What are common indicators of a high-quality science or math performance task?

• A. Clear criteria, alignment to standards, multiple representations, and opportunities for explanation.
• B. Ambiguity, single representation, and limited explanation.
• C. Memorization-focused tasks with no explanation.
• D. Time-limited, single-solution tasks.

Answer: (A)

High-quality performance tasks in science and math require students to apply reasoning in authentic contexts. The best indicators are clear criteria with a rubric so it’s obvious what a strong solution looks like, alignment to standards to ensure the task targets the intended learning goals, multiple representations such as graphs, models, equations, and written explanations to let students demonstrate understanding in different ways, and explicit opportunities for students to explain their reasoning and defend their conclusions with evidence.

Ambiguity, a single representation, and limited explanation make it hard to judge what students know or how they’re thinking. Memorization-focused tasks with no explanation and time-limited, single-solution tasks likewise fail to reveal reasoning or transfer of learning to new situations.