Evaluation of Student Performance: Measuring Student Life Performance Skills via Teacher Action Research

“Education is a lifelong process of which schooling is only a small but necessary part. The various stages of education reach terminal points. Each can be completed in a definite term of years. But learning never reaches a terminal point. As long as one remains alive and healthy, learning can go on – and should.” Mortimer Adler

Student Learning and Teacher Learning: Happening simultaneously?

The New Country School Program Five Cornerstones –Extensive Parent involvement –Teacher/Student Accountability –Community as a Place to Learn –Technology as a Tool for Learning –Coalition of Essential Schools’ Principles

Project-Based Learning Students choose area of interest, propose project. Advisors/Parents have input, guidance to standards. Students work on integrated projects with community experts, advisors, community, technology. Project assessed by team of advisors & experts, credit for number of projects and standards met.

Adherence to Brain-based Research Principles Relaxed alertness as an optimal state of mind. Orchestrated immersion of the learner in complex experiences in which curriculum is embedded. Active processing of the experience so that learners create potential meanings from the experiences.

What is Learning? To Know: content, facts, declarative knowledge. To Do: application, producing, skills, processes. To Be: dispositions, attitudes, becoming, possibilities.

Development of Project and Independent Learning Skills Project rubrics to reflect elements of successful completion of quality products. Independent Learner Skills rubrics to reflect qualities of successful citizen/productive worker Presentation rubric to reflect ability to present knowledge/create products.

Project Rubric Development Elements decided upon internally – from needs to “control” student action & behavior. Staff Development decided upon looking at external elements – what do kids need to know & do, and how do we know? –Consideration of Dimensions of Learning elements. Recognized the need to coincide elements with Independent Learner Rubric.

Independent Learner Skill Rubric Development First developments from internal forces: –Heavy on organization and time-management; –No real breakdown of what complex reasoning is. Second development attempts to include Dimensions of Learning elements and community connections. –Some inclusion of complex reasoning skills. Third development from staff development with Bill Spady on Life Performance. –Heavy on external elements – what are society’s expectations for students, what does a life-long learner need?

Critical Thinking Skills Comprehension –New facts are gathered, uses information well, understands concepts within standards. Competency –Knows and understands the facts, new thoughts developed on basis of new information. Context –Information/knowledge used in multiple “real” contexts.

Life Performance EQ Skills Leader & Organizer –Leads, gets results, others respect, effective use of time, follows through. Mediator & Negotiator –Sought out to help, articulates issues that lead to solutions, open- minded, active listener. Coach & Facilitator –Assists others, sticks to goals, encourages others. Advocate & Supporter –Stands up for someone or idea, handles confidential information well, supports others, “other centered.”

Life Performance IQ Skills Implementer & Performer –Demonstrates high achievement and effectiveness, accepts constructive criticism, creates relationship with community. Problem Framer/Solver –Demonstrates ability to frame and solve complex, real world problems, meets standards consistently. Innovator & Designer –Creates original work, something unique or new, willing to take risks. Producer & Contributor –Creates professional quality products with few blemishes, consistently makes positive contributions to community & school

Presentation Skills Rubric Development from simple to complex. Looked at other exhibition/speech rubrics (Connect-4 Senior Exhibit Rubric). Attempted to create categories that fit more closely with Independent Learner Rubric. –Addition of Knowledge and Application Skill category, Organization and Problem Solving category.

Continued Development Due to Action Research, Democratic Governance New Country School staff: – continually monitors results with students; –continually discusses research from the educational community; –is always looking for a better way to reflect their mission of developing life-long learners; –is continually involved with action research in its true meaning.

Student Portfolios Around Life Performance Skills Teach students to reflect on work in each of eight categories. Quiz students on the categories as assessed. Students add relevant pieces of project work in categories (if they fit). Key is student’s knowing what to look for, what to add to projects, what to add to portfolios.

Reporting Student Progress Portfolios speak for themselves, but can’t be disseminated easily. Life Performance Skills should be a part of a normal transcript that can be disseminated. Use rubrics to show progress in categories (i.e., 1-4) Report how many make numerical progress.

Sample Rubric Numerical Assessment for Student 0001 Implementer & Performer –1 st Block = 1.5 Problem Framer/Solver –1 st Block = 2.0 Innovator & Designer –1 st Block = 3.0 Producer & Contributor –1 st Block = 2.0 Implementer & Performer –Last Block = 3.0 Problem Framer/Solver –Last Block = 2.5 Innovator & Designer –Last Block = 3.5 Producer & Contributor –Last Block = 3.0

Totals Per Person, Aggregate for School Implementer & Performer –Student to 3.0 = +1.5 –All students to 3.15 = +.9 Etc….. Record for annual reports the rate of growth for all students in each category.