Student-Led Assessment: Promoting Agency and Achievement Through Portfolios and Conferences

The single greatest authority on student learning is the student doing the learning-but the right structures must be in place for students’ voices to be clearly heard and truly valued.

Conventional formative and summative assessment are most often conducted through one-size-fits-all quizzes and tests that yield narrow, predetermined categories of data about students’ academic progress. But if we want a truly accurate look at what, how, and to what extent students are learning, who better to consult than the obvious experts on the matter: the students themselves.

In this lively and comprehensive guide, veteran teacher and author Starr Sackstein provides the tools needed to help students compile and present evidence of learning through portfolios and student-led conferences-from templates and rubrics to personal testimonials, reflection questions, and activities.

The book features

– Forms-applicable across grade levels and content areas-for unpacking standards, co-constructing success criteria with students, evaluating current classroom practices, and more.

– Real-life perspectives and scenarios from educators in the field who have embraced portfolios and student-led conferences over standardized tests and letter grades.

– Practical, experience-based guidance for building classroom and schoolwide learning cultures that promote both learner agency and academic achievement.

The resources, recommendations, and reflections in Student-Led Assessment allow educators at all levels to develop systems and protocols for ensuring student ownership of-and pride in-their own hard-won achievement.