Quality Performance Assessment Framework
The Quality Performance Assessment (QPA) framework was developed to help teachers and school leaders create a system of local assessments that works for their classroom contexts. The organization defines QPAs as “multi-step assignments with clear criteria, expectations, and processes that measure how well a student transfers knowledge and applies complex skills to create or refine an original product.” This website includes products, tools, and guidance documents to help educators lay a “foundation for strong local assessment practice, creating a bridge to meaningful learning, college and-career readiness, and success on the next generation of assessments.” The QPA framework guides administrators and teachers in customizing the QPA process to maximize student achievement and teacher effectiveness. The QPA process is iterative and involves five components: collaborate, align, design, analyze, and lead.
This website provides a good introduction and guidance regarding QPAs. The process for educators to create their own performance assessments is briefly described on a webpage, with links that open other webpages with tools and protocols (e.g., Assessment Validation Protocol, Looking at Assessment Work Protocol) that can be downloaded and printed. The tools are free but require registeration on the site. The descriptions and the available tools, along with some white papers published on the site (under the Thought Leadership tab) provide decent guidance for educators who would like to create performance assessments using the tools, rubrics, and protocols in their schools and classrooms. The full guidance on the process would be most helpful, but that is only available through purchase. The QPA center also provides professional development training and courses for a fee.