The Use of Alternative Assessments

The Use of Alternative Assessments 1
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The Use of Alternative Assessments
Brenda Betten
ED 604
Chapman University
Action Research Project

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Synopsis
In recent years, assessing student achievement has primarily focused on results
from traditional and standardized tests. The results have been used to designate schools
or whole districts as failing to meet requirements on this annual performance. The
formats of such tests are based on one or two modalities of learning, and do not allow the
individual an opportunity to explain, interpret, or discuss. No models or pictures may be
used to demonstrate understanding, and no higher level cognitive thought is tested to
show a synthesis of understanding. Skills they may have attained may not be
represented. Students may be left feeling as failures compared to their peers or the norm
group. Individuals may also never know or be validated of true growth in their own
learning.
On the other hand, performance based assessments provide an alternative
method to classroom teachers where students can gauge their own success by their own
growth over time. Projects and scoring rubrics provide key feedback to the teacher as
well as to the student of areas of challenge, as well as areas of strength. Using
alternative methods of assessment give students the opportunity to use their strengths,
such as described by Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, to communicate
accurately and in a modality they feel confident in and may enjoy.
Sixth grade students in this study were assigned a Science poster project on the
Rock Cycle and were given a traditional test on the same topic. Students were given a
survey to rate the effectiveness and their overall feelings about both assignments. In
general, students responded as more stressed about a test, but thought they learned
more taking it, and thought they scored well. Students responded that the project was
more enjoyable, would choose it if given an option, and their scores were higher.
The Use o f Alternative Assessments
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction 3
Chapter 2: Review of Literature / Related Research 9
Chapter 3: Research Design / Methodology 20
Chapter 4: Analysis / Results 24
Chapter 5: Implications for Teaching / Suggestions for Further Research 27
References 29
Appendices 31
Chapter 1: Introduction
Background
The researcher is a self-contained 6th grade elementary school teacher in
San Bernardino County. The researcher had worked for her school district as a
Substitute Teacher from 2001-2002 and was then hired on an Internship
Program for the 2002-2003 school year. Her future plans are to remain there for
her second year as a 6th grade teacher.
The researcher previously worked in Health Insurance for seven years,
and attended night courses at San Bernardino Valley College. In order to
expedite finishing her degree, she quit her full time job to return to school full
time. In the summer of 2001 she graduated with a B.A. in Liberal Studies and a
minor in English from California State University, San Bernardino. With a clear
goal in mind she enrolled in Chapman University’s Multiple Subject Credential
program where she has currently earned her Preliminary Credential. She is
continuing her education to earn her clear credential, and is working towards
earning a Master’s degree.
At the time CBEDS data was collected the school had an enrollment of
496 students in K-6. The demographics for the school site show a majority of
65% (321) of students being of Hispanic or Latino background with 17% (82
students) white or non-Hispanic, and 13% (65 students) of African-American
background. The remaining 6% of students were of Pacific Islander or Filipino
descent. Of the 496 students at the school, 236 are female and 260 are male.
Statement of the Problem
Educators with each student’s best interest in mind strive for accurate and
valid assessment. With so many forms of assessment used and even mandated,
do teachers get lost in the different value of each type? Which type should be
used to express to the student their overall academic achievement and growth?
In education there are three main types of assessment. Criterion-
referenced tests compare student performance to a standard or set criterion.
Norm-referenced tests compare individual students to a norm group. These
large-scale state standardized tests are used to check student grade level
achievement; however, their design was to be a sort of report card on schools,
districts, and even states. One of its goals is to guide the direction of curriculum
and teacher staff development in areas of obvious need (Loadman and Thomas,
2006).
Finally, there is the growth model, or performance based tests. These
forms of assessment attempt to look at individual student’s growth “on a concept,
knowledge base, or skill between two points in time” (Loadman and Thomas,
2001, p.2). The key to this type of assessment is that it provides important
information about individual student performance. Although all the above
assessments provide varying information on the same student, the growth model
allows for multiple methods of collecting student achievement. This allows
students to see their own success which is their own true achievement and
growth over a period of time.

A student’s true achievement and growth can accurately demonstrate
what a student has learned and gained over a period of time. True assessment,
which can also be referred to as performance assessment, allows a student to
demonstrate what they know, have learned, and what they can do. It focuses on
the process. This is in comparison to the other traditional forms of assessment
that check to see what students do not know. Often, multiple guess
assessments design problems to see if the student will fall for the trick or
distracter response, or if they can deductively reason out the correct answer.
Therefore, it is not effectively checking a student’s performance against their
previous abilities. It does not demonstrate a student’s individual growth, nor if
they are doing better than earlier in the school year. It checks to see if the
student is a good test taker, memorizer and usually only tests the logical
intelligence of a child.
How to accurately and truly assess what students have learned and
retained has been debatable for many years. However, research shows that
teachers are the pioneers, designers, and implementers of “alternative” forms of
assessment. With so many teachers moving toward the Constructivist approach,
teachers want to see what students can produce with the knowledge they
received. Student strengths are the emphasis with a desire to allow for varying
learning styles. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences helps guide the
development in most alternative forms of assessment researched throughout this
project.
With so many forms of alternative assessments out there designed to
assess student achievement, a teacher has a sea of data to search through. An
educator also needs to carefully and effectively choose and develop
assessments that are not only directly related to content standards, but that also
contain higher levels of cognition. As offered by Frederick Drake in his
discussion (1997), several questions for choosing effective assessments should
be asked prior to implementation. Summarized below are his suggested
questions.
> Is the activity equivalent with my teaching goals and content standards?
> Does the activity adequately reflect the learning provided and the content I
expect them to know?
> Will the activity allow the students to effectively demonstrate their
development in the content area?
> Will the students be motivated and interested in demonstrating their
knowledge through the activity?
Sharing with students your expectations and criteria is also offered by Drake
as a necessary step toward individual student achievement.
As students are given more opportunities to show what they know and
knowledge they have gained, the likelihood of having more student involvement
will increase. Students’ attitudes about being tested and assessed will become
more realistic and will make more sense to them as individuals. As quoted by an
unknown source, “The one who attempts to be better than oneself is likely to
have more success than the one who attempts to be better than someone else."
Individual student achievement and the course through which we collect it must
adapt to the real world with results that accurately measure each student’s
knowledge.
Importance of the Study
The significance of the study is of tremendous importance to the
researcher as she has and continues to strive to use assessments with her
students that are realistic, worthwhile, and measure the knowledge gained by her
students. The researcher’s desire is to effectively combine learning with true
assessment for her students. The hope is that the results will help guide further
instruction for each student. The belief is that each student is his/her best
competitor and their immediate goal in the classroom should be to increase their
own knowledge, make gains in areas of weaknesses or challenges, and learn to
work with others.
It is the belief and hope of the researcher that alternative assessments
should be used to help balance the overall grading of students. The expectations
of the action research are that it will result in higher student interest and
improved ability of students to demonstrate their performance in the subject area
of Science. Assessment for the researcher will change in that she will use a
project that requires higher level thinking in analysis and application of the
concept taught in addition to a standard multiple choice test.

