This course will provide teachers with the knowledge and strategies to develop assessments that support higher-order skills, which hold students to higher standards. Teachers enrolled in this course will discuss the current policies and practices, as well as new research and strategies in education that lead to in-depth learning. Educators will be challenged throughout this course to improve their assessments to support 21st century learning.

At the completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

• Identify the problems with current testing policies and practices in their school and state. InTASC 3,4,6,9,10
• Understand the benefits of performance assessments for both students and teachers. InTASC 1,4,6,9
• Develop an understanding of performance assessments and the importance of high-order thinking. InTASC 4,5,6,7,8
• Measure a student’s ability to apply knowledge to complex, real-world tasks. InTASC 1,5,6,8
• Design performance assessments for their content area that require analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. InTASC 2,5,6,7,8,10