Eric.ed.gov – Career and Technical Education Professional Development and Formative Performance Assessments

In the winter and spring of 2012-2013 the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) partnered with representatives from the Office of Secondary/Postsecondary Transitions at Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon Department of Community Colleges Workforce Development (CCWD) to guide secondary and postsecondary instructors in the development and implementation of formative performance assessments. The instructors recruited for this project included both secondary and postsecondary educators from the fields of Career and Technical Education (CTE), English/language arts (ELA), and mathematics. EPIC’s goal during the project was to create a process for educators to collaboratively develop high-quality performance tasks that are aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and are consistent with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium’s (SBAC) model of performance tasks. A group of instructors from across the state met for a series of workshops to develop and pilot CTE performance tasks that integrate math and literacy and are aligned to the Common Core State Standards. The inclusion of both secondary and postsecondary instructors in the project helps to bridge the gap in the education system and create a more seamless 11-14 system, by building a common understanding of the skills necessary for students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Creating a model for teachers from career and technical education, mathematics, and language arts to collaboratively build performance tasks founded in the context of problems faced in the work place will drive more rigorous and relevant education for students in Oregon.