ABSTRACT
The focus of this chapter is alternative assessments (Herman, 1997). Alternative assessments differ from more conventional assessments primarily in terms of the responses that students are required to make. In alternative assessments, students are required or expected to generate an extended response to a task, rather than select a response or supply a short response (e.g., one, two, or perhaps three words). Quite clearly, however, different response expectations influence the structure of the entire assessment task. For example, the stem of the task must be one that encourages rather than restricts extended responses. The stem “Is it possible to divide a whole number by zero?” requires a simple “yes” or “no” answer. In contrast, the stem “Prove that it is impossible to divide a whole number by zero” calls for an extended response.
