The Highline School District of Seattle, Washington, has been a leader in the use of hands on science kits in elementary schools. Virtually all teachers in all schools rely on a series of experiential learning modules for science instruction. The district now plans to replace their current system of paper-and-pencil student assessment with "authentic assessment", which uses student performance products (portfolios, discussion, simulations, etc.) as data for evaluation by teachers. Testing would change from a separate activity to one that is embedded in the instruction. Teachers will be exposed to a variety of approaches to authentic assessment and the research that has been done on each. With the guidance of specialists on performance assessment, the teachers will develop assessment techniques that fit into each kit module. Many simultaneous benefits will accrue from this change. Teachers will gain greater insight into each student's abilities and needs, and the methods used for assessment will become better aligned with the educational goals of the district. Teachers will also work with volunteer scientists in developing assessment plans, thereby increasing their understanding of the true nature of scientific inquiry as well as of specific content areas. The implementation of performance assessment throughout the Highline District constitutes a unique and important experiment that has the potential for very wide impact. Cost sharing on this project represents 29% of the NSF contribution.
