Performance assessment tasks allow teachers to simultaneously instruct and assess
(Lenski et al 32)
The best way that students can demonstrate their learning in the ELA classroom is through product/performance assessments in which students have the opportunity to apply and display their understanding of ELA skills and content. Examples of these types of assessments include essays, presentations, performances, and projects in which students are able to apply skills to a product that displays their knowledge and their abilities. The ability to navigate ELA content and structure and format arguments through the use of skills is essential to ELA learning and performance based assessments enable students to display their navigation and thought processes in an authentic manner.
Not only do performance and product assessments benefit teachers in their instruction and assessments, but performance-based assessments are one of the “most effective types of assessments teachers can use to make instructional decisions for ELLs” (Lenski et al 29). In an ever-diversifying classroom, it is essential that educators ensure that the assessments they implement are appropriate and meaningful for all students from every background.
