Assessing STUDENT Learning
narrative progress reports
Monarch is an alternative school with the absence of a typical grading system. This led Monarch to create its own platform for the reflection of students’ success. (We emphasize the use of ‘reflection’ in lieu of ‘measuring’ success, whereas ‘measuring’ infers a boxed standard of an academically tested student.) The Monarch mission has always reached out to value students as young people who experience growth (and ‘success’) in many areas — academic, social, and emotional.
Students at Monarch Community School do not receive letter-based (A - F) report cards. Instead, the teachers spend a great deal of time and effort in crafting meaningful and informative narrative evaluations that describe each child’s growth and next steps in both social/emotional and academic areas.
These reports allow us to recognize and celebrate a child’s learning and growth in developing the life skills we wish for them: perseverance, curiosity, confidence, empathy, generosity, community-mindedness, along-side academic literacy, solid number sense, and a commitment to social and environmental justice embedded in the Thematic units.
exit criteria
Every student is honored as a successful and accomplished learner when they cross their final ‘rite-of-passage’ called their “Exit Interview” — a 20-40 minute presentation of their work at this school. As students prepare to exit Monarch at the end of 5th grade, each takes time to reflect on their own growth and learning. This is achieved through a process preparing for the Exit Criteria Presentation in May, a most significant rite of passage celebrating the culmination of the years at Monarch Community School.
Throughout Exit Criteria preparation process, each student works with a volunteer known as the Classroom Companion (typically a Monarch parent or family member, not their own) and Teacher Assistant to review work samples highlighted in the Portfolio Assessment System, from all years at Monarch. They reflect on how they’ve developed the Habits of Mind and Habits of Heart, and how they’re meeting the Criteria laid out in the Exit Criteria. With the support of the Classroom Companions, students design and practice their presentations to ultimately share with a panel consisting of peers, staff, parents, and community members at their Exit Criteria Presentation in May.
The Exit Criteria itself outlines what we want students to be able to know and do when they leave Monarch Community School. As the staff plans thematic units and map out instruction for Communication and Math Workshops, we intentionally connect the essential questions, choose materials, and plan sequences of learning that can be the content of each student’s meaningful reflection of their understanding of themselves as learners, who are capable students ready for their next educational adventures.
We are not simply sending kids out into the world because they have passed through their years at Monarch, we are claiming, with evidence, that they are ready for the next step.
Below are the Exit Criteria that the Classroom Companions support students to demonstrate in their presentations:
General values, essential characteristics and big ideas
· To be prepared for their next learning environment
· Will be a problem solver who can find/use resources and apply strategies as needed
· Be able to be a positive member of the community by displaying leadership skills, being respectful of others, and able to participate in a democratic process
· Think critically, making use of the Habits of Mind
Habits of Mind:
· Evidence: How do we know what we know? What’s the evidence? Is it credible?
· Viewpoint: What viewpoint are we hearing, seeing, reading? Who is the author? Where is she/he standing? What are his/her intentions?
· Connection: How are things connected to each other? How does “it” fit in? Where have we heard or seen this before?
· Supposition: What if...? Supposing that...? Can we imagine alternatives – things happening differently?
· Relevance: What difference does it make? Who cares about it? (From the Central Park East Secondary School’s “5 Essential Habits of Mind”)
Content Areas
Language Arts: Demonstrate critical thinking using the Habits ofMind. Be able to show evidence of communication, collaboration, and creativity.
Criteria #1 (Reading) Demonstrate reading capability and be able to communicate what was read
Criteria #2 (Writing) Demonstrate ability to write fluently in a variety of genres with appropriate mechanics, organizational skills and a clear voice
(Note: Writing is to be demonstrated, in Exit Criteria presentations, only in support of a science criteria or social studies criteria (or both). However, writing may also be used, separately, to address Habits of Heart, Growth over Time, and/or Uniqueness.)
Math: Demonstrate critical thinking using the Habits of Mind. Be able to show evidence of communication, collaboration, and creativity.
Criteria #1 Demonstrate the ability to solve problems logically and creatively using the mathematical practice standards (e.g. make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, justify conclusions, communicate conclusions/strategies to others, respond to mathematical arguments of others, be able to solve a problem in more than one way, be able to relate a mathematical idea to everyday life, use appropriate tools, be accurate).
(Reference California Common Core)
Science: Demonstrate critical thinking using the Habits of Mind. Be able to show evidence of communication, collaboration, and creativity.
Criteria #1 Demonstrate knowledge in depth of one of the science themes, including essential questions, covered during tenure as a student at Monarch
Criteria #2 Demonstrate knowledge of scientific process skills (including observe/collect data, come up with a scientific (research) question, develop a hypothesis, predict outcomes, plan and conduct an investigation, interpret results, and communicate results with others)
Criteria #3 Demonstrate/explain the significance of a scientific issue as it relates to everyday life
Social Studies: Demonstrate critical thinking using the Habits of Mind. Be able to show evidence of communication, collaboration, and creativity.
Criteria #1 Demonstrate knowledge in depth of one of the social studies themes, including essential questions, covered during tenure as a student at Monarch
Criteria #2 Demonstrate knowledge of social studies skills (including determine a question, conduct research, evaluate, organize and apply information, discussion/communication, group participation/interaction, conduct interviews, use geographic terms accurately, use/make timelines, express others’ viewpoint, make predictions, make hypotheses, notice patterns, make connections)
Criteria #3 Demonstrate/explain the significance of a social issue as it relates to everyday life
Visual and Performing Arts/Self-Expression: (Optional) Demonstrate critical thinking using the Habits of Mind. Be able to show evidence of communication, collaboration, and creativity.
Criteria #1 Demonstrate knowledge of the different artistic genres
Criteria #2 Demonstrate an understanding of personal growth in the visual and performing arts.
The Classroom Companion and student complete a Planning Guide to help the student develop a coherent narrative of their progression to becoming curious, motivated, persistent, independent, and confident problem solvers.
When the big day arrives, the student is welcomed by a panel of observers and guests made up of the Classroom Companion, Teacher Assistant, Peer Observer, Outside Observer, and family members. The Outside Observer is typically an educator from a different school or organization. We invite parents of younger students (from the Earth, Tierra and Sea classrooms) to serve as Outside Observers so that they can experience this impactful rite of passage that their own child will accomplish in a few short years.
When the student has completed the presentation, observers and guests are invited to offer appreciations and ask questions. One of the Criteria is to be able to answer on-the-spot questions. The family and student then leave to complete a letter and self-evaluation version of the rubric. The observers complete a rubric as a team, and complete evaluations of the process. Finally, the Classroom Companion and student meet once more to share the letters from the family and review the rubrics.
This process continues to evolve over time, and we’ve had to make adjustments in light of the effects of the Pandemic. We are extremely proud of the school community for providing such a personalized and alternative form of assessment, and of course, for the students who take big risks in reflecting, planning, and presenting in this unique rite of passage.