Helping Educators to Develop and Use Alternative Assessments: Barriers and Facilitators

Abstract

This article addresses some of the barriers that facilitators encountered in helping educators design and use alternative assessments at the classroom and district level. Researchers provided technical assistance to teachers and administrators at six sites and collected data on problems encountered and educators' evolving concepts of alternative assessment. Data were collected primarily via written surveys, interviews, and observations of working sessions. The key areas of difficulty educators faced in developing a deep understanding of alternative assessments included a tendency to focus on classroom activities rather than student goals, uncertainty in specifying criteria dimensions and desired performance levels for judging student work and anxiety about the high stakes of assessment. They also faced several generic challenges to implementation, such as lack of time, training, and planning. Facilitators included: a sense of purpose, being part of a group, administrative support, and sustained technical assistance or coaching. Many teachers reported that grappling with alternative assessments led to more positive views of assessment, greater reflection on their own work increased collegiality, and clarification of goals.