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Student Assessment
The Young Women’s Leadership Charter School does not use the traditional letter grade system (A, B, C, D, and F) for student assessment. Instead, each student receives regular feedback from teachers – described in detail below – to help her understand her progress relative to set standards (outcomes) for each course. These regular assessments tell students and families both what the student is doing well and where she needs to do better.
The fundamental principle of YWLCS’s alternative assessment system is that students are rewarded credit and promotion based solely on what they know and what they are able to do.
Being in class every day and turning in assignments on time are essential, but these alone do not earn a student "points" or determine whether a student passes a class. The quality of a student’s understanding and the student's ability to communicate her understanding are the basis for her receiving course credit.
Rating System
Instead of letter grades, we communicate information on Academic Outcomes and Learning Behaviors using a 3-tiered system:
• High Performance
• Proficient
• Not Yet
Students who receive a "Not Yet" on an Academic Outcome are required to revisit the material and do additional assignments or independent study in order to demonstrate proficiency in that outcome at a later date. In this way, students remain accountable for all the material taught in a class, whether they initially mastered the material or not. Class credit and promotion to the next grade depend on the student’s mastery of outcomes.
Academic Outcomes
Each course has a set of specific course outcomes for each trimester. The academic outcomes include things a student must know and/or things a student must be able to do to demonstrate proficiency in each subject area.
Learning Behaviors
In order for each student to accomplish her academic goals, she needs to practice the behaviors of a successful student. These include having her materials organized, turning her work in on time, conducting herself appropriately in class, and asking thoughtful questions.
To read more about the student assessment system at YWLCS, download Removing Structural Barriers to Academic Achievement in High Schools:An Innovative Model, by Camille A. Farrington, Co-Facilitator of Instructional Support at YWLCS and Margaret H. Small, Ph.D., Director of the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School.
You can learn more about EASE: Equity and Achievement in a Standards-based Environment, the software developed by YWLCS in conjunction with Database Designs, to support this innovative approach to student assessment.
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