Resources & Guidance

• PLAN Pilot Frequently Used Terms: Performance-Based Learning and Assessment (PBLA) Fact Sheet

• The Learning Policy Institute's report on the promise of performance assessments provides the field with a comprehensive review of how these assessments are being used in the United States and abroad as innovations in high school learning and college admissions, the potential they hold for educational equity, and their value for guiding teaching and learning and better conveying what students know and can do.

^{Guha, Roneeta, Tony Wagner, Linda Darling-Hammond, Terri Taylor, and Diane Curtis .  The promise of performance assessments: Innovations in high school learning and college admission. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. (2018).}

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  In Possible Future, Carol Lee presents a vision for how a multidimensional conception of learning and development that fosters deeper student learning may be integrated into public education by improving educator capacity and building more robust curriculum that allows students to engage in hands-on learning experiences and be assessed through multiple modes of measurement.

^{Lee, Carol D. "Possible futures: A curriculum that promotes civic ends and meets developmental needs." Kappan 103, no. 3 (2021): 54-57.}

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  Marc Chun provides examples of performance tasks and discusses how the use of these tasks enable college professors to link pedagogical and assessment practices as a viable approach to support students in developing transferable, higher-order thinking skills.  While this article is aimed at college professors, it could be useful for high school teachers as well.

^{Chun, Marc. "Taking teaching to (performance) task: Linking pedagogical and assessment practices." Change: The Magazine of Higher Education. (2010, March/April).}

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  Read about how performance assessment is an important tool that enables educators to measure things that multiple-choice tests cannot—like the ability to apply knowledge to solve complex problems—in this brief on Psychometric Considerations for Performance Assessment. Learn about how performance assessment can be used in combination with other types of tests to measure different aspects of what students know and can do. This brief also discusses the human judgment involved in scoring performance assessment and explains how educators need to be well trained and monitored to ensure rubrics are completed accurately and consistently. 

^{Tucker, Charlene G., Tim Davey, Steve Ferrara, Paul W. Holland, Rich Shavelson, Noreen M. Webb, and Lauress L. Wise. “Psychometric considerations for performance assessment with implications for policy and practice.” New York: Educational Testing Service (2015).} 

• Watch this series of video interviews conducted by the Learning Policy Institute with educators and representatives from successful deeper learning networks, including Big Picture Learning and the Internationals Network, to learn about Strategies and Practices to Advance Deeper Learning.  Hear from practitioners about cross-site learning opportunities, job-embedded professional development, community building practices, and other systems and structures in place to support deeper learning in these networks.

^{Learning Policy Institute. Video feature: Strategies and practices to advance deeper learning [Video].  (2020).}

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  In Taking Deeper Learning to Scale, the Learning Policy Institute analyzes the efforts of schools and school districts to improve academic achievement.  Through case studies of 3 diverse schools, this report highlights the need for a more deliberate focus on creating conditions that promote highly effective teaching and support deeper learning.  Read about how Brockton High School in Massachusetts used deeper learning as a strategy to improve student achievement and all of the obstacles the school overcame to implement changes in teaching, learning, and school culture.

^{Noguera, Pedro A.  Taking deeper learning to scale.  Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute, (2017).}

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  Explore this interactive playbook of Design Principles for Schools to learn about the guiding principles for putting the science of learning and development into action.  This resource provides a framework on how practitioners can implement structures and practices that support student learning and development and illuminates the multiple ways that schools can be designed to support all learners.

^{Learning Policy Institute and Turnaround for Children.  Design principles for schools: Putting the science of learning and development into action.  (2021).}

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  Preparing Teachers for Deeper Learning studies the work of teacher education programs in meeting the challenge of preparing teacher candidates for deeper learning, finding that effective programs teach and support their candidates in the same ways they want the candidates to teach and support children.  This research brief on the Learning Policy Institute's publication describes strategies and guidelines for preparing teacher candidates to enact deeper learning.  While the study is directed at teacher preparation programs, it could be useful to middle and high school teachers as well.

^{Darling-Hammond, Linda, Jeannie Oakes, Steve Wojcikiewicz, Maria E. Hyler, Roneeta Guha, Anne Podolsky, Tara Kini, Channa Cook-Harvey, Charmaine Mercer, and Akeelah Harrell  Preparing teachers for deeper learning (research brief).  Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute, (2019).}

Many high-quality career and technical education programs fit into the category of performance-based learning and assessment because they incorporate real-world problems and tasks, giving students opportunities to develop and apply knowledge and skills in settings that resemble authentic, real-life situations.

• Read about how BOCES CTE Programs are preparing students across New York State for the workforce by developing programming that combines active, hands-on learning with the opportunity for students to translate what happens in the classroom into the real-world.  This short paper highlights how dynamic BOCES CTE programs are helping students gain the college and career skills they need for successful futures.

