Are alternative assessments better-suited to evaluate students?

Students' levels of cortisol, a hormone that can rise in response to stress, increased 15% right before they took an exam, according to a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.It’s unclear whether schools’ heavy emphasis on test prep is either helping students stay calm by making them feel prepared or adding to their stress and anxiety, Chalkbeat reports, citing the study.Some schools are bypassing assessments completely, turning to project-based learning options. Community Public Charter School in Charlottesville, Virginia, is one such school, which highlights skills building over multiple choice tests, writes EdSurge.Standardized testing is a way for administrators to capture a snapshot of a student’s learning. But that is all this kind of assessment really is  a snapshot of a specific moment in time. Multiple choice testing can’t capture individual characteristics, someone's personality, or even soft skills like those developed through social and emotional learning (SEL) methods.