The Words We Use: A Glossary of Terms for
Early Childhood Education Standards and Assessment
Definition
Any assessment strategy designed to estimate a child's knowledge, understanding, ability, skill and/or attitudes in a consistent fashion across individuals emphasizing methods other than standardized achievement tests, particularly those using multiple choice formats. Performance-based assessments typically include exhibitions, investigations, demonstrations, written or oral responses, journals, and portfolios.
Related Terms (Not Synonyms)
Alternative assessment; Assessment; Authentic assessment; Developmental assessment; Evaluation; Formal Assessment; Informal assessment; Observational assessment; Portfolio assessment; Standards-based assessment; Test
Explanatory Comments
- Synonyms for Performance-based assessment are Alternate assessment, Alternative assessment, and Authentic assessment.
- Children demonstrate knowledge and skills through a set of tasks rather than selecting a response from a group.
- The terms Alternate and Alternative assessment are also used to describe accommodations made to enable children with disabilities to participate in the assessment process.
- · Although more time-consuming and costly to implement than paper-and-pencil tests, many early childhood educators believe performance-based assessments provide a more accurate and realistic and culturally meaningful portrayal of children's learning.
Web Sources
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2002). A lexicon of learning: What educators mean when they say… Retrieved May 19, 2003, from http://www.ascd.org/educationnews/lexicon/lexiconoflearning.html
Education Week. Glossary. Retrieved May 19, 2003, from http://www.edweek.org/context/glossary/glossterm.cfm?glossid=88
Educational Resources Information Center, U.S. Department of Education. (2001). Thesaurus of ERIC descriptors. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press. Retrieved May 19, 2003, from http://www.ericfacility.net/extra/pub/thesfull.cfm?TERM=Alternative%20Assessment
Massachusetts Department of Education system for Adult Basic Education Support. Glossary of useful terms. Author. Retrieved May 19, 2003, from http://www.sabes.org/assessment/glossary.htm
National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST). Assessment glossary. Author. Retrieved May 19, 2003, from http://www.cse.ucla.edu/CRESST/pages/glossary.htm
Other Resources
Pomeraug (CT) Regional School District 15. (1996). Performance-based learning and assessment. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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