New Assessment Resources Available to Physical Education Teachers

RESTON, VA, September 20, 1999

Specific assessment resources to help physical education teachers measure student learning are now available. The National Association for Sport & Physical Education (NASPE) recently published the first four books in a new series to facilitate assessment of student learning as defined in the national physical education standards.

According to NASPE Executive Director Judy Young, "Interest in assessment has increased as school districts are demanding accountability and are actively seeking new ideas for assessing student learning in meaningful ways. This new series of books will help physical educators be effective in linking curriculum, instruction, and assessment."

The first in the series, Standards-Based Assessment of Student Learning: A Comprehensive Approach, by Dr. Leslie Lambert, introduces the series and describes a practical framework to guide physical educators when planning and implementing standards-based assessments. This framework is built around a series of questions and observations that can facilitate development of physical education programs. Current views on assessment are discussed, and assessment terminology is defined and clarified through examples. Several issues that teachers face when assessing student learning are identified and suggestions for overcoming these problems are provided. This article is intended for both the practicing physical educator as well as teacher educators and provides a context for the more specific topics in the other books in the series.

NASPE Past President Dr. Shirley Holt/Hale, who is also co-chair of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Committee, has authored two assessment books. They are: Assessing Motor Skills in Elementary Physical Education, and Assessing and Improving Fitness in Elementary School Physical Education.

Also available is Preservice Professional Portfolio System by Dr. Vincent Melograno. This article is directed toward teacher educators for their work with preservice teachers and is based on the NASPE Beginning Teacher Standards, which focus on the knowledge and skills necessary for effective teaching in physical education and include nine categories. The author developed an authentic tool for assessing teacher performance using the Beginning Teacher Standards. A professional portfolio is one way to represent teaching performance and a 9-step process for developing portfolios is provided.

The NASPE Assessment Series is seeking contributions to the series from practicing teachers, college and university teacher educators, or joint efforts between school and university-based professionals. Papers will be reviewed and selected for the series by a panel of teachers and teacher educators. Anyone interested in submitting an article or who would like to join with another professional to develop one, please contact Deborah Tannehill, NASPE Publications Coordinator, at tannehdl@plu.edu, or write to her at: School of Physical Education, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA 98447-0003.

Each book is $10 for NASPE/AAHPERD members and $13 for non-members; multiple-copy discounts are available. Call the AAHPERD publications department at 1-800-321-0789 to order or to find out current titles available.

Learn more about the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) at www.aahperd.org, the web site of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). NASPE is the largest of AAHPERD’s six national associations. A nonprofit membership organization of over 25,000 professionals in the fitness and physical activity fields, NASPE is the only national association dedicated to strengthening basic knowledge about sport and physical education among professionals and the general public. Putting that knowledge into action in schools and communities across the nation is critical to improved academic performance, social reform and the health of individuals.

For more information, contact:
Paula Keyes Kun (703) 476-3461