Preparing Citizens: Linking Authentic Assessment and Instruction in Civic / Law Related Education

This handbook assists educators in improving the links among civic education curriculum, instruction, and assessment. First-person accounts detailing teachers' thoughts present a basis for tracing the evolution of assessment tasks and rubrics for evaluation. Samples of student work are provided to stimulate thinking and discussion. Activities for staff development programs and for individual teachers are included. There are 11 chapters divided into three sections. Section 1, "Getting Started," contains the chapters: (1) "Defining Authenticity in Civic Education"; (2) "Defining Essential Learnings in Civic Education"; (3) "Designing an Assessment Task and Scoring Rubric"; and (4) "Using Student Work to Revise an assessment and Instruction." Section 2, "Exploring Assessment Tasks," includes the chapters: (1) "Public Issues Discussion as an Authentic Assessment"; (2) "Assessing Socratic Seminars and Structured Academic Controversy"; (3) "Performance Assessment: Mock Trials, Moot Courts, Simulated Legislative Hearings, and Town Meetings"; (4) "Assessing Student Writing"; (5) "Assessing Student-Created Products or Projects"; and (6) "Portfolios." Section 3, "Looking Ahead," contains the chapter "Issues and Challenges." Teacher profiles are appended. (ERIC: EH)