Developing a performance assessment system from the ground up: lessons learned from three Linked Learning pathways

As the country shifts to higher standards of learning for students, the ways in which we measure learning are shifting too. Rather than rely on traditional high-stakes one-shot tests, new assessment approaches foster continuous learning, improvement, and subject mastery. A new study offers insights into how teachers can use these practices in their classrooms and schools using examples from several schools implementing the performance assessment approaches effectively. The study's findings are particularly relevant to teachers and principals in Linked Learning schools but can be used in any school setting. Linked Learning is a statewide initiative in California enabling schools to develop career-themed pathways as a way to better prepare high school students for college, careers, and citizenship. This new guide — Developing a Performance Assessment System From the Ground Up: Lessons Learned From Three Linked Learning Pathways — offers teachers, principals, and central office administrators models, tools, and examples from the Linked Learning field for developing a performance assessment system. [...] The study is organized into a collection of short sections that, together, offer a rich picture of what is required to build a performance assessment system in a Linked Learning pathway.