Grade 5 Writing, United States History to 1865, and United States History: 1865 to the Present. Additionally, the Assembly’s action required local school divisions to continue to teach the content and to measure student achievement with local alternative assessments, including authentic or performance assessments. School divisions must certify annually that they have provided instruction and administered an alternative assessment, consistent with Board of Education guidelines, to students in grades and subject areas that no longer have a corresponding SOL test.
Current guidance for continued implementation of local alternative assessments, announced in Superintendent’s Memo 025-19-This is a Word document. , is included in Guidelines for Local Alternative Assessments for 2018-2019 through 2019-2020-This is a Word document. .
Balanced Assessment Plans
Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, school divisions are required to develop Balanced Assessment Plans for the content areas and courses requiring local alternative assessments. Resources from the "Supporting Instruction and Deeper Learning through Balanced Assessment” events and “Balanced Assessment Plans: Questions from School Divisions” have been made available to assist school division personnel as they develop these plans.
Content-Specific Information and Resources
Resources from VDOE for Any Content Area
- Assessment Inventory Tool-This is a Word document. – sample tool for use by schools and school divisions. Use of this Assessment Inventory tool is not required; however, schools and school divisions are encouraged to use an assessment review process to support the development of Balanced Assessment Plans.
- Assessment Literacy Glossary-This is a Word document. – a list of terms and definitions related to Local Alternative Assessments. (updated February 2019)
- Balanced Assessment Plans Desk Review-This is a PPT presentation. – presented as a webinar on May 29, 2020. This presentation includes the process for these desk reviews, the findings, examples of best practices, and expectations for Balanced Assessment Plans beginning with the 2020-2021 school year.
- The Framework for Local Alternative Assessment Implementation-This is a PDF document. (PDF) – provides common language for school divisions to use in determining their progress in implementing performance assessments and in identifying next steps.
- Frequently Asked Questions: Performance Assessment-This is a Word document. – provides information related to the use of performance tasks and performance assessments that are not used to verify credit (updated February 2019)
- Overview of Balanced Assessment Plans (Superintendent's Memo 181-19)-This is a Word document. – provides guidance and considerations to assist school divisions as they develop Balanced Assessment Plans
- Performance Assessment Communication from VDOE-This is a Word document. – includes communication issued by the Virginia Department of Education related to performance assessment and local alternative assessments
- Performance Task Development Cycle (PDF) – a flow chart for the development of performance tasks
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Play Video: Audio Walk-Through of the Framework for Alternative Assessment Implementation
- Principles of Scoring Student Work-This is a Word document. – Principles of Scoring Student Work was authored by Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, & Equity (SCALE). This document provides guidance for using a rubric to score performance tasks and performance assessments.
- Summative Assessment vs. Formative Assessment-This is a PPT presentation. – provides information about the differences between summative and formative assessment and the instructional benefits of formative assessment.
- Virginia Quality Criteria Tool for Performance Assessments -This is a Word document. – details a set of criteria for the development of performance assessments that measure the application of content knowledge and skills. (Updated June 2019)
Professional Development
- Supporting Instruction and Deeper Learning through Balanced Assessment – Preliminary conference materials from sessions offered in May and June of 2019
- Performance Assessment Assurances: Next Steps for Leading Deeper Learning in Virginia – Conference materials from sessions offered in May and June of 2018
- Assessing For Deeper Learning: A Transformative Pathway to Prepare Virginia Students for the Future-This is a Word document. – 2016 Conference Materials