Purpose Statement
The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent an alternative
assessment in Science compares to the more traditional method at the 6th grade
elementary level.
Hypothesis
The researcher believes that by offering effective alternative forms of
assessment, her students will do better in the subject area and have a more
positive attitude about demonstrating what they have learned. Due to having
performance based options available to them, the researcher expects to find that
the students will put more effort and time into their work compared to the
traditional test/assessment method.
Research Question
How do alternative assessments compare to traditional methods of
assessment in the 6th grade Science curriculum in results and in student
performance and motivation?
Definition of Terms
1. CBEDS - California Basic Educational Data System
2. alternative assessment - a form of assessment that checks for knowledge
on a concept(s) after being taught, that does not follow traditional
assessments such as multiple-choice questions, fill-in the blanks, and/or
true/false
Chapter 2: Literature Review
“Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be
counted counts.” A Practical Guide to Assessment by Herman, Aschbacher, and
Winters (1992), opens with this quote that purportedly had been posted on the
office wall of Albert Einstein. Providing, implementing, and analyzing
assessment in the educational field that counts has been a task sought through
the years by countless educators and researched by numerous organizations
and individuals. As results of standardized tests are increasingly analyzed and
weighted heavier as each school year goes by, the impact of the assessments
mandated by federal, state and local districts may be leaving many students’
abilities untapped and unevaluated. Individual student’s abilities and levels of
understanding can be observed, heard through explanation, and expressed in
ways a standardized test does not have the capabilities to measure. Herman,
Aschbacher, and Winters (1992) state that understanding the purpose of
assessment and the limitations that standard tests can provide, is a motivator for
educators to develop process-oriented, complex higher level thinking tasks.
As a fundamental role, assessment should provide “authentic and
meaningful feedback for improving student learning, instructional practice, and
educational opportunities” (Herman et al., 1992, p.2). In Understanding by
Design by Wiggins and McTighe, “performance is the key to assessing
understanding” (1998, p.vi) with the emphasis on attuning of teachers to the
recognition of when a student really understands by developing certain
assessment tasks that lead to an overall performance picture. Examining

multiple professional resources and their perspectives, resulted in findings that
support that the overall ability of students in the classroom should be assessed
using methods that encompass: a complete view using a variety of data
collection, giving the student an advantage by measuring success to self and
discovery of self-knowledge, learning advantages that promote deeper
understanding and real life transfer, a validity in the similarities of standardized
versus alternative assessments, and finally the benefits gained by the learner,
fellow peers, and the teacher.
Complete view of learner
As a complete view, Frederick Drake suggests that “Forms of assessment
that involve only recall...” do not challenge students and only “...emphasize low-
level cognition” (1997,1f1). Low-level cognition on Bloom’s taxonomy, as cited in
Smythe & Halonen, 2007, of the cognitive domain is only the beginning and basic
demonstration of a learner’s abilities. It requires little or no deeper insight and
shows no complex or complete understanding. Alternative assessments can
develop a need for learners to pursue higher levels of cognition while
demonstrating their understanding and insights. Insights, which according to
Wiggins & McTighe (1998, p.80) need to be assessed and listened to, are just as
imperative because the “quality of the insights is important”, and it is not only
important to pay attention to the performance, but the “quality of the idea” as well.
Standardized tests do not consist of questions that can measure these. However,
on a day to day basis alternative methods contribute to a complete view of
abilities by providing a form of monitoring for teachers where student

misconceptions may arise creating an environment where interaction and
discussion become necessary (Wiggins & McTighe, p.75).
Using alternative assessments also contribute to a complete view of a
student’s abilities by incorporating strategies from Bloom's taxonomy (Smythe &
Halonen, 2007, diagram 2). The six levels can be easily incorporated into
alternative assessments which support a cognitive development from basic
knowledge to analysis and self-evaluation. A student’s learning reaches such a
level that they are able to take a content or skill and demonstrate knowledge
gained by something as simple as drawing a sequential illustration with captions
and then explaining each part in a presentation. Alternative assessments may
be planned as instruction is planned based on the overall needs of the current
classroom of students. Students are able to be guided towards individual
success by assisting in the development of a rubric allowing the students to see
a complete picture of what will be required to demonstrate understanding.
Students can also become self-sufficient in self-analysis and evaluation of their
own performance. Individuals are not subjected to right and wrong answers as
contained on a standardized test, nor are they compared with peers’ abilities.
Individual knowledge and understanding are explored, analyzed, applied, and
produced leaving a complete picture of each student’s own abilities.
Learning Advantages
Another key contributing component of alternative assessment use in the
classroom is the learning advantages for individual students in their personal
growth. The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, along with a

