A teacher's implementation of authentic assessment in an elementary science classroom

This study describes an elementary school teacher's implementation of authentic assessment strategies in her science classes. After completing a graduate elementary science methods course, this teacher decided to make changes that would align her assessment strategies with her hands-on approach to teaching science. She experimented with a variety of assessment strategies and was successful in the use of science logs, performance assessment, creative drama, scrapbooks, and interviews, while rejecting the use of portfolios. Factors that contributed to the successful implementation included administrative support, close contact with parents, collaboration with university faculty, teacher's ownership, and the teacher's flexibility to try a variety of strategies. The teacher's perception of assessment shifted toward an integrated model wherein instruction and assessment occur simultaneously. Her typical reaction after assessing her students changed from disappointment in how they performed on a test to surprise at how much they knew. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.