What are student self assessments?

So, a few years ago, we attended a RTI conference. The most important piece of information that we received from that conference was that student self assessment is one of the most important drivers of student success.

We have been doing self assessments ever since, but we have learned a few key things along the way. Students need structure and guidance when self assessing. When you give students a chance to explain their learning journey, consider the following:

Comprehension - Does the student understand what is being taught?

Retrieval - Does the student remember all of the class work and homework to make an accurate assessment of their learning improvements ?

Judgement - Is there enough information and student work to demonstrate a final outcome?

Response - Does the student understand the grading scale and how his/her learning fits into that scale?

Do grades define a student? Grades can have a huge effect on a student’s well being, identity, and self perception. Maybe grades should be framed with potential scores instead of final grades. Potential scores indicate levels of learning without the harming effects of grades on a student’s concept of self.

Weakness or Strength Based Rubrics? Are your rubrics worded positively or negatively? Most lean towards negative, especially towards the lower end of the scale. Perhaps consider revising the scale to use phrases like: with support is able to…, makes an attempt to …, shows some signs of …

Lifelong Journey Reports is another way for students to reflect on their learning in a class. Isn’t that the point of school, to encourage students to be curious, lifelong learners who question the world and ideas around them? If not, maybe it should be. Checkout some of our self assessments on Roman Legacies and Muslim Empire in our TpT Store.