Abstract:
This presentation will consider the ways in which authenticity is constructed in materials written for teachers about authentic assessment in the middle years. The concept of authentic assessment provides some real possibilities for teachers working with adolescents through allowing greater variety and innovation in curriculum and teaching. However there are also important questions to be raised, particularly for teachers in diverse communities, about who the assessment is authentic for and about what counts for authenticity. The implications of these issues for research in middle schools are considered.