The following statement from the Albany Park Multicultural Academy's School Improvement Plan for 1995-96 illustrates the different perspective on assessment that the teachers take. It describes three alternative ways to assess student achievement that rely on seminar participation, collaborative projects, and portfolios-in this case, electronic portfolios that compile writing samples over a two year period. These assessment practices are very different from the typical multiple choice tasks prevalent several years ago.
Assessment by Exhibition
Increasingly, our eighth grade graduation requirements include such alternative assessments as participation in a special seminar related to the U.S. Constitution and collaborative projects, such as the Junior History Fair project. Beginning in 1995 students will be required and empowered to create a computer portfolio of their journal writing during the course of their two years at our school.