Developing Performance-Based Assessments, Grades K-5

"In an era where buzzwords like 'assessment' and 'accountability' are used every day in our school systems, a book like this is long overdue. The author clearly explains important terminology while providing easy-to-understand ways to engage in quality assessment in any elementary classroom."
—Jennifer Sinsel, Elementary Gifted Teacher
Bostic Traditional Magnet School, Andover, KS

Use PBAs to design learning experiences that increase student engagement and achievement!

There is nothing more rewarding than the moment when a student "gets it." Helping educators reach that goal, Nancy P. Gallavan demonstrates how performance-based assessments (PBAs) can help create stimulating teaching and learning environments in elementary classrooms.

This easy-to-understand guide explains how to construct assessments that effectively measure learner performance and allow educators to align curriculum and instruction with students’ needs. With PBAs, teachers can engage students in the learning process, connect the learning to students’ individual lives, and monitor learning outcomes. The author provides:

1. Detailed and clear examples of performance-based assessments
2. Guidelines for creating and using rubrics and assessment templates
3. Checklists, frequently asked questions, graphic organizers, and activities to reinforce the content in each chapter
4. Numerous appendices, including standards for educational assessment, the four domains of learning, and a host of helpful Web sites, readings, and references

Developing Performance-Based Assessments, Grades K–5 is a valuable asset for facilitating learning experiences with rewarding outcomes.

About The Author:
Nancy P. Gallavan is professor of teacher education in the MAT program at the University of Central Arkansas. She worked as an elementary and middle school teacher in the St. Vrain Valley and Cherry Creek School Districts of Colorado for twenty years while earning her master’s degree from the University of Colorado and her PhD from the University of Denver. Prior to her current position, she was an associate professor of teacher education specializing in social studies and multicultural education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Gallavan has authored more than sixty publications, including books, chapters, and articles in professional education journals. Her books include Secrets to Success for Elementary School Teachers (2007) and Secrets to Success for Social Studies Teachers (2008) with Ellen Kottler and What Principals Need to Know About Teaching Social Studies (2003). She is active in the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE), the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).