Elevating Expectations: A New Take on Accountability, Achievement, and Evaluation

Five teacher researchers embarked on a journey to two schools in Hawaii in search of new ways to make assessment more meaningful. Elevating Expectations is the result of that journey, a journey that led them to the creation of a new collaborative partnership between home and school. The assessment model that the authors present brings students full circle in their learning - from setting goals and developing plans of action to documenting their progress, reflecting on that progress, and setting new goals. This book discusses student-led conferences and the progress folio process, how they help both students and families direct a course of personal development and elevate expectations. From here, students can discuss their strengths and challenges, and determine a course of action, but not in isolation. Throughout their text, the authors demonstrate ways in which students, parents, and teachers can become participants in a learning community that values higher-level thinking skills and creative problem solving. To expedite the process, the authors offer numerous examples of learning logs, goal-setting sheets, weekly progress reports, separate conference planning guides for students and teachers, parent response and reflection forms, report card alternatives, and student-centered rubrics along with eleven reproducibles. The goal of all the material presented is to achieve the goal of any assessment - to improve student learning by addressing the needs, interests, questions, and dreams of each student.