Broadening the scope of assessment in the schools: Building teacher efficacy in student assessment

Two surveys were administered to middle school mathematics teachers partici pating in professional development workshops on performance-based assessmen t (PBA); veteran teachers, dubbed "high implementers" of PEA, who led those workshops; and university-based teacher educators. The surveys focused on classroom assessment variables and on teachers' needs for and views about t he importance of PBA experiences. Teachers indicated perceptions of high ef ficacy regarding their ability to effect instructional change. Most indicat ed experiencing freedom in instructional decisions and reported improved in teractions with colleagues and students due to their use of PEA. High use o f other reform-based instructional practices and high interest in move prof essional development on alternative assessments was also reported. Implicat ions of these findings for teacher retention and educational reform are dis cussed.