Module 1: How do I DESIGN a performance assessment?

Just like Rome, a quality performance assessment isn't built in a day. They take time and often multiple iterations are necessary before settling on a version that works for students. For that reason, think of the design process as a cycle and not as a linear procedure. 

The Performance Assessment Cycle

As educators learn to design performance assessments, they sometimes ask, "How do I know if my performance assessment is good?" While there are protocols and tools to strengthen a performance assessment before deploying it in the classroom, the richest data about the strengths and weaknesses of a particular performance assessment comes once it is implemented with learners and the work they produce is examined.

The Performance Assessment Cycle is an iterative design process, requiring educators to engage in a cycle of drafting, implementing, gathering data, and refining. The slides below depict the stages of this process and describe the activities associated with each stage.  As you move through this work, you will engage in each step of the Performance Assessment Cycle. This module introduces task design and the process of drafting an engaging, authentic, and rigorous performance assessment.