the new shape of student assessment

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n the June 2010 Harvard Business Review, Dan Ariely,
a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at
Duke University, wrote a column entitled "You Are What
You Measure." In it, he thoughtfully prods business lead-
ers to consider the problematic correlation between the
tools for measuring progress and actual organizational
progress. "Human beings," writes Ariely, "will adjust
behavior based on the metrics they're held against....
What you measure is what you'll get."'
In short, assessments drive outcomes, but these out-
comes may not be optimal in either the short or long run.
BY W I L L I A M TAYLOR • I L L U S T R A T I O N BY CALEF BROWN

24 N D E P E N D E N T S C H O O L
AWARENESS

/'R
 the new shape of student assessment

Like many educators of a certain thinking and problem solving as the their subjects come alive for the indi-
age, my school experience was char- means to derive a correct response. On vidual learner. Distinctively, there has
acterized by a dependency on a sig- some questions, for example, formulas never been a one-size-fits-all approach
nificant amount of rote memorization. are provided to the test taker as a tool to to teaching and learning in indepen-
In my junior high and high school, solve an applied problem, as opposed dent schools.
teachers facilitated this dependency by to the question being predicated on the Still, many independent school
scrawling names, dates, equations, and memorization of the formula itself. teachers and administrators have been
definitions across a chalkboard. My A national survey of corporate reexamining the degree to which their
classmates and I would dutifully copy and nonprofit leaders reveals crucial student assessments reflect their larger
down the information so we could later insight into the preparation that such teaching and learning goals, especially
commit it to memory. The mastery of leaders are looking for in potential in light of the need to build the types of
content through rote memorization, employees in order to productively skills that will be rewarded in the work-
then, would be assessed by exercises move their organizations forward in a place. In particular, many schools have
that mostly measured my ability to global economy. taken a closer look at their assessments
relay this information directly back to and have made changes that reflect
teachers, sometimes with application • Ninety-three percent of employers are their broader goals to teach the skills
but often without. looking for a demonstrated capacity to that are necessary in today's world.
Teachers and schools assess what thinli critically, communicate clearly,
they value in the learning experience. and solve complex problems; these PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE
There is a growing awareness in inde- skills are considered more important At St. George's Independent School
pendent and public schools, however, than a candidate's undergraduate (Tennessee), where I am head of
that the skills that have been — and, in major. school, we emphasize such skills
some cases, are still being — assessed throughout the curriculum. As a
are not the skills that will optimize our • Ninety-five percent of employers indi- means to capture these skills within
students' ability to be successful in the cate that they place priority on hiring a specific framework, the faculty and
21st-century global economy. college graduates with skills that will administration engaged in a yearlong
In The Global Achievement Gap, enable them to contribute to innova- collaborative project three years ago to
Tony Wagner writes that "for most tion in the workplace. create "The Portrait of a St. George's
students in the last century, a rigorous Graduate." This framework identifies a
curriculum meant having to memorize • More than 75 percent of those sur- list of skills and characteristics spread
more vocabulary words and do more veyed indicate that they want more across four quadrants;
math problems at night." In the 21st emphasis to be placed on critical think-
century, these skills are insufficient in ing, complex problem solving, written • leadership and collaboration;
and of themselves to successfully pre- and oral communication, and applied
pare our nation's youth for the work- knowledge in real-world settings. • citizenship;
place and global citizenship.^ Increas-
ingly, what is required of all students • Ninety-five percent of employers • approach to learning; and
is the ability to think more than to just believe that it is essential that those they
know. Knowledge, of course, remains hire demonstrate ethical judgment and • healthy balance of mind, body, and
important; but it has become ubiqui- integrity, intercultural skills, and the spirit.
tous and significantly less expensive in capacity to sustain continued learning.'
its accessibility. What is increasingly Critical thinking, collaboration,
needed and rewarded is the ability A Gallup study, furthermore, communication, creativity, global
to analyze, synthesize, apply, and reveals that workers who self-assess awareness, and character are inter-
communicate knowledge in creative, their work as being of a higher quality spersed throughout the quadrants in
often collaborative ways. To that end, than the work of others of approxi- a variety of forms. Far from being a
schools need to focus on — and assess mately the same age were most likely marketing piece, this exercise in back-
for — critical thinking, collaboration, to also report being exposed to 21st- ward design guides the school's PK-12
creativity, communication, awareness century skills, particularly real-world horizontal and vertical curricular
of global citizenship, and character. problem solving, during their last year alignment. The professional growth of
Recent changes to the AP biol- in high school.^ teachers, departments, and divisions
ogy and chemistry exams reflect the Generally, independent schools depends on our ability to ensure that the
shift away from memorization toward have never been bastions of rote mem- skills and characteristics we consider
knowledge application. The exams have orization and "drill-and-kill" instruc- valuable and distinctive in the students'
been redesigned in a way that measures tion. Independent school teachers, learning experience are being taught
the successful utilization of critical moreover, prize their ability to make sequentially and reflect the defining

