+OK 4703 octets Received: from smtp7.nwnexus.com (smtp7.nwnexus.com [192.135.191.4]) by mail1.halcyon.com (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id QAA10175 for ; Sat, 30 Jan 1999 16:25:35 -0800 (PST) Received: from ripple.dundee.net (ripple.dundee.net [206.249.104.12]) by smtp7.nwnexus.com (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id QAA26677 for ; Sat, 30 Jan 1999 16:22:29 -0800 Message-ID: Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 15:50:45 -0800 From: cassidy Reply-To: cassidy MIME-Version: 1.0 To: "ClearingHouse" Subject: [education-consumers] Re: Is Process More Important Than Right Answer? References: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Precedence: bulk Status: ===================================================================== George K. Cunningham wrote: > > ===================================================================== > > At 10:41 PM 1/27/99 -0600, Donna Garner wrote: > > >Intelligent people should be saying: "Do performance assessments actually > >raise academic achievement? Show me the peer-reviewed, replicated, > >empirical data. If you can't produce the evidence, then quit trying to > >shove it down our throats." > > > First of all, it is important to distinguish between performance > assessments and open-response tests. As far as I know, there are no states > using performance assessments. Kentucky tried it for a few years and > finally tossed in the towel. > Oregon administers a performance writing assessment to all 10th graders along with multiple-choice tests in math and reading -- this year's crop of 10th graders will be the first to earn a real CIM on a statewide basis. Formerly, only pilot school districts awarded the CIM. In future years, more tests will be added in other subjects. A public speaking performance evaluation has been put on hold. The statewide writing assessment has been given to 8th and 10th graders for several years years now to test the system and tinker with the process (I am not sure if it is given to 3rd and 5th graders also). Students are required to do the assessment in 2, 1 1/2hr class periods in our high school. The first day they are given a list of topics to choose which one they will write an essay on. Then they begin by brainstorming ideas, writing an outline, doing a rough draft, and on the final day they are to write the final draft of the essay. The essays are sent to state readers who evaluate them on several characteristics such as voice, conventions, etc. according to a rubric. The students are scored from a 1 to a 5 on each characteristic and then given a composit score. The scoring has changed a bit -- it used to be on a scale from 1-6 with a min. of a 4 needed to pass. I would have to look up the new system, but I know the original was considered too tough for a min. passing score. Starting next week, our school district will begin the process again, this time for real. Parents and students learn the results of the tests when the scores are sent to each student on the last day of school. Another note from Oregon: to earn a CIM, a student no longer needs to pass each test with a min. score, he/she just needs a minimum composite score. This change was made this fall in advance of the first wave of expected failures coming from this year's tests. I was not able to access the state dept. of ed. website for the exact pages for reference -- it seems that site is unavailable at this time. Dianne Cassidy Lake Oswego, OR ===================================================================== EDUCATION CONSUMERS CLEARINGHOUSE networking and information for parents and taxpayers on the internet Subscriptions & Archives: http://education-consumers.com or You are currently subscribed to education-consumers as: arthurhu@halcyon.com TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a blank email to leave-education-consumers-989462S@lists.dundee.net ===================================================================== For less mail, click on the following link and choose 1) a daily digest, 2) a daily list of subjects, or 3) no mail (read postings on Web) http://lists.dundee.net/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=education-consumers For more help & info: http://www.lyris.com/help or .