The concepts used here are based on Campbell, Campbell, and Dickinson, 1992. The educational community is currently changing views on the evaluation of student learning. These tests of the past focused on discrete factual knowledge and lower level thinking skills. Educators are now seeking alternative assessment procedures to determine what students know and what students are able to do. Washington State is also using alternative assessments to determine when students reach specified benchmarks.
Alternative assessments are more conducive to brain-based learning.
Alternative assessments allow students to demonstrate their understanding and applications of skills and knowledge gained. In addition, alternative assessments can help students self-evaluate their learning progress. In the K-3 Fire Prevention Curriculum a culminating assessment activity is offered for the end of each target grade level unit. A grading rubric is provided for each of these activities. Each lesson also offers assessment strategies which are more informal than the culminating assessment activity.