ABSTRACT
I realized that for some students, this was their first chance to be successful on a mathematics exam. Whenever I put a traditional paper-and-pencil test in front of them, they would freeze and not do very well. During class I thought they knew what they were doing but on the test they performed poorly. On the performance assessment final exam, however, they were able to communicate what they understood. The judges could help them relax, ask a few questions to get them started, and soon they would take over and do a good job of explaining what they knew.