mathematical assessment committee, stated that “The purpose of assessment
should be to improve learning" (NCREL, 1989,1J1) and therefore moved forward
in determining the design of assessments by expanding on how students would
best be able to show their mathematical achievements. They found seven
necessary components for alternative assessment, of which three pointed to the
need for assessments not to compare students’ abilities such as: be given
opportunities to develop ideas at their own pace, demonstrate what they know
and not focus on what they do not know, not be immediately labeled as a failure
simply because of scores below a predetermined range base (NCREL, fi2).
Students also gain advantages with alternative assessments because
when tasks are scored using a rubric (as many alternative assignments or
projects may be), students benefit individually by seeing where strengths and
weaknesses fall differently in assigned dimensions or tasks which supports a
teacher’s ability to assess understanding using Bloom’s Taxonomy of the
cognitive levels (Drake, 1997, fl11). Where one student may score higher in the
ability to verbally explain their understanding about an assignment, another
student may have scored lower in the verbal explanation but higher in the
creativity and visually designed explanation. This approach places students in a
unique position to work on identified areas of lower performance and at the same
time affirms areas of strength. It also promotes an environment where “students
are coached about the best ways to demonstrate their abilities” (Drake, fl12).
Due to the numerous formats alternative assessments can provide,
students gain learning advantages by being offered less intimidating tasks and
are offered assignments “grounded in the kind of work people actually do in the
real world” (Loadman & Thomas, 2000, p.3). The formats are varied and make
more sense in the real world life of tasks and performances such as: personal
communication, demonstrations, and portfolios. Just as in real life, Drake (1997,
1J4) proposes that in order for students to demonstrate understanding for
example from a historical perspective, they must show they are able to reason
facts, discover relationships, and make meaningful sense of patterns in the past.
This way a deeper insight is shown providing means to a solution, judgment, or
conclusion. A format of assessment at such level requires a student to
cohesively organize, interpret, and communicate their knowledge (Drake, fl6),
Stephen Elliot (1995, ^3) refers to the format of assessments as having
common features of performance assessment [that] involve:
1. Students’ construction rather than selection of a response
2. Direct observation of student behavior on tasks resembling
those commonly required for functioning in the world outside
school
3. Illumination o f students’ learning and thinking processes along
with their answers (OTA, 1992)
Alternative assessments that provide learning advantages serve another
role by combining cognitive strategies with metacognitive strategies. Cognitive
strategies work to improve a student’s knowledge whereas metacognitive
strategies elevate the thinking process to construct deeper meaning and

therefore make judgments (Gredler, 2001, p.209). According to Gredler, criteria
for assessing student performance should have metacognitive activities. “If
testing only includes low-level performances, students will have little incentive to
engage in evaluating task demands, allocating resources carefully, evaluating
performance, and monitoring progress” (p.226). The conclusion is made that
students will rely on tests requiring only rote recall of factual responses with no
integration to respond to “a novel question or solve a novel problem” (p.226).
In Understanding by Design (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998) assessing a
student’s insight is just as important as a summative or formal formatted test. At
times, teachers may rely too heavily on the knowledge students appear to be
able to regurgitate and ignore the quality of understanding (p.79). In assessing a
performance a student’s insight may be overlooked in the process of testing to
see if the student has gained knowledge. Insight, according to Wiggins and
McTighe, may well be at work in a child’s understanding of a concept but may be
overlooked simply because they are unable to correctly articulate their own
thinking or reasoning. The authors give an example of a 5-year old boy, who
being in an airplane asked his parents if the plane kept flying would they end up
upside down on the other side of the world. “In these examples, the learner has
an insight without necessarily being able to fully or effectively articulate i f (p.79).
Students need to have the opportunity not only during the instruction process, but
while assessing as well to show they have gained knowledge in the form of
insight. The authors point to the fact that even educated adults have times when
they attempt to explain something but just cannot get the words out right. Yet the
intended audience understands what they are saying or getting at. Wiggins and
McTighe phrase it well: “Sometimes, sophisticated understandings lurk beneath
weakly executed performances" (p.80). Good practice of assessing
understanding means taking into consideration both the quality of a performance
as well as the quality of an idea.
ESL (English as a second language) and RSP (Resource Specialist
Program) students benefit from the learning advantages alternative assessments
open opportunities for. As previously reported above by the North Central
Regional Educational Laboratory in 1998, Jo-Ellen Tannenbaum (1996,111) in a
report prepared with funding by the U.S. Department of Education, supports that
“In contrast to traditional testing, ‘students are evaluated on what they integrate
and produce rather than on what they are able to recall and reproduce”’. The
report also states that most educators have come to understand that alternative
assessment provides a more complete academic picture of a student. Formats
of assessment should demonstrate growth over time, identify student strengths
along with what they know, and take into account learning styles. Formats or
modalities suggested would be a form of nonverbal demonstration, a K-W-L
chart, oral performance or presentation, written products such as journals or
thinking logs, and/or portfolios containing a collection of student work over time.
Additionally important would be the student validating their own success by
critiquing their own growth (Tannenbaum, 1996).
Validity
In using alternative assessments, their validity must also be considered.
Creating Meaningful Performance Assessments (Elliot, 1995) addresses five
internal characteristics assessments should exhibit:
1. Have meaning for students and teachers and motivate high
performance.
2. Require the demonstration of complex cognition, applicable to
important problem areas.
3. Exemplify current standards of content or subject matter quality.
4. Minimize the effects if ancillary skills that are irrelevant to the
focus of assessment.
5. Possess explicit standards for rating or judgment, fll5)
This suggested set of standards demonstrates that alternative methods of
assessment are viable and valid just as norm-referenced tests are. Drake
(1997), Herman, Aschbacher, and Winters (1992), as well as NCREL (1989) offer
similar sets of standards for educators to consider when using and formatting
alternative forms of assessments.
Both standardized tests and alternative forms of assessment offer valid
information about students and give different pieces of information to create a
comprehensive view for the teacher (Loadman & Thomas, after 1999, p.2).
Whereas standardized tests report performance on a school and district and are
used for other various purposes, alternative assessments serve to provide more
individual information on strengths, learning styles, growth, cultural backgrounds,
language proficiencies, etc. (Tannenbaum, 1996,1J1). Loadman and Thomas

