This research initiative was undertaken to examine family beliefs about alternative forms of educational assessment in an effort to guide policy in this aspect of educational reform. Observations of the interactions of 84 families were made and surveys of their beliefs about assessment received from 172 families. Teachers of the participant families' children were asked to rate the children's effort and involvement on alternative assessment measures. Discourse analyses of family interactions during assessments and interviews were conducted. Analyses of the survey data found significant differences among these three variables in such areas as assessing student progress and single-discipline versus integrated assessments and significant correlations between family beliefs and teacher ratings of their children's responses to alternative assessments. These findings are discussed within a constructivist framework of learning and the implications for family-school relations are outlined.
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