Evaluating students by classroom observation

the long version

This book offers an overview of performance assessment, "the observation and subjective rating of student behavior and products" as a method for evaluating "day-to-day student learning." Stiggins divides performance assessment into reasons for the assessment, the task that requires performance, the behaviors or product evaluated, and the rating or method used to judge the student's performance. A how-to book rather than a description of instruments available to teachers, it provides ways to design a performance test, giving options, helpful hints, guidelines, and a checklist for quality control. An appendix rounds out this brief, 32-page booklet which should give confidence to classroom teachers interested in designing their own performance assessments.