(after 1999) consider also that all forms of assessment have different values
behind them and are “based in subjective human value” (p.2).
Validity of assessments should also be ascertained that they support the
California Standards for the Teaching Profession (California Commission on
Teacher Credentialing, 1997) since classroom teachers are evaluated and
assessed by them. Standard number one reads:
ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING ALL STUDENTS IN LEARNING
Teachers build on students' prior knowledge, life experience, and
interests to achieve learning goals for all students. Teachers use a
variety of instructional strategies and resources that respond to
students'diverse needs. Teachers facilitate challenging learning
experiences for all students in environments that promote
autonomy, interaction and choice. Teachers actively engage all
students in problem solving and critical thinking within and across
subject matter areas. Concepts and skills are taught in ways that
encourage students to apply them in real-life contexts that make
subject matter meaningful. Teachers assist all students to become
self-directed learners who are able to demonstrate, articulate, and
evaluate what they learn, (p.5) [italics added].
The italics added highlight the key areas that alternative assessments
support. Research sought out for this report supports the need to utilize
strategies that lend themselves to alternative assessment. Teachers are
evaluated using these standards, so it would seem appropriate for teachers to

develop assessments that in turn support all the strategies included to engage
and support all students. Wiggins and McTighe’s (1998) theory of six facets of
understanding support this same need in reaching a goal of understanding a
student’s diverse needs when it comes to demonstrating their knowledge (p.66).
A student should be able to: “explain, interpret, apply, see perspective,
demonstrate empathy, and reveal self-knowledge” (p.67). All these facets
support the California Teaching Standard number one, but also Bloom’s
Taxonomy and Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Research,
educational theories and practices reveal the validity of providing alternatives
forms of assessments.
Providing various forms of assessment benefits students and their
learning by showing individual growth over time, revealing students’ strengths on
what they know and not necessarily focusing on what they do not recall, and
taking advantage of differing learning styles, language proficiencies, and cultural
and educational backgrounds (Tannenbaum, 1996). Complete and reliable
overall pictures of a student must be collected using multiple methods, including
standardized tests, which help direct instruction and guide curriculum (Loadman
& Thomas, after 1999). Alternative forms of assessment are easily integrated
into daily activities and give students the opportunity to express their knowledge
or show what they learned (Tannenbaum, 1996). Growth can be seen, heard,
and watched giving students an advantage in demonstrating their knowledge;
whereas improvement on a standardized test may not necessarily mean
improvement in learning (Herman, Aschbacher & Winters, 1992). In a video

interview called “Reinventing our Schools” (1994,1f6), Howard Gardner stated,
“nowadays, almost nobody, except people who make money from it, believe that
there's a single kind of intelligence that can be adequately measured in an hour
or so”. A Practical Guide to Alternative Assessment sums it up with “A balanced
curriculum requires a balanced approach to assessment” (Herman, et al., p.9).

Chapter 3: Research Design I Methodology
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent alternative assessments
in Science compare to the more traditional method at the 6th grade elementary level.
Sample
The sample population consisted of two sixth grade classes at the same school site.
One class belonged to the researcher. The researcher’s classroom consisted of 17 males
and 15 females, and the other sixth grade class consisted of 16 males and 16 females.
The subjects were chosen due to the ability of the researcher to have the flexibility she
needed to determine appropriate assessment dates. Sixth grade was chosen because it is
the researcher’s second year of teaching with this grade level, and it is in the interest of the
researcher to maintain an intermediate teaching position for a few more years.
Materials
The researcher created a traditional assessment test consisting of fill-in-the-blank,
multiple-guess, and matching questions to assess students in Science on the topic of the
rock cycle (see Appendix I). The researcher also created an alternative form of
assessment project in the form of a poster in which students had to demonstrate
knowledge of the actual rock cycle process (see Appendix II). The overall format for
creating the poster was left open; however, students were given guidelines to follow for the
information that needed to be included on the poster.
Each student in each class was given both assessments. One class completed the
alternative assessment first, while the other took the traditional test first. The alternative
assessment was graded concurrently by both teachers using a Rubric created specifically
Appendix I
Science Test: Chapter 4
Name & # : __________________
f
Complete the sentences using the correct term.
1. Concrete is composed of rock particles bound together with cement. So, cement is most
like a ______________ rock, (sedimentary or metamorphic)
2. T he____________ of a rock depends on the size of its crystals, (texture or
composition)
3. Rocks that cool quickly at the earth’s surface are____________ igneous rock, (intrusive
or extrusive)
4. Rocks that cool very slowly are likely to have_________ crystals than a rock that cooled
fast, (less or more)

