Assessing Deeper Learning

Assessing Deeper Learning explores how performance assessment advances deeper learning—the skills students need for 21st century success. The book examines different aspects of performance assessment and details how a large school district used performance tasks to assess their students’ critical-thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Douglas G. Wren, EdD, is an educational consultant with twenty-eight years of experience in public education, including fourteen years as a classroom teacher in DeKalb County, Georgia. He served as DeKalb's director of research and evaluation before working as educational measurement and assessment specialist with Virginia Beach City Public Schools and assistant adjunct professor at Old Dominion University. Christopher R. Gareis, EdD, is a professor of educational leadership in the School of Education at William & Mary. A former teacher, coach, principal, and associate dean, he regularly presents at educational conferences and works with schools, districts, and state agencies to develop the capacity of teachers and educational leaders to design and use assessments for learning.

Foreword Eva L. Baker Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1- Teaching and Assessing for Deeper Learning Chris Gareis Chapter 2- Looking Back at Performance Assessment Chapter 3- Performance Assessment vs. Performance Tasks Chapter 4- Embarking Upon the Journey Chapter 5- Ruminating on Rubrics Chapter 6- Developing Performance Tasks Chapter 7- Scoring Performance Tasks Chapter 8- Using Performance Task Results Chapter 9- Leveraging Performance Assessment in the Classroom Chris Gareis Chapter 10- Purposeful Innovation Chris Gareis Appendix A Appendix B About the Authors