How to Assess Student Performance in History - Going Beyond Multiple-Choice Tests

Oct 15, 2026

A practical manual for teachers focused on classroom assessment in history education, emphasizing how to evaluate student performance beyond multiple-choice testing. It guides educators to clarify important historical learning outcomes, select assessment methods that reveal more than factual recall, and design scoring and grading approaches that support accountability and motivation. The manual also explains how to use assessment information to provide feedback and align assessment programs with existing statewide testing.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages64

Reading Time2 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction and Overview of Assessment

Introduction

The Purpose of This Manual

What is Classroom Assessment?

Anatomy of an Assessment

Desired Student Outcomes in History

Articulating Course Objectives

Methods of Assessment

Dialogue and Oral Response

Essays and Open-ended Responses

Projects and Investigations

Establishing Criteria

Checklists

A Point System

Rubrics (Holistic and Analytic)

Using Assessment Information: Feedback and Grading

Formative Assessment: Providing Feedback

Summative Assessment: Grading

Some Concluding Thoughts

Appropriate Assessments in an Era of Accountability

Getting Started

References

Resources

| | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | How to Assess Student Performance in History:

Going Beyond
Multiple-Choice Tests | | | | | | | | | | | | | Associated with the School of Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro How to Assess Student Performance in History: Going Beyond Multiple-Choice Tests © SERVE, 2006 PRODUCED BY The SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro WRITTEN BY Julie Edmunds EDITED BY Donna Nalley DESIGNED BY Tracy Hamilton Jane Houle This publication does not necessarily reﬂect the views or policies of the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. This document was originally developed with funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, under contract no. ED-01-CO-0015 . CHAPTER 1: CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 3: CHAPTER 4: CHAPTER 5: CHAPTER 6: Table of Contents Introduction and Overview of Assessment............................... 1 1 ........Introduction 2 ........The Purpose of This Manual 2 ........What is Classroom Assessment? 4 ........Anatomy of an Assessment Desired Student Outcomes in History ....................................... 6 9 ........Articulating Course Objectives Methods of Assessment .......................................................... 14 16 ........ Dialogue and Oral Response 20........ Essays and Open-ended Responses 26 ........ Projects and Investigations Establishing Criteria ................................................................ 31 33........Checklists 34........A Point System 37 ........ Rubrics (Holistic and Analytic) Using Assessment Information: Feedback and Grading ....... 47 47 ........ Formative Assessment: Providing Feedback 49........Summative Assessment: Grading Some Concluding Thoughts.................................................... 52 52........Appropriate Assessments in an Era of Accountability 53........Getting Started References............................................................................... 57 Resources ................................................................................ 59 iv Introduction and Overview of Assessment Introduction “When teachers’ classroom assessments become an integral part of the instructional process and a central ingredient in their efforts to help students learn, the beneﬁts of assessment for both students and teachers will be boundless .” (Guskey, 2003, p. 11) SERVE, in its role as the federally funded Regional Educational Laboratory for the southeast, has worked since 1990 to provide professional development to teachers in the area of assessment. The work has focused on translating what is known from the measurement, applied research, and practitioner worlds into concrete ideas for teachers to implement to improve their assessment practices. The particular focus has been on how to improve the assessments teachers use and the way they use them to improve student motivation and learning. SERVE has learned over the years that working on assessment in the classroom is best accomplished within the context of the content area taught. This publication builds on work SERVE has done with districts that are piloting new approaches to professional development in U.S. History through the U.S. Department of Education’s Teaching American History grant program. How to Assess Student Performance in History: Going Beyond MultipleChoice Tests addresses some real assessment challenges that teachers have identiﬁed: ● Figuring out what really is important for students to know and be able to do in history. ● Teaching the skills of “doing history” in a world of testing that often seems to value only factual knowledge. ● Identifying and using assessments that provide teachers with better information than on

FAQs

What challenges does the manual address in history assessment?

It targets challenges such as choosing what matters for students to know and do in history, assessing beyond factual knowledge, and motivating students to produce high-quality written work.

How does the manual define classroom assessment?

It focuses on assessments teachers use in their own classrooms to improve learning, rather than state or nationally standardized tests.

What assessment tools are covered for establishing criteria?

The manual presents checklists, point systems, and rubrics, including both holistic and analytic rubrics.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Quinn Holloway