ABSTRACT
Performance assessment requires those individuals designing tests and other assessments to be creative designers, much like architects. Scoring rubrics need to represent the traits that are being tested, instead of what is easiest to score. Administration factors also need to be considered, including making the constraints of the testing process as realistic as possible. Specific subject area assessment studies and related literature provide useful bases for considering the dimensions of performance assessment development. Direct assessments of the complex performances usually found in performance assessment do not tend to generalize well from one task to another, even within the same domain. The criteria for the creation of good performance assessment items parallel several criteria for the development of sound curriculum for gifted learners. Performance-based assessment, as an authentic tool for judging learning, offers many advantages for enhancing instruction.
