So many of our vision statements and Learner Profiles highlight the goals of developing critical thinkers, innovators, collaborators, and life-ready learners, yet our reporting structures too often measure memorization, completion, and compliance.
This is one of the key challenges that we need to invest time, energy, and resources to address and this week’s Bright Spot highlights a district that is taking action.
We want to hear from you! Share your Learner-Centered Bright Spot with us here.
BRIGHT SPOT OF THE WEEK
Aligning competency-based assessment and reporting
We have been working with Menlo Park City School District to support competency- and evidence-based assessment practices. Recently, they revised their board policy on grading in order to better prepare all learners for the modern world. I had the honor of facilitating a design session to prototype their new report card to align with their desired outcomes and assess growth, mastery, and the desired habits that I highlighted in Evolving Education.
This thoughtful and committed group of educators collaborated, pushed, and designed new and different ways to communicate what young people know and can do. I can’t wait to see what they learn as they test it out. Don’t worry, I will be sure to share!
Do you or your district have innovative ways for communicating students’ mastery, growth and development of habits? I’d love to see them and share!
Explore resources that help align grading and reporting with our desired whole-child outcomes for learners.
1. How are you articulating your district priorities? Check out Menlo Park City School District’s Whole Child Learning and Development Framework, that reflects their strategy for ensuring that every child is engaging, achieving, and thriving.
2. Do your assessments improve learning? Assessments and reporting of grades is one of the cornerstones of teaching but not always learning. This piece offers a lens for evaluating whether assessments are in fact measuring growth and learning.
3. Should we allow students to retake tests? As a mom and an educator I definitely have an opinion on this.
LET'S SHARE OUR BRIGHT SPOTS!
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Learner-Centered Collaborative, 49 Stevenson Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
