What Are Chandra Performance Tasks?

The Chandra performance tasks are designed to be purposeful learning experiences, embedded in instruction, that are linked to clearly articulated learning goals and provide feedback to students on how well they are meeting those learning goals. These tasks not only assess, they "teach" as well. In addition to being used formatively to guide students through their learning, they can also be used summatively to assess through a final performance after students have had multiple opportunities to learn and practice the content and skills.

Chandra offers a rich opportunity for students to apply standards-based content and skills in a new and novel context. Novel applications provide engaging ways for students to become involved in the task while applying their skills and knowledge in a new and sometimes previously unencountered context. The tasks are not about Chandra but rather using Chandra as a vehicle to guide and demonstrate important skills and knowledge.

Tasks may cover the full range of knowledge in a performance indicator while others may focus on a part. The tasks on this site are accompanied with an alignment to the National Science Education Standards and the Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy to show the closest match between the criteria identified for performance in the task and its match to the national standards. Task specific rubrics describe the desired performance and indicate levels of proficiency for both students and teachers.

The tasks also provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate the new Technology Foundation Standards described in the National Educational Technology Sandards for Students. By using web-based resources on the Chandra Web Site, students are demonstrating how they can compile. organize, analyze, and synthesize digital content.

We hope you will find these tasks a useful addition to your collection of performance assessment resources.

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