Performance Assessment:An Implementation Guide◆ What is a performance assessment?
Performance assessments refer to opportunities in Here We Go! to carry out summative evaluations ofcommunication activities, with an emphasis on “Speaking (Interaction)” and “Speaking (Presentation).”◆ “Assessment Criteria” and “Assessment Standards”
At the beginning of each unit are the “Assessment Criteria,” which refer to the skills that students should
aim to acquire. The “Assessment Standards,” on the other hand, are indicators that define the level of skill astudent has attained. It is important that students are assessed with these standards in mind.
◆ When to Conduct Performance Assessments
In Here We Go!, the language activities designated for the goal of each unit and the “You can do it!”language activities, carried out three times during the year, are intended to be opportunities for performanceassessments.
Unit Goal Activities: After sufficient instruction and learning, a summative evaluation of the material
covered in the unit is performed.
You Can Do It!: An evaluation is performed to assess whether or not students have successfully acquired
the target skills in each language activity. It is beneficial to use these activities as opportunities to assess
students on material covered over the course of multiple units.
◆ Aims and Notes
The aims of performance evaluation are 1) to instill a sense of achievement and growth in the students,
motivating them to study and use English more, and 2) to improve instruction on the part of the teachers
through constructive reflection.
Goal-oriented instruction is required throughout each unit so that all students can face the goal activity
confidently at the time of assessment. It is beneficial for both students and teachers to learn what skills will
be required for the goal activity at the beginning of the unit before planning activities leading up to the goalactivity. (This is referred to as “backward design.”)
Furthermore, evaluators must avoid any inconsistencies or biases in their assessments. For this reason, it
is important to decide the assessment standards for each grade level in advance. Based on how students areexpected to perform at grade-A and grade-B levels, evaluators should write down specific expressions andsentences as benchmarks that can be shared. When evaluating, it is advisable to assess each student's
performance grade as A or B in accordance with these benchmarks.
◆ Sharing assessment standards (the rubric) and performance examples
When evaluating performance, instructors must agree on indicators in order to consistently determine towhat degree students have achieved the goals of each unit. We recommend preparing a table of assessment
standards (a rubric) to prevent inconsistencies in evaluation. In each of the three aspects of evaluation,
instructors should establish key evaluation items, such as specific points to watch for in terms of the skills
students are expected to acquire, and observe the performance of the students. This website provides sample

rubrics** for each unit, as well as a model for creating rubrics. Each teacher should adjust the wording of therubric according to the level and needs of the students.
Before conducting assessments, it is important for instructors to share the evaluation items andassessment standards with the students so that they understand what level of performance is expected fromthem in which aspects. For example, after the instructor demonstrates an example of a performance thatincludes areas for improvement, the students can watch a model video of a goal activity to help themunderstand what was done well and to give them a concrete idea of what aspects will be evaluated. This
enables students to practice and make adjustments to interpretations of their own goals. This leads toopportunities to evaluate the learning adjustment aspect of the student’s“active attitude towards learning,”
which is one of the three aspects of assessment.
** For “Speaking (Interaction/Presentation),” the model videos that can be viewed by scanning the 2D codes are considered
to be examples of grade-A performance. For “Writing,” the sample passages in the textbook are considered to be examples ofgrade B performance.

◆ Assessment Flow
Instructors should follow the procedure below when evaluating a student’s performance for the unit.
If digital devices such as tablets are available, students should be asked to watch a recording of theirperformance and discuss areas for improvement during the mid-term evaluation, allowing them to actively
improve their performance until the end of the unit (formative assessment). Students should then be asked
to submit their best performance video for evaluation (summative assessment).
(1) Class Preparation• Check the goal activities and assessment criteria (the skills that should be learned) for the unit. Instructors
should come to a shared understanding of what kind of growth is sought from the students.
Create a rubric that takes into account your assessment standards.
• Share the details of the goal activities and assessment standards for performance evaluation with thestudents and provide them with a concrete idea of what to expect with regard to the evaluation so thatthey can approach the activities with confidence.
• Plan the language activities “backward” by first visualizing the final goal activity and formulating ways toteach the skills step by step until the required skill level is reached.
(2) Preliminary activities during class and using electronic devices• Use “Let’s try,” and “Plus One” in Steps 1 and 2 as opportunities to facilitate individualized optimallearning methods by allowing time for students to make personal adjustments. This enables students tostudy according to their learning style or by arranging effective learning opportunities so that they canmake their own choices to learn.
• The students should use electronic devices to record their presentations and interactions. Show the videos
to the class and ask the students to think about how to improve their presentations and interactions.
• Students who are expected to receive a grade C assessment should be given individualized support throughrepeated formative assessments during language activities leading up to the goal. In this process,instructors should act as supportive “companions” to the students by communicating with them to find out
what they find difficult and what kind of support would help them succeed.
(3) Performances/Video Submissions• For “Speaking (Interaction),” it is important that students continue their conversation by asking theirpartner another question in addition to answering the question that was posed to them. Instructors should
check not only for responses but for additional questions as well when they observe students. Whenobserving interactions between students, some discrepancies in evaluation results may occur dependingon the partner. This can be eliminated to some degree by observing the students perform multiple times
with different partners, rather than observing their performance only in one specific pair. It is also
advisable to consider the validity of the assessment, such as by arranging one-on-one interactions with theALT or instructor.
• For “Speaking (Presentation),” each student should be prompted to participate actively in the presentation,even in group situations. For students who are not comfortable presenting in front of others, it is advisable
to account for the psychological pressure on the student, such as by using a recording made on a tablet forevaluation.
• For “Writing,” students should refer to their own writing for “Let’s write and read” in Steps 1 and 2, as wellas the sample passages in the textbook.
(4) Follow-up Guidance• Instructors should praise students who delivered good performances or videos in front of the whole classand provide feedback about what made them exceptional.
• Provide the students with an opportunity to reflect. Instructors should refer to the notes on reflection sheet
and apply them in future guidance.