Do
your students have a voice in determining how you assess and grade their
progress? The wave of assessment reform is upon us, isn’t it about time we
start to ask our students when and how they would like to be graded? Including students (and parents) in our discussion should be
part of the process. When we shift the paradigm
for our students (and parents), we as educators, gain a powerful ally in our
efforts to support progressive systemic change.
“I
have always related my feelings of being successful and or feelings of being a
failure to the grades my teachers give me. Is this right? Shouldn't I feel I
have succeeded when I put in my utmost effort and reach a point of
self-fulfillment with my work?” (2011, Grade
12 Sullivan Heights Student)
This strikes right to core of why we
need to engage our students in these meaningful conversations. As educators, I believe we sometimes forget
the significant impact grading and evaluating have on our students. Research
tells us that when students feel the pangs of failure and/or lack of success,
they often shut down and close the doors to their learning due to fears of inadequacy and/or failure.
It's time we all start to involve
students in our conversations around assessment and evaluation. Why is it that research alone is not enough to convince all teachers to change their practice? If we educate our students to start using the
language of assessment for learning, they will be armed with indefensible
discussions regarding assessment and learning.
Students should be able to speak to their own assessment with questions
such as, “How does this apply to the learning outcomes of the unit?” or “What
does the 6 of 6/10 represent?” or vice versa, “what was incorrect or missing
from the 4 of the 6/10?” … or even, “If the goal is for me to master a subject,
can I redo my work so that I can get it right?”
“When
students are involved in the assessment process, they can come to see
themselves as competent learners. We need to involve students by making the
targets clear to them and having them help design assessments that reflect
those targets. Then we involve them again in the process of keeping track over
time of their learning so they can watch themselves improving. That's where
motivation comes from.” (1999, R. Stiggins)
An Education Revolution is underfoot
and we need to arm every student from K-12 with a dialogue that helps them support
their own learning and take charge of their own assessment. Our narrative needs
to move past platitudes of discussions about our stakeholders to a call for
action that brings student voice to the debate on assessment reform. As Bal
Ranu says… “Parents can provide a child with an upbringing, but it’s our job to
provide them with an edu-bringing!”
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