The Solution…….

This

This

Or This….

MeaningfulAuthentic

ActiveEngaging

MotivatingStrengthens

High Expectations

Benard (1995), suggests , the most promising

alternative approaches focus on students assets

(including their background and prior experiences),

varied teaching strategies, and meaningful learning in collaborative settings.

Alternative Assessment

Alternative Assessment:

•Alternative to traditional paper and pencil testing

•Reveals students critical thinking and evaluation skills

•Open ended tasks

•Teacher created

•Inextricably tied to curriculum.

Performance Assessment

Authentic AssessmentAnd

Portfolio Assessment

Opportunities for

Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment+

Summative Assessment=

SUCCESS FOR ALL LEARNERS

Formative Assessment:

•Practice assessment in non-threaten ways

•Underpinned by successful outcomes for all students

•Opportunities to reflect

•High level of student contribution

Teachers Response:

“Ensure the students experience success, thus gaining

confidence”

“Individualized Assessment”

Traditional assessment is failing our at risk students.

Alternative Assessment contains key educational advantages.

Teachers Agree.

…Step Further…

Positive relationship between ‘at risk’ students and alternative assessment

At Risk Students: Generally fail in standardized testing methods

According to Education reforms (1994), alternative assessment

“Has the students demonstrate what they have learnt rather than how well they can

take a test.”

At risk student: Generally display negative behaviours. Most of the time this is just a mask of larger underlying

problems.

Benard (1995), states alternative assessment will focus on strengths

(including their backgrounds and prior experiences) rather than deficits. By highlighting the student’s strengths

intrinsic motivation is developed. Thus, behaviour issues decrease.

At risk students: They often attend schools where there is a low

expectation placed on them to succeed.

Alternative assessment holds high expectations for all learners. Assessment is designed in

conjunction with students so that all learners can achieve to their highest agreed upon

potential. “Schools that establish and communicate high expectations and create high achieving learning environments for all students have high rates of academic success”(Howard,

1990).

At risk Students: Students generally have difficulty in making and

maintain relationships

According to Learning Points Associates, (2003) “alternative assessment focuses on meaningful

learning in collaborative settings”. The instruction connects with the student’s culture

and prior knowledge thus engaging the students and making it meaningful in their own

context. Collaborate learning also allows the students opportunities to form and maintain

relationships with other peers.

At risk students: Students seem distracted and don’t have interest in educational activities. This is generally because they

spend much of their time thinking about issues outside of the classroom.

Alternative assessment offers opportunities for varied teaching strategies. “There are 3

variations of alternative assessment and in any given tasks more than one form may be

involved” (Alternative Assessment Overview (2008). Using a variety of strategies caters for a

diverse group of learners.

At risk students: Students need real life connections to content if they are to participate in the learning activity.

Alternative assessment ensures students are active participants in making tasks authentic. According to Teaching Today

(2008), “Students evaluate and reflect on their own processes, and actively help set

the criteria for the assessment”.

MeaningfulAuthentic

ActiveEngaging

MotivatingStrengthens

High Expectations

The challenge

What Do these words mean to you?

• Think about the hard work and dedication required to implement them

• Think about the lives you could help change

•Think about the opportunities you can help to create

• Perhaps even the lives you will save

At Risk students desperately need you help to succeed……

Time to make your judgment….

Stand up, work hard, and deliver meaningful, authentic, active,

engaging, motivating, alternative assessment practices that

hold high expectations

And achieve success for at risk students