In Transition: How School Actors Negotiate the Change From High-Stakes Testing to Project-Based Assessment

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: Division H Poster Session: Assessment in Schools

Abstract

Since 1996, the New York Performance Standards Consortium, originally comprised of 28 high schools, has been one of the only groups of public schools nationwide that use performance-based assessments instead of high-stakes standardized exit examinations for graudation. While they were previously barred from admitting new schools into their network, this policy was recently reversed and 10 additional NYC schools have been granted the variance. In this presentation, we share findings from our study that documents how these newly admitted schools navigate the transition from one assessment system to another. We draw from school-based observations, surveys, and interviews to highlight the struggles and triumphs these communities face, paying close attention to how this transition shapes instruction, student achievement, and school culture.

Authors

• Maria Hantzopoulos, Vassar College

• Rosa L. Rivera-McCutchen, Lehman College - CUNY

• Alia R. Tyner-Mullings, Morgan State University