What Is a PBAT? Understanding the Presentation Format

🎯 Essential Question

• What is a Performance-Based Assessment Task, and how is it different from a written exam?

📈 Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson (1 Day), students will be able to:

1. Explain what a PBAT is and why performance-based schools use it.
2. Identify the components of a strong PBAT presentation (clear thesis about your growth, specific evidence from real work, confident delivery, ability to answer panel questions).
3. Start a personal PBAT outline connecting this year's projects to specific skills grown.

📐 Standards Alignment

CDOS (Career Development & Occupational Studies)

• CDOS 1 — Career Development -- students will be able to explain the range of career choices, and identify personal interests, skills, and aptitudes that relate to those choices.
• CDOS 3a — Universal Foundation Skills -- basic literacy, communication, and problem-solving skills required for a career.
• CDOS 3b — Career Majors -- knowledge and skills required for success within a specific career pathway (here, Digital Design).

ACP (Adobe Certified Professional) Photoshop Exam Objectives

• ACP 1.1 — Identify the purpose, audience, and audience needs for preparing images.
• ACP 1.2 — Communicate with colleagues and clients about design plans.

🎓 Study this for the ACP exam: Domain 1: Working in the Design Industry

📚 Key Vocabulary

PBAT

A Performance-Based Assessment Task -- a formal presentation and portfolio defense given to a panel, used at performance-based schools in place of (or alongside) some standardized exams.

Panel

The group of teachers/evaluators who watch a PBAT presentation and ask follow-up questions.

Evidence

Specific, real work samples used to support a claim about what you learned.

🧰 Materials & Tools

• PBAT outline template (paper or Google Doc)
• Printed example PBAT rubric, if available

🧠 Do Now (Warm-Up)

If you had 5 minutes to prove to a room of teachers that you improved as a designer this year, what real piece of work would you show first?

📋 Main Workshop / Lesson Sequence

1. Mini-lesson: what a PBAT is, why it exists, and what a strong one looks like (specific evidence, not vague summaries) (15 min).
2. Model: walk through a strong vs. weak sample claim ("I got better at design" vs. "my Logo Design critique feedback pushed me to simplify my icon, which taught me that legibility matters more than detail") (10 min).
3. Independent start: students begin a personal PBAT outline, listing 3-4 pieces of work from this year they might use as evidence (15 min).

✅ Assessment & Exit Ticket

Draft outline checked for at least 3 specific (not vague) pieces of evidence identified.

Exit Ticket: Name one specific piece of work from this year you're confident you could defend in front of a panel, and why.

📊 Pull up the anonymous Class Check-In for students to fill out before they go.

🧩 Differentiation & Accommodations

English Language Learners: model every step live, then check in one-on-one; provide translated materials and vocabulary support as needed. Students with IEPs: apply the accommodations and modifications listed in each student's plan (examples include extended time, graphic organizers, speech-to-text tools, chunked instructions, and visual schedules). Students with attention-related needs: break tasks into short, checklist-driven steps and provide brief movement or focus breaks. Students ready for a challenge: take on a leadership role critiquing peers' work, extend the project with a second iteration, or research how today's skill is used professionally in the field.

🔗 Resources & References

• None beyond this lesson's materials.