5. To describe what a rock looks like and feels like you would describe its____________ .
(texture or density)
^omplete the sentence with the correct answer.
6. Which of the following causes the breakdown of rock?

a. weathering b. stratification
c. cementing d. extrusion
7. Metamorphic rock is most likely to form when

a. a volcano erupts explosively.
b. limestone comes in contact with an igneous rock.
c. erosion of weathered granite occurs very rapidly.
d. silt particles are compacted and cemented together.
8. Rocks that contain fossils are most like rock becausethey are_____ .
a. igneous, melted b. metamorphic, cooled
c. sedimentary, cemented d. igneous, weathered
9. The minerals a rock contains determines its____________ .

a. texture b. stratification
c. composition d. name
^ 10. The texture of a rock can be made up of different sizes and shapes o f___________
a. pieces b. grains
c. minerals d. walls
Appendix I
11 .A rock that has many layers that can be see is a(n)_________________ rockand was
probably made on the bottom of a ____________ .
a. igneous, magma b. sedimentary, river
c. metamorphic, hill d. igneous, volcano
12. When sedimentary rock or mineral fragments (parts) stick together they form
___________ sedimentary rock, (clastic or chemical)
13._________________ can affect the thickness of the layers in sedimentary rock.

(Deposition or Weathering)
Fill in the blank.
14.The word igneous is Latin fo r_____________ .
15.Large balloon-shaped intrusive rock formations are called________________ .
16.Sedimentary rock has layers called____________ .
17. What two things does a sedimentary rock need to be changed into a metamorphic rock?
___________ and_______________
18. What is the name of liquid rock? ________________
19. Rocks that were changed due to heat and a great amount of pressure over time are
20. Name three ways humans use rock or minerals today.

A p p en d ix II
Nome A # :
Science Assignment: The Rock Cycle
Date Assigned: Due Date:
Imagine that you are an ancient grain of sand on the bank of a river.
You have already been through the entire rock cycle. Using the
lessons and reading we have gone over as a class, design a poster
for a young igneous rock describing what their lifetime will be

like in the entire rock cycle.
Guidelines:
> Include illustrations (you may use magazine cut-outs, pictures
from the Internet, etc.) (5pts)
> Include labels describing the pictures/drawings (5pts)
> Include the three major rock types in the correct order, and a
description of how they change in your own words (lOpts)
> Writing must be legible with correct spelling (5pts)
Hint: Studying the two examples of the rock cycle on text pg.82-84
will help, BUTyou must use YOUR own words as you tell the story.
Grading:
23-25 points = A 18-19 points = C 0-14 points = F
20-22 points = B 15-17 points = D
for the assessment also by both teachers. The fellow teacher had taught 6th grade for nine
years.
A survey was created by the researcher asking students in her class to rate their
ability to demonstrate their knowledge on both assessments. The survey asked for a
rating of student stress, enjoyment, and their overall feeling of how well their scores would
be for each assessment (see attached example.)
Procedure
The development of the action research was sparked by the researcher's interest in
alternative assessments to not only motivate students, but to also check for actual
understanding of a concept using a method other than memorization of facts for a test. To
conduct the action research, the researcher used previous knowledge of her students
along with research results from the literature reviewed for this project. The assessments
designed were intended to cover and assess the same content area in Science. The
assessments and scoring procedure for each assessment were designed by the
researcher and a fellow sixth grade teacher who had taught for nine years.
The description of the alternative assessment poster project of the rock cycle was
given in written format to the students and explained. Students were to work on the project
in class when other work was done, or at home. Students were encouraged to use the
Internet for research as well as their textbooks, or notes taken in class.
The traditional test was the follow up to a two week instruction in Science of the
rock cycle. Students read from the textbook and completed work sheets to answer
questions related to the day’s reading. Small groups of students were also given various
rocks to describe and classify into the rock cycle.

