Performance assessment is a hot topic in school systems, and
educators continue to analyze its costs, benefits, and feasibility
as a replacement for high-stakes testing. Until now, researchers
and policymakers have had to dig to find out what we know and what
we still have to learn about performance assessment. Beyond
the Bubble Test: How Performance Assessments Support 21st Century
Learning synthesizes the latest findings in the field, and
not a moment too soon.
Statistics indicate that the United States is in danger of
falling behind if it fails to adapt to our changing world. The
memory and recall strategies of traditional testing are no longer
adequate to equip our students with the skills they need to excel
in the global economy. Instead teachers need to engage students in
deeper learning, assessing their ability to use higher-order
skills.
Skills like synthesizing information, understanding evidence,
and critical problem-solving are not achieved when we teach to
multiple-choice exams. Examples in Beyond the Bubble
Test paint a useful picture of how schools can begin to
supplement traditional tests with something that works better. This
book provides new perspectives on current performance assessment
research, plus an incisive look at what's possible at the
local and state levels.
Linda Darling-Hammond, with a team of leading scholars, bring
together lessons learned, new directions, and solid recommendations
into a single, readily accessible compendium. Beyond the
Bubble Test situates the current debate on performance
assessment within the context of testing in the United States. This
comprehensive resource also looks beyond our U.S. borders to
Singapore, Hong Kong, and other places whose reform-mindedness can
serve as an example to us.
