Presenters: Nicole Holman, Kathy Renfrew, and Loraine Snead (NSELA Professional Learning Committee)

Performance tasks offer a powerful way for students to demonstrate learning by applying knowledge in meaningful and authentic ways. This session explores what makes performance tasks effective and how thoughtful design can move assessment beyond recall toward deeper understanding and application. Participants will examine examples of well-designed tasks and work collaboratively in small groups to design their own aligned assessments. Through guided discussion and shared planning, educators will identify the key components that make tasks clear, rigorous, and connected to real-world learning. By the end of the session, educators will leave with a collaboratively developed performance task.