Authentic Instruction and Assessment: Common Standards for Rigor and Relevance in Teaching Academic Subjects

by Fred M. Newmann, M. Bruce King, Dana L. Carmichael

What should be the main goals for student learning across academic subjects in a school? This report is for teachers and administrators considering whether to invest in sustained professional development on instruction and assessment that emphasizes the goal of student production of authentic intellectual work (AIW). Reading and discussing this report is intended as a first step in an extended adventure in professional development for schools to increase rigor and relevance in teaching academic subjects to diverse students.
The framework sets standards for teaching academic subjects that
• maximize expectations of intellectual rigor for all students,
• increase student interest in academic work,
• support teachers’ taking time to teach for in-depth understanding rather than superficial coverage of material,
• provide a common conception of student intellectual work that promotes profes- sional community among teachers of different grade levels and subjects, and
• most important, equip students to address the complex intellectual challenges of work, civic participation, and managing personal affairs in the contemporary world.

105 pages, BlueBook.pdf

First published January 1, 2007