Welcome to the PBLA Resource Hub
Performance-based learning and assessment (PBLA) shifts the classroom focus from traditional testing to real-world application. This external hub brings together best practices, strategies, and resources developed locally by New York State educators. Whether you are an instructional coach, a classroom teacher, an administrator, or a parent, these materials offer practical examples of what high-quality, authentic assessment looks like in practice.
For Teachers & PD Specialists:
Explore comprehensive unit blueprints, rubrics, and calibrated student anchor papers to support your instructional shifts.
For Administrators:
Discover how pilot districts are designing and approving local assessments that meet state expectations.
For Parents:
See firsthand how performance-based tasks allow students to demonstrate deep understanding and critical thinking beyond standard testing formats.
Browse Resources by Instructional Model
To help you find materials aligned with your current teaching strategies, our initial pilot resources are organized by pedagogical framework. Click on any model below to view grade-banded units, assessment blueprints, and student artifacts.
Alignment to the NYS Portrait of a Graduate
Performance-based tasks are the practical vehicle for bringing the New York State Portrait of a Graduate to life. Every resource package in this hub is intentionally mapped to foster and measure these six core competencies:
Academically Prepared
Performance tasks require students to apply core New York State learning standards to real-world scenarios, building the foundational knowledge and practical skills necessary for success in post-secondary education, careers, and civic life.
Critical Thinker
Projects encourage students to act responsibly and ethically, using civic knowledge and diverse perspectives to address sustainability, community needs, and cultural understanding within local and global contexts.
Effective Communicator
Assessments that require formal oral defenses, targeted writing for diverse audiences, or digital media production.
Creative Innovator
Assessments focus on problem-solving that requires imagination, curiosity, and flexible thinking, pushing students to develop original ideas or products while adapting to changing constraints.
Global Citizen
Projects encourage students to act responsibly and ethically, using civic knowledge and diverse perspectives to address sustainability, community needs, and cultural understanding within local and global contexts.
Reflective and Future-Focused
Learning experiences include built-in self-reflection and goal-setting frameworks, helping students identify their strengths, manage personal growth, and make responsible decisions that support long-term well-being.