Authentic Assessment Tools for Teachers and Students

Authentic assessment -- that aims to measure student abilities in situations that mimic how those abilities are actually used -- is a goal of all teachers, but it's tough to get it right when each classroom has 30 to 40 individuals with unique needs. Some of the ways teachers can make assessment more student-centered are to include performance tasks, introduce real-life contexts, encourage construction and application activities, and gather portfolios of student work. One type of assessment you won't see: multiple-choice questions. This list of ELA, social studies, math, and science websites provides ways for teachers to assess students and promote exploration, collaboration, self-regulation, and even social justice at the same time.