Things to keep in mind when designing Assessments

Remember - What you test is what they think is important to learn - so be sure that you are testing what you think is the most important part...the train only goes where the conductor leads it...

Purpose: Determine students' initial understanding and abilities, monitor students' progress, collect information for grading. Assessment should probe the students' understanding and organization of knowledge rather than focusing on the students' memorization of information. - Focus on understanding, reasoning and utilization of new knowledge.

Authentic tasks require students to apply knowledge to situations similar to those they encounter in the world outside the classroom. They must be conducted in context.
Tasks must be developmentally appropriate, set in contexts that are familiar, and as free from bias as possible. Tasks must not require reading skills or vocabulary that are inappropriate to the students' grade level.

Equal attention should be given to the assessment of the opportunity to learn and to the achievement - Evaluation of the project is as vital as assessment of the students' achievement.

Indicators of the opportunity to learn-

teachers' professional knowledge

pedagogical knowledge

understanding of the students

coordination of content, teaching, professional development, and assessment

time available for teachers to teach

availability of resources for student inquiry

quality of educational materials available

Validity - the content and form of the assessment should be congruent with what it claims to assess
Reliability - don't worry about establishing this unless you are developing a year long set of projects.

Classroom assessments -
observation of student performance during instructional activities
interviews
performance tasks
portfolios
investigative projects
written reports
multiple choice, short-answer, & essay tests