Authentic Assessment - HAVE to watch video

You have to watch this video on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW04F113nIY

Seattle public schools released a video on performance based assessment. It truly makes me want to move to Seattle! Rain and all. Seattle is shifting assessment to a performance base assessment requiring students demonstrate what they know, a mastery of skills in 5 areas:

1. Communication
2. Quantitative and scientific reasoning
3. Democracy, diversity and community stewardship
4. The arts
5. Career knowledge and life skills

With the understanding, that over there future career they will have to do a project, portfolio or demonstrate what they know.

Rubrics play an essential part in performance based assessment. It is critical for the teacher to be thorough with the criteria and deadlines of how the kids will be graded upfront. It also made sense to me to include the students in the creation process of the rubrics. They understand exactly what they need to get an A or a 4 and it keeps the kids engaged through the entire process.

Performance based instruction needs to start early in the early grades. It is a process and cannot start in 9th grade or after.

I really enjoyed this video, it made so much sense to me. In the real world I never take a paper and pencil test rather I am evaluated on my actions and what I contribute on a daily basis. Why wouldn't we do the same for our students?