CTB/McGraw-Hill, an educational assessment partner, has announced the launch of Acuity Performance Task System, a new performance assessment authoring system and item bank. The product is projected to enable teachers to evaluate project-based learning across multiple subjects using meaningful, research-based assessment methods. This expansive new suite of customisable tools, which is aligned to the Common Core State Standards, is now available within CTB's larger Acuity InFormative Assessment solution.
Project-based learning is seen as an increasingly popular method of instruction that facilitates learning by asking students to apply key knowledge and skills by solving real-world problems and performing exercises that push their critical-thinking abilities. Acuity Performance Task System allows teachers to create their own performance tasks, project-based learning modules with formative assessment capabilities fully integrated, for English Language Arts, math and science activities, which they can assign based on skill level or content area. Teachers have the option of asking students to provide written or multiple-choice responses to a reading passage or provide layered, multidimensional analysis in the form of charts, visual displays or mathematical formulas.
While the Acuity Performance Task authoring system is said to allow for virtually limitless customisation, the programme's pre-loaded bank of 400 research-based performance tasks in English and math provides a solid foundation of immediately usable project-based learning and assessment content. Although the tasks are Common-Core aligned, the customisable nature of the system means that they could easily be aligned to state or local standards as well.
The system is also stated to provide instructors with the ability to align performance tasks to multiple rubrics (student and educator) and use content that they have generated themselves or that has been supplied by CTB.
Acuity Performance Task System's highly intuitive interface is also claimed to allow educators to administer and score performance tasks entirely within an online testing environment. The highly flexible administration model means that tasks can be assigned and completed in any given timeframe.