Want to see BOCES CTE programs in action, or hear from their students?  Take a virtual tour of the CTE Center in Rockland BOCES in this 13-minute video, or hear students reflect on their hands-on learning experiences in this 7-minute video from Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex (WSWHE) BOCES.

^{Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) of New York State.  "Career & technical education: Preparing today's students to power tomorrow's economy."  (2020).}

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  Hear how the Brooklyn STEAM Center is partnering with 8 high schools in Brooklyn to provide 11th and 12th grade students with CTE training that culminates in student portfolios of work products that illustrate their career readiness.  Learn about how the Brooklyn STEAM Center is creating opportunities for young people to advance both academically and career-wise in this 11-minute video that gives an overview of this CTE model.

^{Brooklyn STEAM Center.  "Overview of the Brooklyn STEAM Center" [Video].  (2022).}

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  In this 5-minute video, learn about how high school students in Vermont engage in community-based learning that focuses on student interest to create internship opportunities that are designed to connect academic learning to the real world.  Hear from students and educators about how the program helps students explore their interests and postsecondary possibilities, then reflect on their experience with a culminating project developed with support from their community partners. 

^{Edutopia.  “Community-based learning: Connecting students with their world” [Video].  (2015).}  

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  Watch students in New York City build a tiny house in this 4-minute video about a building science class at The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers.  Listen to the teacher explain how he facilitates student learning while you watch a time lapse video of the classroom as the tiny house is constructed, and hear students reflect on the knowledge, understanding, skills, and confidence they gained through this experience. 

^{Sedita, Chris.  “UAGC building science documentary short” [Video].  (2022).} 

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  Check out this Sample School Day from a student at The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School to see how this school provides a hands-on education to New York City students by combining traditional academics with maritime-themed CTE.  Explore the Harbor School’s website to learn more about how the school uses a continuum of work-based learning experiences to extend student learning from the school classroom into a real-world, work-related context. 

^{The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School.  “Our students.”  (n.d.).} 

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  Work-based learning (WBL) is an instructional strategy that enhances classroom learning by connecting it to the workplace.  Learn about the key components of a comprehensive WBL program through the WBL Toolkit that includes guidance, resources, and further research on the impact of WBL opportunities for high school students. 

^{US Department of Education.  “Components of comprehensive work-based learning (WBL) programs.”  Work-based Learning (WBL) Toolkit.  (2017).} 

For more information on CTE and WBL, visit NYSED's Career and Technical Education website.

• Read this preview of Alvestad's book on Developing Parent & Community Understanding of Performance-Based Assessment for guidance on taking the first steps to help parents understand the role of performance-based assessment in student learning. In chapter 1, Alvestad introduces why parent involvement is important for helping children succeed in school, as well as key features of effective parent involvement, so that school leaders can proactively plan for communicating with families about changes in practice.

^{Alvestad, Kathryn. Developing parent and community understanding of performance-based assessment. Routledge, (2013).}

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  Involving parents in assessment can provide teachers with useful information to assist with each child’s learning, but current “assessment for learning” (AfL) practices are different from the assessment methods experienced by the parents of today’s school students. AfL or “formative assessment” is a collaborative process that involves setting goals, self-assessment, giving and receiving feedback, and supporting students to become self-aware, self-directed learners. Read this brief article on Involving Parents in Assessment to consider six recommendations for educators to engage parents and caregivers in the process of assessment by opening the doors of communication to support teachers in improving student outcomes. 

^{Lopez, Kirsten. “Involving parents in assessment.” Teach In (2016).} 

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  Check out some talking points for helping families learn about one form of performance-based learning and assessment—project-based learning—in this brief article about Getting Parents Excited about Project-Based Learning. Read the author's advice on how to communicate that project-based learning is different from the arts-and-crafts projects that may come to mind for parents and caregivers, so that educators can begin to develop the right vocabulary and rationale to explain project-based learning as an evidence-based instructional strategy.

^{Piper, Katie. "Getting parents excited about project-based learning." eduTopia, (2021, October 14).}

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  Read this brochure on the importance of family engagement for performance-based assessment to help ensure students have the support they need at home to succeed in school. Consider the ways the authors suggest families can engage to help their children, and the key questions they encourage parents and caregivers to ask in order to evaluate the effectiveness of performance assessments, such as: "Does the assessment require my child to use higher level thinking and problem-solving skills rather than simply memorizing to determine the answer?" and "Are teachers receiving training and assistance in designing and using performance assessments?"

^{Project Appleseed. "Performance based assessment." (n.d.)}

Description

• School networks and regional hubs that are implementing high-quality career and technical education and work-based learning in ways that prepare students for success in the workplace.

Research on PBLA Models

• MDRC has begun researching the effects of the Urban Assembly school support network on the academic and socio-emotional outcomes of students. Also check out The Evolution of the Urban Assembly School Support Model to find additional information guiding MDRC's ongoing study.