26 I N D E P E N D E N T S C H O O L
characteristics of a St. George's educa- present the solution. Several groups Readiness Assessment (GWRA), which
tion. Because assessments measure have explored infectious diseases, presents each student with a hypotheti-
what a teacher and a school value, for locally and globally; others have pro- cal real-world problem to solve. The
us this framework informs the creation posed initiatives to address the infant assessment provides students with a
and evaluation of the assessments we mortality rate in Memphis; another resource of documents designed to
use throughout the school. group addressed declining graduation assist in evaluating a problem and
To graduate, a senior at St. George's rates in public schools by creating a implemenfing a solution. It then evalu-
must successfully complete the Senior prototype for a "school within a school" ates students on their ability to thought-
Leadership Experience, a two-part and successfully solicited corporate fully analyze the problem and on the
capstone learning project. In the first sponsorships to furnish economic effectiveness of their written commu-
half of this project, students create incentives and volunteer mentors. nication about their solution. Because
an experiential learning opportunity As a reflection of the degree of every student takes the CWRA in the
involving a vocational or an avocational importance the school places on this 9th and i2th grades, with a random
interest. This experience forms the summative assessment of skills, a St. sampling of students who take the test

MANY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL TEACHERS

AND ADMINISTRATORS HAVE BEEN
REEXAMINING THE DEGREE
TO WHICH THEIR STUDENT ASSESSMENTS
REFLECT THEIR LARGER TEACHING AND
LEARNING GOALS.
basis of a personal summaüve project. George's student may graduate with in ioth and nth grades, the school can
Some students elect to write a 20-page distinction based on his or her perfor- measure the growth of critical-thinking,
research paper that critically explores mance on the Senior Leadership Expe- problem-solving, and communication
their interest or passion. Others create rience rather than on overall grade skills over the four years of high school.
something that has meaning and util- point average.
ity and reflects what they have learned Three years ago, with help from an THE SCAFFOLDING OF SKILLS
through their exploration. Students Edward E. Ford Foundation grant, the Many thoughtful educators rightfully
have written and produced theatrical school created the St. George's Institute assert that these 21st-century skills are
productions; one created an "app" that for Giüzenship to offer upper school nothing new in education, especially
would help his parents keep track of his students the opportunity to deeply in independent schools. What is new,
many school responsibilities; several explore civic engagement during their however, is the growing degree of
have written books, including two nov- last two years in high school. Rising emphasis being placed on these skills
els and a children's book; and one cre- juniors are selected to join the insti- as the basis of value and reward in
ated Youth in Government and Model tute after completing an application the 21st-century economy. As such, it
United Nations programs for middle process that includes a writing prompt is important that educators work to
school students at an urban charter on what it means to be an engaged and ensure that their assessments empha-
school. A faculty advisor assesses all thoughtful citizen. Seniors enrolled in size these skills, and not just in the
projects, and each student must give an the institute are placed in small groups final year of high school.
oral defense of his or her work in front and must crifically assess a local need Students in the lower school at St.
of a panel of teachers and peers. and/or problem in the Memphis com- George's, for example, are required to
In the other half of the Senior Lead- munity and provide a proposal that give public presentations beginning
ership Experience, we place students creatively addresses the need or prob- with a short speech to the class in pre-
in groups of five and give them a real- lem. Each group presents its proposal kindergarten. By fifth grade, students
world problem to solve. Each group to a panel of local business and social must deliver a prepared speech to the
must collaborate on a solution and, in entrepreneurs and is assessed on lower school during chapel. Also, each
a timed format, explore the complexity the creativity and functionality of the fifth-grader spends a day in a simu-
of the problem and present a solution. proposal, the effectiveness of the col- lated city and is given a "real-world job"
A panel of faculty members and peers laborative work, and the clarity of the to do. The simulation teaches students
assesses each group on the quality of presentation. about the interrelatedness of commu-
its collaborative work, analysis of the Like a growing number of indepen- nity and work.
problem, depth of creativity employed dent schools, for the past four years, In middle school and upper school,
to reach a solution, and the effective- St. George's has also given its upper students are assessed in project-based
ness of the communication used to school students the GoUege and Work learning in which teachers use rubrics

