Beyond the Bubble Test: How Performance Assessments Support 21st Century Learning

Chapter 7Supporting Teacher Learning through Performance Assessment

Linda Darling-Hammond and Beverly Falk

As the internationally benchmarked Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been adopted by forty-five states across the country, educators are seeking ways to support an increasingly diverse student population to meet these more demanding expectations. The likelihood that students will achieve the aims of the standards will be substantially shaped by how well teachers teach these more challenging academic skills in ways that support a wide range of learners. Teachers’ understanding of the standards and their grasp of how to teach them will also influence whether the new assessments provide useful insights, rather than harmful side effects, ...