Case Book Three

Char Emmer is meeting with her mentor, Melba Thomas.

MS. EMMER: I know we have talked about this before, but I really still am having some problems with authentic assessment, Melba.

MS. THOMAS: Tell me more.

MS. EMMER: Authentic assessment in math is really simple, I think. Maybe I am making it too simple. I keep thinking that if students can do real world math problems, then they have accomplished an authentic assessment. My problem is integrating this into other subjects. I am really feeling like I am letting my team down. I sometimes don't get how to integrate authentic assessment in math into what they are doing. For instance, we are doing the rain forest. It is easy to count trees and acres of land lost with deforestation, that kind of stuff. I get it there. I understand doing spreadsheets around costs and benefits of rain forests. But, when they start talking about unknown benefits, unknown discoveries, challenges we have yet to understand from the forests, I get lost. I don't know what to do with the math.

MS. THOMAS: Hmmm. Have you thought about charts and graphs? Maybe there is something there in students charting benefits obtained over years we have studied the rain forests, and then maybe graphs of contributions of the rain forest, with projections into the future. They could do projections based on assuming we maintain the rain forests, and based on continued loss of the forests. I know you are working on complex fractions this year. Maybe you could build those in there, with kids making projections if they were engineers, or pharmacists, or whatever!

MS. EMMER: That is a great idea. You really did come up with some things for me to think about. Thanks. I am going to think about these things. Is there anything else that I should think about when it comes to alternative assessments?

Teacher Notes:

• Developing alternative assessments that truly assess the level of learning of some standard is very difficult. Most teachers will spend years developing assessments, as they try them out, learn the problems with them, and make modifications. Ongoing assessment of the quality of any assessments can be very valuable for your teaching. Find out what assessments are required in your school, and what types of assessment you will be required to develop and use in your teaching.