Following the two day journey of the Assessment for Learning convening in Aurora in January 2024, our team felt motivated to enact change beyond the small conversations we held with and heard from peers. From this, a list of questions and tasks have remained on my mind that I hope to see keep the fire of change ignited.
Questions to ask myself, our team, and our students:
● Why do we grade?
● Who and what are we assessing?
● What is the purpose of a zero when we are striving towards a competency-based measurement system?
● Are zeros just a tool for punishing students?
● How can we make the grading process more equitable?
● How do we make the grading process a student led experience?
● What are we trying to help build through each competency?
● How do we keep students motivated and inspired to learn?
● How do we incorporate more effective feedback tools that will encourage the learning process?
Potential Next Steps if we hope to continue moving forward:
● Eliminate zeros
● Reevaluate competencies
● Expand or breakdown competencies.
● Give ownership back to students by including their voices in how assessments are created and presented.
● ASK STUDENTS!
● Encourage more reflection for staff and students to allow for ongoing growth
● Create mini portfolios to allow students to truly own and visualize their learning journey
● Make changes that are small and manageable, yet impactful, in the short time remaining
for the school year. This will require patience and hard work to transition without unraveling the progress that has been made.
● Make grander changes that can be used to kick off a more equitable and meaningful school year in the fall.
● Visit other schools who have eliminated zeros and find themselves giving more consistent feedback rather than focusing on letter or number grades.
● Incorporate more peer feedback and student self-reflection throughout the quarter and not just at exhibition time.
Storyteller
Amanda Hernandez
New Legacy Charter School
Amanda Hernandez is the Career Pathways Coordinator at New Legacy Charter School. She was born and raised in Denver and is passionate about helping young adults in our community with their future planning. She has worked with nonprofits doing just this for over eight years. She strongly believes that access to tools, resources, and knowledge is pivotal in helping students realize their goals. Her teachers and coaches helped guide her to a Bachelor's in Sociology from Harvard College and she is grateful to be able to give back to her own students.
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