Assessment for Measurement or Standards: The Peril and Promise of Large-Scale Assessment Reform

Abstract

The current call for performance-based assessments is, in part, a consequence of inappropriate uses of norm-referenced achievement tests. Still, the use of performance-based assessment will not automatically eliminate the negative consequences of high-stakes tests, nor support hoped-for changes in schools. School reform will be supported only if new assessment systems are developed using a model that is in harmony with the goals of reform. This article reviews two models for assessment, the measurement model and the standards model, their underlying assumptions about learners, and the resulting implications for performance-based test development. It briefly reviews the current testing debate, defines terms such as authentic assessments and performance-based assessments, and discusses the compromises that have led to the failed attempts to use testing to set standards for education. Finally, the article reflects on the power each assessment model can have on reform efforts.