The student survey was given after both assessments had been taken and before
the students knew their grades. The survey was given to the students with the
understanding that it was completely anonymous and that they needed to carefully think
about each response.
Timeline
July 8, 2003 Established the Purpose Statement
July 8-20, 2003 Conducted literary research on topic (see bibliography)
July 22, 2003 First Draft of Chapter 1 approved by Dr. Greenberg
August 5, 2003 First Draft Approval of Chapter 3 by Dr. Greenberg
November 4, 2003 Developed rock cycle poster assessment, guidelines, and
Rubric with a 6th grade teacher
December 2, 2003 Assigned the rock cycle poster assessment
December 12, 2003 Developed traditional test on rock cycle with a 6th grade teacher
December 15, 2003 Collected rock cycle poster assessment
December 16, 2003 Gave traditional test on rock cycle
December 17, 2003 Gave students survey on the two assessments
December 17, 2003 Reviewed data and analyzed results
December 18, 2003 Graded rock cycle posters and traditional tests, reviewed
results of assessments
September 6, 2004 Draft of Chapter 4
November 15, 2004 Finish Chapter 4
November 20, 2006 Reviewed and analyzed literary research
November 20, 2006 Created tables and graphs to display data results
November 23, 2006 Compiled expanded view of literary research
July 20, 2007 Completed expanded view and organization of literary research
Chapter 4: Analysis I Results
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent alternative
assessments in Science compare to the more traditional method at the 6th grade
elementary level.
Analysis of Data
Analysis of the data required sorting the results of the seven questions on
the student response “Science Assignment Survey”, and the students’ results of
the Science Test and the Rock Cycle Poster project. Respondents’ choices on
the survey for each of the seven questions were documented by counting each
single response for either the Rock Cycle Poster project or the Science Test.
This analysis provided a preliminary look at the data’s results for the researcher.
Since the survey was limited to seven questions with only two possible
responses, a multiple-bar-graph was incorporated to visually display data by
student response, as well as a table representing the same results but using
percentages of students’ responses. Each set of double bars represents a
question asked with each single bar representing the total number of students
that chose either the project or the test. The questions were included below each
graph to serve as a key for the bar labels. Both formats describe the data and
allow for quick comparison of the results for the student survey.
The scores from the Science Test were initially recorded into the teacher’s
electronic grade book where the mean was quickly determined for each
assessment. Then the results were displayed in two sets of Pie Charts to show
the range of percentages received in each assessment. Both sets show how the
letter grades received were dispersed, with one set also showing the number of
students receiving those letter grades. Letter grades were given based on the
percentage scored: A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = 0-59 or
not turned in. This format served as visual modal to compare and contrast the
score results of the two different assessments.
To analyze the students’ responses of the two assessments, the
percentage results of the survey were compared to actual overall results for both
assessments, providing an in-depth look at how students viewed the
assessments versus the actual outcome of the scores.
Results
The results of the “Science Assignment Survey” are displayed in Figure 1
and Figure 2 in Appendices III and IV. Twenty-nine students completed the
survey. Question number one had the greatest difference with 22 students
(76%) choosing the test as more stressful and 7 (24%) students choosing the
poster project. Question two asked about the enjoyment of each assignment and
received 20 responses (69%) for the poster while 9 (31%) chose the test. Both
question 3 and 6 received 12 poster (41%) and 17 test (59%) responses which
asked respondents to identify which assignment let them best show what they
had learned or which one they had learned the most from. The fourth question
posed, asked the students which assignment they felt they had performed better
on, and the result was almost split with 14 (48%) choosing the project and 15
(52%) choosing the test. When asked in the fifth question which assignment they
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would rather do for a grade, 18 students (62%) chose the project while 11 (38%)
chose the test. The final question on the survey asked the students to choose
which of the two assignments they would rather do for a grade, and the result
was 17 students (59%) chose the poster and 12 (41%) chose to take a test. The
overall results of the student survey (see Science Assignment survey in
appendices) had a noticeable difference for questions 1, 2, and 5, along with a
reciprocal result for questions 6 and 7.
The results from the actual percentage grades earned by the students,
shown in Figures 3 and 4 in Appendices V-VII, showed that on the alternative
assessment poster project the class average was a 72.2%. Four students did
not complete or turn in a project so they received a 0%. Without factoring in
those four students, the class average on completed projects was 82.6%. The
traditional test class average was 74.8% reflecting a 7.8% lower class average
than the alternative assessment project. The dispersing of the percentages
along with the number of students scoring in each letter grade is shown in
Figures 3 and 4. Two of the students that failed the traditional assessment test
also did not turn in a poster project. The other three students that failed the test
received a passing grade on the poster project. One student did not take the
traditional test due to an excused absence so no score was given.
When comparing the letter grades, the results varied with three more
students receiving an “A” on the poster project. In contrast, 18 students received
a score of 80% or higher on the traditional test, whereas only 13 students scored
in the same range on the poster project.

Figure 3: Rock Cycle poster grades
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Appendix VI
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Figure 5: Students’ grade results for Science Test
Appendix V II
5 students
Chapter 5: Implications for Teaching; Suggestions for

Further Research
Purpose Statement
assessments in Science compare to the more traditional method at the 6th grade
elementary level.
Limitations
This study is limited by:
1. Limited participation. One class of 6th grade students was surveyed
and cannot be viewed as representative of all 6th grade students.
2. Limited assessments. Sampling was taken from one topic in Science
and two assignments used to assess it. Additional topics and assessments may
influence students’ responses.
3. The fact that the results are generalized only to schools that meet the
sample selection criteria.
4. Attitudes of students. Factors may have influenced the students’
responses the day the survey was taken or their attitude toward taking the
survey. Students may have imposed how they thought the teacher would want
them to answer even though the survey was anonymous.
5. The research design. It is limited to reported information found by this
researcher at the present time consisting of current data.

Discussion I Conclusions
assessments in the subject of Science compare to traditional assessments for a
6th grade class. The results of the study were varied and prompted further
attention by the researcher into incorporating alternatives assessments into
weekly lesson plans. Most of the students’ responses to the assessments
verified to the researcher some preconceived ideas about test taking. Yet a few
responses were unforeseen and provided important feedback from a student’s
perspective.
The results verified to the researcher that pressure and stress are
associated with traditional test taking (76% of students stated.) Also, it was
anticipated that the students would enjoy the poster project more than the test,
which was also a response chosen by 69% of the class. Interestingly however,
were the students’ responses to which assignment they felt let them show what
they had learned. With 59% of students choosing the traditional test, the
researcher wondered if the response was due to a mentality that a test was
viewed as more important than a project as sustained from previous classroom
settings. From the research, students may not have been challenged in the area
of completing a synthesized final project and therefore felt traditional right and
wrong answers created by an authority seemed to show what they had learned.
Student responses were split as to how they think they performed. The
score results indicated that the alternative assessment project scores on average
were 7.8% higher than the test results with 24 students receiving a passing
score, while only 20 passed the traditional test. It was motivating for the
researcher to report that two-thirds of the class would choose a project over a
traditional test if given the option. In contradiction to that response were the two-
thirds of the class choosing they learned most from a traditional test format,
again prompting the researcher to wonder if students had come to rely on an
authority to produce the most accurate form of assessment.
For the four students who did not complete the alternative assessment,
there was a negative outcome, a 0% score. Two of these students in the
researcher’s class had consistent low home involvement, communication was
poor with progress reports, and school supplies were a concern. For another of
the four, a tragic family loss 2 months prior, along with relocating, had a strong
impact on all performance areas. With approximately 50% of the work on the
poster project expected to be done outside of Science class time, whether during
free time in class or at home, these students benefited from the opportunity of
having the traditional test still in place; however, none of them received a passing
score on the test either.
The need for standardized testing has fit a purpose as a large overview.
Yet over the years with more local, state, and federal government involvement,
the weight and application of standardized test results generalize states, districts,
schools, and individuals. Researched data shows Individual student growth,
improvement, and knowledge gained are not measured on such a test, especially
when compared to a norm group. One method, test, modality (the standardized
test) is used to determine each student’s level of proficiency or mastery. On the

