What is a performance assessment?

Performance assessment is a form of evaluation based on the premise that indicators such as grades or tests and inputs such as course syllabi or texts are at best only indirect measures of what students know and can do.  In addition, such measures lack specificity.  For example, a student might earn a “B” or even an “A” in a course and still not know some pertinent information or not be sufficiently adept at a particular skill. Performance assessment is an attempt to evaluate specific knowledge and skills using direct indicators. In the case of knowledge, a specific test or paper might well provide direct evidence about what a student knows or understands about a particular topic. However, if we want to know how well someone teaches, then a more direct measure would be a videotape or at least an evaluation of a teaching episode rather than a particular work product or a grade in a course. 

Our teaching standards are organized according to the four key concepts of our conceptual framework: teaching, leadership, research, and ethical reflection. For the most part, the standards under each of our key concepts move from demonstrating that you have particular knowledge and dispositions to showing that you can perform a particular skill based on your beliefs and knowledge gained. 

Performance Assessment Conferences

Upon completing EDU 250 (Differentiating Instruction for All Learners), students should make an appointment with two department faculty members for a performance assessment conference. At this conference, students will explain to the faculty team which standards they believe they have met and what evidence they have filed to demonstrate their proficiency.  Another conference will be scheduled just prior to student teaching, and the same procedure will be followed. The final assessment will be at the end of student teaching.

Criteria Overview

Cirriculum Map
   PA                        COURSE

  101 210 211 213 215 217 221 250 295 340 342 343 346 460
1-1             X X            
1-2 X X X X X     X            
1-3 X X X X X X X X            
1-4 X X   X X X   X            
1-5 X X X X X X X X       X    
1-6     X         X       X    
1-7         X   X X   X   X    
1-8 X X X X X X   X            
2-1               X   X X X X  
2-2               X   X X X X  
2-3     X         X   X X X X  
2-4 X X   X X X   X       X    
2-5     X         X   X X X X  
2-6                   X X X X  
2-7     X         X   X X X X  
2-8                   X X X X  
2-9               X            
2-10         X     X   X   X    
3-1                   X       X
3-2                   X       X
3-3                   X       X
3-4                   X       X
3-5                   X       X
3-6                   X       X
3-7                   X       X
3-8                   X       X
3-9                   X       X
3-10                   X       X
3-11                   X       X
3-12                           X
3-13                   X       X