Q: What is the value of students doing self-assessments as a part of the educational experience?
A: “With the traditional parent-teacher conference, we realized the most important voice was missing. We really needed to hear how the student was experiencing things,” says Brian Horgan, assistant head of school and director of upper school at Gilmour Academy. “In the formal student self-assessment, students meet annually with their parent and teachers explaining how he or she thinks the student experience is unfolding for them. Students reflect on areas of growth and success and, also what they think they should still work on. The most important dynamic in this effort is the student voice, and we make sure to put the student in the center of their learning. Students are learning how to give articulation to how they’re feeling and what those feelings actually mean as another level of growth and processing. Teachers and parents are invited to listen and young people have a safe place to evaluate and assess where they are.”