whole, it serves a purpose to help guide schools in obvious areas of weak
performance in specific standards students should have attained at a certain
level based on their grade. However, when used solely as the method to grade
districts, schools, and administrators, its use falls short and is a disservice to the
actual learning and growth that occurs daily between teacher and student,
student and student, and student and self.
Implications
In the classroom, formal or traditional tests may fall into following the
same pattern as a standardized test if solely used as a teacher’s method of
assessment. If the results are used to generalize a class, true assessment has
not been implemented. Individual student’s needs, learning styles, and the ability
to produce something that demonstrates knowledge gained, contradicts what
students will need in life: the application and demonstration of a skill that will
result in a final product. Alternative assessments allow students to show their
knowledge, insight, and even areas of misconception, whereas a traditional
assessment relies on students choosing the predetermined correct response
without falling for a distracter response. Instead of searching for meaning and
clarity, students search for the right answer. Alternative forms of assessment are
viewed by me as effective tools that allow a student to talk through, present, and
synthesize information leading to higher levels of cognition that benefit each
active participant, student and teacher, in the process.
The process, which is more clearly evident now based on the alternative
assessment researched, leads me as a teacher to reflect, implement reteaching

strategies, open class discussion about preconceived or misconceived ideas,
and promote the involvement of individuals in their own growth. Students should
be cognizant of their current level, and growth should be measured not student to
student, but from where one individual began and how they progressed.
Students then see their own abilities and strengths, and not just how they
perform compared to their peers.
On a whole, class averages and standardized test scores have a vital role
as an overview as base data on specific concepts and skills that may guide
general instruction on how information is presented, or the time given to such
concepts. Such as the case when the whole class fails to perform on key
vocabulary standards. The teacher must adjust on a general level how that
instruction is presented and taught. It serves to guide general instruction.
Students’ abilities and strengths not evaluated on a multiple choice test,
become evident in their discussions as verbally apt individuals explain with clarity
concepts they may have failed on a traditional assessment. Likewise, artistic and
spatially minded individuals may be able to demonstrate complete understanding
of a process through models and drawings via an alternative assessment using a
thought process that leads to higher level cognition. These are key areas where
as a teacher I need to ensure activities include different modalities and take into
consideration the multiple intelligences to validate student understanding and
true knowledge gained.
Finally, as an educator dedicated to the equal opportunity of students in
my care, I must be attentive to their diverse needs. For the four students who did
not complete the project, resources at home may have been limited or not
available. This would include colored pencils, crayons, markers, construction
paper, or even a quiet, undisturbed safe place to work on their project. Even
though construction paper was available to every student as well as writing
supplies in the classroom, some may have felt at a disadvantage knowing they
would not receive any help from home. Special attention will be taken to make
sure each student has the supplies needed to produce a complete project in the
future, as well as reminders about important due dates. Also, by adding
important due dates and events to bi-weekly progress reports parents sign, I
hope to attain better home and school communication.
Suggestions for Further Research
This study was limited to one classroom of sixth grade students and one
topic in the subject of Science. A comprehensive empirical study would be useful
in determining the effectiveness of the performance based growth model of
alternative assessments. The application in two or more subject matters, on a
consistent basis, across an entire grade level with traditional tests administered
as well, would also assist in determining the growth experienced of students at
the same grade level. Along with this would be the hope of an increase in
learning enjoyment and an increase in class participation. A study of individual
validity, as students learn their insights and understandings are valued as they
mark their own progress, would be extremely beneficial to the educational
community.
Since the students would need to be exposed to the same content and be
allowed the opportunity to learn through varying modalities, it would be
advantageous for common grade level teachers to be given appropriated time to
collaborate and develop the traditional tests and alternative assessments. More
students would be universally exposed producing results on a larger scale in
which to analyze. Also important to include would be teacher training days on
the usefulness and accurate development of alternative assessments. Teaching
peers, as well as other trained professionals in alternative assessment, would
show and instruct each other with samples and hands-on application.
It would be helpful for administrators to understand the validity of
alternative methods of assessment and also be involved in the production of a
meaningful, well-though out project taught by peers and professional
development coordinators. Understanding the intrinsic value achieved on an
individual level and having the ability to see the need to transfer that to the
classroom, would increase teacher buy-in as well as students’ overall interests in
school.
References
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (1997). California Standards for
the Teaching Profession. Retrieved July 18, 2007, from
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/reports/cstpreport.pdf
Drake, Frederick D. (1997). ERIC Digests. Using Alternative Assessments To
Improve the Teaching and Learning of History. Bloomington, IN: ERIC
Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education. (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED412170)
Elliott, Stephen N. (1995). Creating Meaningful Performance Assessments. Reston,
VA: ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education. (ERIC
Document Reproduction Service No. ED381985)
ENC Online, (after 1999). Education Topics. Standardized Test Scores and
Alternative Assessments: Different Pieces of the Same Puzzle. Retrieved July
10, 2003, from
http://enc.orq/topics/assessment/altern/document.shtm?input=FQC-001558-
index
Gardner, Howard. (1994). Reinventing Our Schools: A Conversation with Howard
Gardner. Retrieved March 21, 2007, from Penn State College of Education
Web site: http://www.ed.psu.edu/insys/ESD/gardner/Learning.html
Gredler, Margaret. (2001). Learning and Instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Herman, J., Aschbacher, P., & Winters, L. (1992). A Practical Guide to Alternative
Assessment. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
Loadman, William & Thomas, Anne Marie. (2000). Standardized Test Scores and
Alternative Assessments: Different Pieces of the Same Puzzle. Retrieved July
10, 2003, from
http://www.enc.orq/topics/assessment/altern/document.shtm?input=FQC0015
58-index
Smythe, K. & Halonen, J. (2007). Applying Assessment Strategies in Psychology.

