One of the most strategic things educators can do to improve achievement on performance-based assessments is to help parents understand how these assessments work, said Kathryn Alvestad in her presentation Helping Parents Understand Performance-Based Assessment. An elementary school principal in the Calvert County (Md.) School District, Alvestad presented a three-stage plan for raising achievement through parental support. She noted that she had been refining this approach over the last seven years.
"Few people like tests," Alvestad said, "and unless parents understand why today's assessments are so different from the tests they experienced in school, they are likely to greet performance-based assessments with skepticism and resistance."
Therefore, the first step is to provide information, she explained. "Parents and the community need to understand what these new assessments give us that multiple-choice tests don't, why this is important, and how the new methods are different." She added, "Parents are eager to support you when they understand why you're doing it."
In raising awareness through an information-sharing campaign, Alvestad cautioned against trying to share too much information too soon. "Small doses of information work best," she insisted. She recommended putting together a simple but visually appealing display for exhibit at school open houses, holiday programs, fairs, parades, and concerts. "The display might highlight the fact that the new tests are based on understanding rather than memorizing," Alvestad suggested. "You might exhibit examples of multiple-choice tests contrasted with sample pages from performance-based assessments." Eye-catching and concise, the display "should generate a lot of questions," she said. "Staff the display with a knowledgeable person who distributes take-home information to as many people as possible, and you're on your way to establishing a background for change."
The second stage in the process is to provide more detailed information. In Alvestad's school district, a parent handbook lists questions and answers about the new assessments, provides an example of a performance-based task, and introduces ways parents can help their children at home. This resource can be viewed at http://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/instruction/mspap/mspap.html.
After parents have their handbooks, they are ready for a student–parent activity night at the school. Alvestad recommended making the evening a fun, nonthreatening event with hands-on activities and lots of manipulatives. It's best to have several teachers on hand who can circulate and answer questions, she said, and to model teacher practice so that parents can learn to act as facilitators for their children. The activities should not require prior knowledge. "It helps to start with a brief statement of learner outcomes," said Alvestad. "Parents should understand that they are not there to do the work for their children."
For the final stage of helping parents understand how performance-based assessments work, Alvestad presented a workshop agenda that introduces parents to scoring rubrics and real-world problem-solving applications. "If you think you might have a hard time getting parents to attend, tag this event onto something else that is already a strong draw for parents such as a class play," she recommended. "Or, you could take your workshops to places where you know parents are already getting together, such as church or community gatherings."
Parents are often an underused resource whose involvement can be critical to the success of school improvement efforts, Alvestad emphasized. Research indicates that parent involvement improves student attitudes, helps parents understand the work of the school, fosters communication between parents and their children, and increases student achievement, she said. "Put parents through this experience, and you'll tap into lots of support."