ToolKit98

Sample A.34

Performance Assessment in Math

Greg Hall, Alberta Education, Canada

Alberta Education has developed a set of hands-on tasks to assess problem solving and communication in mathematics. Students circulate to six stations that contain hands-on materials: Seating Place (numeration, analysis, use of model); Highway to Mathematics (measurement, application); Solar Cylinder (geometry, application, analysis, synthesis); Ski Jumping (graphing, numeration, data collections, analysis, interpretation); Bucket of Beans (measurement, estimation); and Packaging (numeration, analysis, monitoring). It takes about one-and-one-half hours for students to complete all the tasks in the circuit. The same performance criteria are used for all performance tasks.

Grade 9 Task - Bucket of Beans
Performance Criteria

Greg Hall
"Performance Assessment in Math," 1992
Alberta Education
Box 43, 11160 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5K 0L2
(403) 427-0010
FAX (403) 422-4200

BUCKET OF BEANS

Problem:

Estimate the number of beans in the bucket.

You should have:

large bucket of beans magic markers tray small cup

Instructions:

Using any estimating strategy or population sampling techniques, estimate the number of beans in the bucket.

NOTE: Leave the station in the same arrangement it was set-up originally.

Bucket of Beans

1. Explain the strategy you used to estimate the number of beans.

2. About how many beans are there in the bucket?

DO NOT USE

	1a.	0	
	1b.	1	2
	1c.	1	2
	1d.	1	2
	1e.	1	2
	1f.	1	2
	1g.	1	2  
	2.	0	1	2	3	4

PS	3.	0	1	2	3
C	4.	0	1	2	3

Performance Assessment Menu

MATHEMATICS PBA HOLISTIC SCORING CRITERIA

	PROBLEM SOLVING	COMMUNICATION
3 Beyond	Analyzed and readily understood the task. Developed an efficient and workable strategy. Showed explicit evidence of carrying out the strategy. Synthesized and generalized the conclusion.	Rich, precise and clear all the time (mathematically correct, correct symbolism). Representation is very perceptive (chart, diagram, graph). Explanations are logical and appropriate.
2 At Level	Understood the task. Developed a workable strategy. Inferred (some evidence) but not always clear. Connected and applied the answer.	Appropriate most of the time, accurate, mostly clear. Representation is accurate and quite appropriate. Explanations are mostly clear and logical.
1 Not Yet At	Partially understood the task. Appropriate strategy some of the time. Possible evidence of a plan - not clear. Partial connection of answer.	Appropirate some of the time, but may not be clear. Uses representation but not too precisely. Explanations have some clear parts.
0	Totally misunderstood. Inappropriate, unworkable strategy. No evidence of carrying out plan. No connections of answer. Blank.	unclear or inappropriate use of symbolism. Incorrect use of representation. Explanations is not clear. Blank.

PROBLEM SOLVING

COMMUNICATION