WHAT IS AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT & WHY USE IT WITH LEP STUDENTS?

Simply testing an isolated skill or a retained fact does not effectively measure a student's capabilities. To accurately evaluate what a student has learned, an assessment method must examine his or her collective abilities. The term authentic assessment describes the multiple forms of assessment that reflect student learning, achievement, motivation, and attitudes on instructionally relevant classroom activities.

Often, traditional types of assessments (i.e., essays, multiple choice, fill-in the- blank, etc.) are heavily language dependent. These content assessments quickly become English proficiency tests rather than a measure of what students know. Limited English Proficient (LEP) students frequently have difficulty expressing their mastery of content unless they have a certain level of English proficiency.