Skills Assessment in Physical Education With Web Resource: A Developmental Approach

Skills Assessment in Physical Education: A Developmental Approach is an affordable and adaptable assessment tool that assists physical education and adapted physical education teachers in measuring the abilities of individual students and entire classes. In contrast to a grade-level approach to assessment, Skills Assessment in Physical Education examines 22 sports and lifetime activities using a developmentally based, multilayered rubric. This text and accompanying web resource complement existing assessment texts by providing flexible, data-driven assessment tools for students in kindergarten through grade 12. Skills Assessment in Physical Education presents the Basic Skills Assessments (BSA), which include the Activity Skills Assessment (ASA), Fundamental Skills Assessment (FSA), and Motor Assessment for Students with Severe Disabilities (MASSD). The ASA is designed for skill-related sports and activities and is based on a continuum of abilities, from emerging to proficient. Assessment of each sport or activity is divided into major elements and then into subcategories of skills. For example, teachers assessing volleyball skill development can find assessments for the major elements of serving; receiving and returning serve; passing; attack and defensive play; knowledge of volleyball; and participation, safety, and social responsibility. These elements involve skills such as underhand serves, digging low balls, and using overhead sets. In addition, the ASA provides tips on modifying equipment, environment, and rules for each of the 22 sports and lifetime activities so that students with special needs can easily participate. Two additional developmental assessments offer support for teachers of early elementary students as well as students with disabilities. The FSA evaluates the motor skills of kindergarten and early elementary students, and the MASSD offers assessment for lower-functioning students who need assistance in performing motor skills. Though designed primarily for use in physical education classes, Skills Assessment in Physical Education also discusses how the assessments, in particular the ASA, can be used to support youth sport coaches and their programs. The accompanying web resource contains all three of the BSA plus a longitudinal tracker in downloadable Excel workbooks for ease of input, data storage, and data retrieval. The longitudinal tracker helps educators track students' developmental levels throughout their schooling. In addition, the web resource provides information on modifications and adaptations so that students with disabilities participating in general physical education classes can be easily included in classwide testing. Detailed instructions for using the Excel workbooks are included in the appendix of the book. With convenient computer-based tracking available through the accompanying web resource, Skills Assessment in Physical Education offers a valuable assessment tool that is practical, flexible, and easy to use. This comprehensive package of assessments offers teachers the guidance and structure enabling them to better demonstrate the effectiveness of their physical education programs and to pinpoint individual student development and learning.