The Vermont Transferable Skills Assessment Supports (VTSAS) were developed as a part of a collaboration between the AOE, Great Schools Partnership, and dozens of Vermont educators, administrators, and curriculum leaders. VTSAS resources cut across academic content areas, and support assessment of the transferable skills articulated in Vermont's Education Quality Standards (EQS).
Educators use a diverse array of proficiency-based assessment tools to measure a student's comprehension of specific elements of learning. Unlike standardized tests that measure how well students have mastered specific knowledge and skills through a series of questions, performance assessments typically require students to complete a complex task, such as a writing assignment, science experiment, speech, presentation, performance, or long-term project, to demonstrate mastery of the topic. Educators worked collaboratively to develop common assessments, scoring guides, rubrics and other methods to evaluate student work.
Priority Performance Indicators and Transferable Skills Connections
Transferable skills are an essential set of skills and competencies that promote the integration and application of knowledge across contexts and are critically important to success in today’s world, particularly in post-secondary programs and career readiness. The Priority Performance Indicators and Transferable Skills Connections documents outline links between the transferable skills and each Proficiency-Based Graduation Requirement (PBGR) Hierarchy, which includes the PBGR, Critical Proficiencies, and Priority Performance Indicators. These documents are intended to exemplify how transferable skills related to Priority Performance Assessments can be embedded into instruction and performance assessments within a unit of study.
Scoring Criteria
Scoring criteria provide rubrics for assessing VTSAS performance tasks, in alignment with the Agency's sample transferable skill proficiency-based graduation requirements’ performance indicators.
- Clear and Effective Communication
- Creative and Practical Problem-Solving
- Informed and Integrative Thinking
- Responsible and Involved Citizenship
- Self-Direction Scoring Criteria
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The BEST Self-Direction Toolkit is a collection of resources for teachers to use in the classroom for instruction and assessment that focuses on self-direction. The toolkit includes the self-direction rubric, self-direction activities and targeted resources for teachers. All tools are designed by teachers and tested in the classroom.
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Task Models
Task models provide general guidelines for what a performance task should include if it is to effectively measure proficiency in a Vermont EQS transferable skill.
- Clear and Effective Communication
- Creative and Practical Problem-Solving
- Informed and Integrative Thinking
Sample Tasks
Sample performance tasks reflect the structure and components of VTSAS task models. They provide schools with examples of tasks and activities that can be used to assess students’ transferable skills proficiency.
- Change We Can See: Making the Invisible Visible
- Feed the Chicks
- Free Throw Adjustments
- Health in our Town
- Wildlife and Lyme Disease: Connections and Control
Annotated Student Work: Clear and Effective Communication
Educators reviewed and annotated student work that assesses the transferable skill: Clear and Effective Communication. Copies of the student work without annotations are included so that teachers can provide an opportunity for students to use the scoring criteria to assess this work and become familiar with expectations for Clear and Effective Communication.
Questions?
Email Pat Fitzsimmons or call (802) 828-5896.