Examples of Assessment Approaches

• Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Career and Technical Education (CTE) representatives presented to members of the PLAN Assessment Technical Advisory Workgroup in 2024. They discussed the CTE pathway in New York State, rubrics and ePortfolios, and examples of PBLA happening in CTE at Erie 1 BOCES. Watch the presentation here. 
  • Accompanying materials and resources: NYSED CTE Technical Endorsement | Gold Standard PBL: Essential Project Design Elements | Gold Standard PBL: Project Based Teaching Practices | New York Students Win 2022 Aviation Design Challenge [Video] | Scroll up to see more videos of BOCES CTE programs and students under "PBLA in CTE and Work-Based Learning," above.
• Urban Assembly representatives presented to members of the PLAN Assessment Technical Advisory Workgroup in 2024. They discussed the network of support provided by the Urban Assembly organization and gave a deep overview of PBLA implementation at Urban Assembly’s Maker Academy. Watch the presentation here. 
  • Accompanying materials and resources: Scroll up to see videos of Urban Assembly schools and students under "PBLA in CTE and Work-Based Learning," above.

More Approaches to Explore...

• Scroll up to "Videos of PBLA in Practice," above, to see videos of students from Big Picture Learning schools engaging in hands-on learning experiences through internships.
• Read about the International Baccalaureate's (IB) Career-related Programme (CP), which incorporates the values of the IB into a unique programme addressing the needs of students engaged in career-related education. Also check out IB's CP Brochure.

Description

• School networks that use a project-based learning approach and practitioner-developed performance-based assessment tasks to determine student progress.

Research on PBLA Models

• CUNY Professor Michelle Fine discusses how the City University of New York and the New York Performance Standards Consortium are collaborating toward equity, finding that Consortium students "begin high school more educationally and economically disadvantaged than their peers and yet are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college, and persist in college." 

^{Fine, Michelle, and Karyna Pryiomka. Assessing college readiness through authentic student work: How the City University of New York and the New York Performance Standards Consortium are collaborating toward equity. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute, (2020).}

• Read findings from a randomized study by researchers from the University of Southern California, funded by Lucas Education Research, that examined the impact of project-based learning and aligned resources and teacher professional learning experiences on student outcomes in Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Learn about the "Knowledge in Action (KIA)" approach to teaching AP courses, and its positive effects on student AP test scores, in this 4-page research brief on how Project-Based Learning Boosts Student Achievement in AP Courses.

^{"Project-based learning boosts student achievement in AP courses." Lucas Education Research, (2021).}

• The Learning Policy Institute examined the Internationals Network for Public Schools in this study of a deeper learning approach to supporting English Learners. Among other findings, the Learning Policy Institute highlighted the Internationals Network's dedication to deepening and sustaining local investment as key to the model's success in supporting rigorous academics, linguistic dignity, and bilingualism using a deeper learning approach. 

^{Roc, Martens, Peter Ross, and Laura E. Hernandez. Internationals Network for Public Schools: A deeper learning approach to supporting English Learners. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute, (2019).}

Examples of Assessment Approaches

• College Board - Advanced Placement (AP) representatives presented to members of the PLAN Assessment Technical Advisory Workgroup in 2023. They discussed their approach to integrating performance-based assessment into AP courses. Watch the presentation here. 
  • Accompanying materials and resources: Presentation Slides | Advanced Placement Program | Project-Based AP Courses
• Internationals Network for Public Schools representatives presented to members of the PLAN Assessment Technical Advisory Workgroup in 2024. They discussed their approach to a system of performance-based assessment that emphasizes integrating language and content learning, and utilizing experiential learning, to best support multilingual learners. Watch the presentation here. 
  • Accompanying materials and resources: Presentation Slides | Accountability Reform and Responsive Assessment for Immigrant Youth | Effective Project-Based Unit Criteria Analysis | Evaluation of the Performance-Based Assessment Process in Internationals Network High Schools in NYC | Introduction to the Portfolio Process at Internationals | Performance Learning and Assessment at PAIHS Monroe | Portfolio Resource Guide | Portfolio Rubrics | Sample Native Language PBAT from PAIHS Monroe (Spanish) | Student Portfolio Presentation [Video] | Visual of Internationals PBAT Presentation Process
• New York Performance Standards Consortium representatives presented to members of the PLAN Assessment Technical Advisory Workgroup in 2023. They discussed their approach to a system of performance-based assessment and the use of performance-based assessment tasks (PBATs). Watch the presentation here. 
  • Accompanying materials and resources: Presentation Slides | Graphic Representation of the Consortium Model | Core Curriculum Rubrics | Inquiry Learning & PBL | Mathematics PBAT Video (10 minutes) | Scroll up to see a similar video about a Science PBAT under "Videos of PBLA in Practice," above. | COVID-19 Journal | Washington Post: Manhattan Institute recommendation of Consortium model