WHAT is the purpose of evidence?

Let's ground ourselves in Colorado's definition of performance assessment:

This definition is rooted in the idea that performance assessments produce a different kind of evidence than other types of assessment. Specifically, they produce a "complex product or presentation". But what does that mean?

When you walk into a school that uses performance assessment deeply, you will see educators using many different types of evidence to make determinations of student mastery. Instead of an over-reliance on multiple choice tests as the main measure of what students know and can do, you'll increasingly see students producing real world products or performances. Sometimes, even students working on the same performance assessment will produce very different work products to demonstrate their learning -- with one student producing a podcast and another convening an event.

Buck Institute for Education PBL Works breaks the types of products and performances into five categories, with examples for each. This list isn't exhaustive, but it does a good job of capturing the range of options.

Body of Evidence Case Studies

Like so many things in education, there is no "one right way" to gather a Body of Evidence. Instead, there are a variety of approaches that have emerged around the country to meet the needs of particular local contexts. Let's get a little more concrete by exploring some examples. Keep in mind that these are examples that are meant to provide ideas and topics for discussion. Locally established goals and values should drive the components of a high-quality Body of Evidence.

Graduation Focus: Case Studies

If you are focusing on the Graduation level, please skim the following examples, which range from a large, urban school district to a small, rural school:

Oakland Unified (California): Overview + Video