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STUDENT SELF-ASSESSMENT
means everyone is clear about when data tracking, documentation, reflection, and goal setting will occur and how often the teacher monitors progress. Students have to tangibly and regularly experience the cycle of documentation and data collection, organization and analysis, reflection and self-assessment, and goal setting and action planning. Self-assessment has to be strongly connected to the learning environment—it has to reflect the kinds of learning students engage in and the processes that yield results. As described in the scenario at the beginning of this chapter, selfassessment is part of the learning journey.
Predictable Supports
How to Make This Work
Student success in creating and sustaining portfolios and data notebooks depends on predictable supports from teachers. In order to offer this support in timely and useful ways, you need to have clarity on the kinds of artifacts and data students will collect and how you will invite learners into analysis and goal setting. It’s important to determine whether students should collect and organize quantitative data into charts, tables, or graphs or collect qualitative information through observations, reflections, and anecdotal notes. You also should determine how you can leverage prompts, templates, and other features to support analysis. For example, the combination of visual representations and written information, or the use of highly-structured prompts and consistent coaching, can enhance the impact of the tools themselves and increase accessibility for ELs and early elementary students (grades K–3). Clarity about the kinds of information to include in notebooks and portfolios, and the kinds of support you offer as these tools are developed over time, can ensure success. By sticking with predictable, simple language, engaging prompts, and clear visual frames, all students can engage in data collection and analysis with greater proficiency and confidence.
Manageable Routine The Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (n.d.) asserts, “Familiar activities can provide comfort for both adults and children during challenging and uncertain times. Just like adults, children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar.” In the case of setting up self-assessment processes, having a manageable routine
When documenting learning and using data notebooks, portfolios, and other self-assessment tools, it’s helpful to explore some practical considerations. For example, thinking about how to develop specific self-assessment subskills, make learning visible for students so they can make decisions, and how to create self-assessment tools for students at various grade levels can make self-assessment increasingly successful within the daily business of classroom learning. This section explores the following topics. • Subskills of self-assessment, which can guide documentation and organization • Selection of documentation • Prerequisites for data notebooks and other self-assessment tools • Setup recommendations for data notebooks and portfolios • Possible features of early elementary, upper elementary and middle school, and high school data notebooks and portfolios • Samples and support tools
Subskills of Self-Assessment I have written at length about the subskills of self-assessment and how helping students develop each skill can contribute to the overall success of complex self-assessment (see White, 2016; 2017; 2019). These subskills (clustered here by relationship within the self-assessment process) are part of effective selfassessment and can, reciprocally, be the reason why some students may find self-assessment challenging
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(or tagging within digital versions) to any data and reflection documents; writing the focus goal clearly on each entry; and selecting the prompts to guide each analysis. Consistency and predictability build confidence and emotional safety (Souers & Hall, 2016; 2019), and so clarifying how each aspect of the notebook or portfolio leads to learning and thinking is critical. How the learning experiences unfold after a self-assessment will, ultimately, determine how well students engage in the process next time. If increased proficiency occurs, they will see a clear connection between formative (selfassessment) and summative processes. Smaller successes over time breed long-term achievement.
