Running head: AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

Authentic Assessment: An Overview

TED 690 Capstone
Paul Delos Santos
August 6, 2016

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

Abstract
This paper reviews the concept of authentic assessment against traditional assessment, citing
David Tanners Authentic Assessment: A Solution or Part of the Problem as the main text. The
analysis begins with a brief background on what types of assessments are available to teachers
before explaining what authentic assessment is and how teachers can use it in their classrooms.

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

Introduction
Assessments provide teachers with a conundrum: What is the best way to assess these
students? Teachers already utilize a variety of methods: multiple choice tests, true or false, and
written assessments. The problem, however, is how much is too much. Eighth graders spend, on
average, 25.3 hours of the school year undergoing various standardized tests to gauge student
knowledge with 10th graders taking the most mandated tests per year (10.5) (Layton, 2005). But
is it worth it? David Tanner in article Authentic Assessment: A Solution or Part of the Problem,
places traditional assessment methods, such as standardized testing, under a microscope next to
its more progressive sibling authentic assessment, as he attempts to discover what is the best
method to assess student learning.
Authentic Assessment vs. Traditional Assessment
The call for more authentic assessment comes from the criticisms of the traditional
testing model, which is mostly tied back to the concept of standardized testing. On average,
students take 112 state-mandated standardized test over the course of their compulsory education
(pre-K until 12th grade), causing President Barack Obama to call for a reduction of standardized
testing (Layton, 2015). Other criticisms of standardized testing, including poor content
coverage, failure to connect to life outside of a classroom, and rarely recognizes cultural
differences and skill levels (Tanner, 2001, pp. 24-29). In essence, traditional testing fails to
measure many of the important aspects of learning and does not assist teachers in teaching
content effectively, but rather causes teachers to teach to a test (Tanner, 2001, p. 24).
From this critique of the traditional assessment comes the desire to incorporate more authentic
forms of assessment, which is a blanket term for utilizing assessments that correlate better with
the post-education life and teaches skills that translate to post-education life. Tanner argues that

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

under a traditional assessment model places too much emphasis on passing the test rather than
learning what will be useful in the future. He points out that vocational studies, such as physical
education, music, and art tend to utilize authentic assessment models, translating into learning
the skill rather than passing a test (Tanner, 2009, p. 25). He cites an example of how students
learn math in order to do the necessary tasks of handling money, but rather than apply it directly
to the context of money, students learn without context (Tanner, 2009, p. 25). The disconnect
between what is being taught and how it translates to the world outside of the classroom only
strengthens the call for authentic assessment over the traditional model.
What is Authentic Assessment
Authentic assessment differs from the traditional method in a sense that it does not rely
on standardized testing to determine results. It does not have the same construct as a standardized
test and does not focus on test reliability and validity. Instead, authentic assessment aims to
solve the issues with traditional assessment: provide the content into a context that is similar to
what will be expected in life outside of school, including portfolios and other products that will
be created in the workplace. Authentic assessments, according to Tanner, should feature these
three elements in order to be considered authentic: 1) criterion-based standards, 2) multiple
indicators of quality, and 3) some prevision of judgment reliability (Tanner, 2009, p. 25). When it
comes to criterion-based standards, teachers must have a method of evaluating of what would be
minimally accepted for a potential product. For example, a teacher considers if a newspaper
article is good enough for print, which will define the students abilities and mastery of content.
Regarding multiple indicators of quality, a teacher must take into account the students total
performance: Are the strengths consistent? Are the weaknesses happening repeatedly? These are
performance-indicators that paint a clear picture of mastery and ability (Tanner, 2009, p. 25-26).

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

The final evaluator of authentic assessment, judging reliability, states that an authentic
assessment must finely balance the consistent elements needed for mastery and ability to be
flexible for students of all backgrounds. Authentic assessments need to have a set criteria that it
will be judged upon that multiple graders will view the product in the same light (Tanner, 2009,
p. 26). Essentially, authentic assessment must not feel contrived or manufactured, which some
traditional methods can provide (mainly standardized testing). Authentic assessment is flexible
and adaptable to consider the external factors that standardized testing removes for the sake of
reliability (Tanner, 2009, pp. 26-27.)
This does not mean authentic assessments are infallible, however. The first issue relates
to the importance of the assessment. How much emphasis a teacher places on specific parts
assessment on the total grade, unlike its traditional counterpart, can be subjective. The teacher
must have a clear idea on why this portion of the product is worth so much and needs to justify
the choice (Tanner, 2009, p. 27). Another issue plaguing authentic assessment is the potential for
missing content. Standardized test, by their nature, will cover a great deal of material evenly,
while authentic assessments may put more emphasis on sections and may not fit into the flow of
the assessment (Tanner, 2009, p. 28).
Conclusion
Authentic assessment may not be the magic bullet to solve the assessment problem, but
when used in conjunction with traditional assessment models, it can make massive steps in the
right direction. The two can work in harmony, Tanner argues, as both can test the abilities of
students in different forms (Tanner, 2009, p. 29). Some subjects will have an easier time with
authentic assessment, such as vocational programs and English Language Arts classes, while
others subjects will need to look at how to provide post-education context to what is being

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

taught. Tanner suggest that a teacher should not place all of his or her eggs in one philosophical
basket (Tanner, 2009, p. 29). Rather, he writes they find a way to incorporate the two to create
harmony and improve student learning.

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

References
Layton, L. (2015, October 24). Study says standardized testing is overwhelming nation's public
schools. Retrieved August 8, 2016, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/study-says-standardized-testing-isoverwhelming-nations-public-schools/2015/10/24/8a22092c-79ae-11e5-a958d889faf561dc_story.html
Tanner, D. E. (2001). Authentic Assessment: A Solution, or Part of the Problem? The High
School Journal, 85(1), 24-29. doi:10.1353/hsj.2001.0020