Authentic Assessment: A Solution, or Part of the Problem?

Among educational reformers, one point of focus is classroom assessment. It has become common to criticize traditional testing for its emphasis on outcomes that will not serve the student beyond the classroom. Authentic assessment has emerged out of this discussion with the promise that assessment can be constructed so as to further both learning and teaching. Analysis has been largely uncritical, however, and the emphasis on authentic outcomes poses problems as well as solutions.