Using the New Bloom’s Taxonomy to Design Meaningful Learning
Assessment. Retrieved July 10, 2007, from
http://www.apa.org/ed/new_blooms.html
Tannenbaum, Jo-Ellen. (1996). Practical Ideas on Alternative Assessment forESL
Students.Washington, D.C.: Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED395500)
University pf California, Berkeley, The Regents, (1989). Design Alternative
Assessments. Retrieved July 10, 2003, from the North Central Regional
Educational Laboratory Web site:
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/math/ma4desal.htm
Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

The Use o f Alternative Assessments
Appendices
Science Assignment Survey
You do not need to put your name on this survey.
Please be honest in your answers.
Which assignment did you feel more pressure or stress when you were completing it?
Rock Cycle poster or Science Test
2. Which assignment did you enjoy more?

3. Which assignment did you feel best let you show what you had learned?
4. Which assignment do you feel you did better on?

5. If you had to choose one, which assignment would you rather do for a grade?
6. Which assignment do you feel you learned the most from?

7. Would you rather do a project or a take test for a grade? project or test
Science Assignment Survey

You do not need to put your name on this survey.
Please be honest in your answers.
1. Which assignment did you feel more pressure or stress when you were completing it?
2. Which assignment did you enjoy more?

3. Which assignment did you feel best let you show what you had learned?
4. Which assignment do you feel you did better on?

5. If you had to choose one, which assignment would you rather do for a grade?
Which assignment do you feel you learned the most from?

7. Would you rather do a project or a take test for a grade? project or test

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The Use of Alternative Assessments 1

The Use of Alternative Assessments

Action Research Project

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INFORMATION TO ALL USERS

All rights reserved.

In recent years, assessing student achievement has primarily focused on results

or whole districts as failing to meet requirements on this annual performance. The

individual an opportunity to explain, interpret, or discuss. No models or pictures may be

used to demonstrate understanding, and no higher level cognitive thought is tested to

On the other hand, performance based assessments provide an alternative

well as to the student of areas of challenge, as well as areas of strength. Using

such as described by Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, to communicate

accurately and in a modality they feel confident in and may enjoy.

Chapter 2: Review of Literature / Related Research 9

Chapter 3: Research Design / Methodology 20

Chapter 4: Analysis / Results 24

Chapter 5: Implications for Teaching / Suggestions for Further Research 27

The researcher is a self-contained 6th grade elementary school teacher in

Substitute Teacher from 2001-2002 and was then hired on an Internship

her second year as a 6th grade teacher.

The researcher previously worked in Health Insurance for seven years,

and attended night courses at San Bernardino Valley College. In order to

goal in mind she enrolled in Chapman University’s Multiple Subject Credential

earning a Master’s degree.

students) white or non-Hispanic, and 13% (65 students) of African-American

background. The remaining 6% of students were of Pacific Islander or Filipino

Statement of the Problem

In education there are three main types of assessment. Criterion-

referenced tests compare student performance to a standard or set criterion.

Norm-referenced tests compare individual students to a norm group. These

achievement; however, their design was to be a sort of report card on schools,

Finally, there is the growth model, or performance based tests. These

forms of assessment attempt to look at individual student’s growth “on a concept,

information about individual student performance. Although all the above

allows for multiple methods of collecting student achievement. This allows

growth over a period of time.

A student’s true achievement and growth can accurately demonstrate

which can also be referred to as performance assessment, allows a student to

the process. This is in comparison to the other traditional forms of assessment

Therefore, it is not effectively checking a student’s performance against their

previous abilities. It does not demonstrate a student’s individual growth, nor if

teachers are the pioneers, designers, and implementers of “alternative” forms of

assessment. With so many teachers moving toward the Constructivist approach,

learning styles. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences helps guide the

development in most alternative forms of assessment researched throughout this

With so many forms of alternative assessments out there designed to

assess student achievement, a teacher has a sea of data to search through. An

educator also needs to carefully and effectively choose and develop

contain higher levels of cognition. As offered by Frederick Drake in his

discussion (1997), several questions for choosing effective assessments should

be asked prior to implementation. Summarized below are his suggested

expect them to know?

development in the content area?

> Will the students be motivated and interested in demonstrating their

knowledge through the activity?

as a necessary step toward individual student achievement.

Importance of the Study

The significance of the study is of tremendous importance to the

students. The researcher’s desire is to effectively combine learning with true

own knowledge, make gains in areas of weaknesses or challenges, and learn to

work with others.

It is the belief and hope of the researcher that alternative assessments

improved ability of students to demonstrate their performance in the subject area