Promoting Intellectual Quality

Changing instructional strategies will not, in and of itself, increase student learning if a concurrent change in what students are learning does not also occur. "Assuming the central purpose of teaching is to help students to use their minds well, then education reform must involve more than innovation in teaching technique, method or procedure" say Newmann, Secada and Wehlag (1995, p. 3). Intellectual quality of students' experiences must also change. Students must develop complex understandings of issues, solve important problems, understand powerful ideas. Simply put, they must develop critical thinking skills.

Newmann, Secada and Wehlage propose that three criteria be used to judge for intellectual quality: legitimacy of the content, accuracy, and authenticity (p. 3-4).

1. Legitimacy of content. Is the subject matter, skill or disposition considered appropriate and significant for teaching and learning according to the norms of a discipline or of the political-legal communities that have authority over education. Debates over Western versus non-Western history, basic skills versus higher level skills, or what values to teach illustrate that one indicator of intellectual quality is whether the content taught is legitimate or proper.
2. Accuracy. The extent to which the content and style of the statements is consistent with authoritative knowledge/competence in the relevant discipline or area of expertise.
3. Authenticity. The extent to which a lesson, assessment task, or sample of student performance represents construction of knowledge through the use of disciplined inquiry that has some value or meaning beyond success in school.

Legitimacy of content and accuracy are common indicators of quality schooling. Newmann, Secada and Wehlag assert that authenticity is not and that is a major problem. "Schools seem to promote inauthentic kinds of mastery and achievement. In contrast, authentic academic achievement stands for accomplishment that is worthwhile, significant, and meaningful. [It parallels]... the kinds of mastery demonstrated by successful adults - scientists, musicians, business entrepreneurs, politicians, craftspeople, attorneys, novelists, physicians, designers" (p. 8).

Authentic academic achievement is defined through three criteria: construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school (p. 8-11).

Construction of knowledge. Experts in a field have a primary challenge of construction or producing, rather than reproducing, meaning or knowledge. Construction of knowledge seeks to help students achieve higher order thinking. To do this students must organize information and consider alternatives before making a decision.

Disciplined Inquiry. Experts in a field understand their discipline and use that knowledge in their work. Disciplined inquiry is concerned that students understand and think in terms of the discipline in which they are working/learning. It's goal is deep knowledge and the ability to have a substantive conversation on the topic. To achieve this discipline based instruction must occur in both content and process and include written communication related to the topic. It consists of three main features: 1) use of a prior knowledge base, 2) striving for in-depth understanding rather than superficial awareness, and 3) expressing conclusions through elaborated communication.

Value Beyond School. Authentic achievements have meaning or value apart from documenting the competence of the learner. They have an impact on others beyond the simple demonstration that they are competent. Value beyond school is concerned with making connections to the world beyond the classroom. Students must solve problems for specific audiences and purposes. Learning is for a purpose, not [only] a grade.

After defining authentic achievement, Newmann, Secada and Wehlage continue on to define and provide examples for authentic assessment tasks, authentic instruction, and authentic student performance. The reader is encouraged to study their book for complete details and scoring criteria for each standard.

Vision for Authentic Achievement, Pedagogy, and Authentic Student Performance

In A Guide to Authentic Instruction and Assessment: Vision, Standards and Scoring by Newmann, Secada, & Wehlage, (1995), page 64.