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 27
 the new shape of student assessment

to evaluate student analysis, collabora- a professional learning community school level — aiming for fiuency.
tion, creativity, and communication. comprising public and independent Upper school students also take classes
Students in seventh-grade science, for school leaders committed to advancing that teach the development of entrepre-
example, are given a "CSI" crime (afier 21st-century education, teachers cre- neurial skills and how to code technical
the popular TV series) to solve involv- ated a specific rubric system and used information for programming.
ing school personnel (I have been both eportfolios to assess students' learning
victim and culprit). In ninth-grade sci- through the attributes of the Mount THE PATH FORWARD
ence, students must assemble a "Rube Vernon Mindsets. Because time is the most cherished
Goldberg" machine that performs a Middle school students at The commodity in all schools, any shifts
simple task in a complex way. They are Nueva School (Galifornia) create a proj- toward including more project-based
assessed not only on their machine's ect ufilizing design thinking. Begin- learning, assessments involving real-
ability to perform the simple task, ning in the seventh grade, students world problems, and creative col-
but also on the complexity of the idenfify a project that will align with laboration must come at the expense
design and quality of the collaboration their interests and then work through- of spending less time on previous
involved to complete the project. out the summer before their eighth- priorities. While the steps will vary
grade year and during the school year to from school to school, those electing
THE MOVEMENT FOR NEW deeply explore this topic from multiple to incorporate more 21st-century skills
ASSESSMENT perspectives. Working with mentors, into their learning environments have
Other schools, of course, are taking the students aim to create a product, generally done so by reducing the
steps similar to St. George's. In 2012, process, or innovation in the field of amount of time and emphasis they
The Lovett School (Georgia) forged its study that has purpose and meaning had placed on content mastery. For
"Vision for Learning" around experi- and that refiects the 18 months of criti- most schools, the operating rationale
ences that inspire its students to "think cal thinking and creativity. They then behind this decision is that priority
critically, communicate effectively, present this work to the school commu- must be given to developing the skills
engage creafively, and collaborate pur- nity during an open house that includes that students will need to productively,
posefully." As a result of this statement, demonstrations, performances, exhibi- successfully, and creatively analyze,
the school reenvisioned some existing fions, and project artifacts. The school's synthesize, and communicate widely
courses and created others, includ- innovation lab director both guides stu- accessible content.
ing a new online course. The Fthics dents through this 18-month explora- If Dan Ariely is right to say assess-
of Global Gitizenship. The course is a tion process and assesses the projects. ments measure what a learning envi-
collaborative effort between a teacher A core component of a new strate- ronment desires to achieve — and I
at Lovett and a teacher at St. Luke's gic initiative at The McDonogh School think he is — then those assessments
School (Gonnecticut). It addresses (Maryland) is reexamining its teach- we employ to advance 21st-century
the world's interconnectedness and ing and learning objectives to ensure skills in order to best prepare stu-
challenges students to grapple with that students are being prepared not dents for a rapidly changing world
global issues and citizenship in a way just for college, but also for the work- and workforce will necessarily look
that demands critical thinking, clear place. Included in this self-study is a and feel different than most previous
and effective communication, and criücal examinafion of how and why assessments. School traditions and
meaningful coUaborafion. Students are assessments are created and used. habits aside, the simplest way to look
assessed on their digital journals, their As a measure of a student's progress, at the assessment challenges is this:
leadership of online discussions, a writ- the school is focused on including The assessments we use to evaluate
ten paper, and a collaborative project. more noncognifive skills such as grit, our students today should be geared
Similarly, the faculty at Mount self-confidence, and cross-cultural toward their future and not our past.
Vemon Presbyterian School (Georgia) awareness. Additionally, the school
developed the "Mount Vemon Mind- has identified the need to be more William Taylor is head of St. George's Independent
sets," a comprehensive core set of inter- pronounced in teaching and assessing School (Tennessee).
connected attributes that illustrates the communicafion skills. With a goal of
learning goals toward which teachers helping students become exceptional Notes
1. Dan Ariely, "You Are What You Measure,"
and students aspire. These learning communicators, the new initiative will Harvard Business Review, June 2010.
attributes position students as solu- focus on developing interdisciplinary 2. Tony Wagner, The Global Achievement Gap,
tion seekers, communicators, creative communication, public speaking in New York: Basic Books, 2008.
thinkers, innovators, ethical decision another language, and technical com- 3. Association of American Colleges and
munication. Toward that end, students Universities, "Employers More Interested in
makers, and collaborators. The fac-
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Than
ulty worked in collaborative teams to begin taking Mandarin and Spanish in College Major," April 10, 2013.
create specific PS-12 learning goals. kindergarten and continue language 4. Gallup Wellbeing, "In the U.S., 21st Century
Using rubrics designed by FdLeader2i, studies through three years at the high Skills Linked to Work Success," May 30, 2013.

28 N D E P E N D E N T S C H O O L
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