Authentic Assessment
Evidence of effective teaching can be found in the quality of work that students produce and in the level of thinking students convey through speaking and writing. Authentic assessment means that students produce the authentic work of the discipline. In history, for example, students are required to write original research papers and craft arguments to demonstrate competence in historical analysis.
The following criteria guide our assessment design at HVA:
• Empowers students to self-monitor and work to continually improve
• Compels high-quality instruction
• Provides information on whether each student is making sufficiently significant gains in relation to learning goals
• Motivates students to care about their learning and the quality of their work
• Provides useful feedback to help students and teachers improve
When assessment is rigorous and authentic, it will reveal the depth and complexity of student learning and will provide structures for students to continually improve.
