Assessment and Accountability in Secondary Physical Education

Abstract

Accountability surrounds us in our daily lives. It is a key to keeping students on task and augmenting learning. Physical educators can use various types of accountability to increase the quantity and quality of student response rates. Accountability can take avariety of forms, with grading being used most often, along with public recognition, high-tech heart monitoring equipment, trophies, and other material rewards. Authentic assessments are becoming another way to hold students and teachers accountable for subject matter competency rather than completion of a class. When accountability and assessment are used in conjunction with goal setting and task-oriented teaching, instructional alignment occurs. Assessment and accountability need to be applied to the instructional task system as part of an effective physical education program.