51萝莉

What if students reimagined the school district鈥檚 assessment system?

In establishing a portrait of a learner, Nipmuc Regional High School in Upton, Mass., saw this as an opportunity to put students in the lead to rethink assessment and the future of learning in the Mendon-Upton Regional School District. These are some steps we took to go from idea to action.

 Full-day Student Workshop. As co-principals at Nipmuc, we invited a group of high school and middle school students, alumni and faculty members to a full-day workshop to define the Mendon-Upton portrait of a learner competencies, creating a collaborative process for reimagining assessment led by students for students.

 Learning Adventures. Working with a faculty or staff member, groups of students created a bank of 鈥渓earning adventures鈥� 鈥� nontraditional learning experiences that take place both on and off campus and enable students to explore the competencies in the portrait of a learner.

 Reimagined Rubrics. Rather than measuring the portrait of a learner with a traditional rubric that emphasizes achievement, students created a reimagined rubric focused on self-reflection and growth. The rubric is based on that prompt student reflection. Rather than providing grades, teachers give feedback only through 鈥淲hat if鈥� and 鈥淚 wonder鈥� statements to encourage individual student growth.

By valuing student leadership and voice, we鈥檝e been able to create a reimagined approach to assessment that brings us one step closer to our vision for learning.