Assessment, Conferences and Portfolios

We had not intended to revert back to printing hard copies of school information, hoping that you’d be diligent about checking the elementary website for weekly updates about your child’s classroom and general information about school events, activities, and issues.

But — the phone calls we’ve received in the office and classrooms, plus the decreased participation in several events such as the Thanksgiving canned food drive last week or attendance in the parent information session on our assessment system (which drew only five parents) seem to suggest that parents may not be checking the website each week. The website is our primary means of communicating with you en masse. Since this week’s information is important in helping you prepare for your child’s assessment conference next week, we decided to send home information this week only, in the hopes that you will read today’s letter. As promised earlier, this week’s letter explains the assessment process.

Our assessment process is threefold: the student progress portfolio, the performance continua, and the parent-teacher-student conference.

Progress Portfolio: Your children have been putting “finishing touches” on their portfolios — their statements of reflection that accompany portfolio selections. Writing the rationale for selection is hard work. Just ask your child. When selecting pieces for areas such as math or reading, they have to think about the criteria for selection, the learning processes they experienced for each selection, and what could be further improved in their learning. Since the portfolio documents learning (“artifacts” of their learning processes), the portfolio process is primarily to help the students make visible their understanding about something to themselves.

We’ve made a significant change in the portfolio process this year. There will be fewer items because of the intended focus of the portfolio. Instead of merely filling the portfolio with “best” pieces or everything taught during the semester, students have selected a few pieces for reading, writing, mathematics, inquiry, art, music, and p.e. from the first six weeks of school and from the last four to six weeks before the end of the semester. They have been asked to determine their learning progress by comparing selections from the beginning and the end of the semester. The teachers and I feel that this process validates theory and research about students’ ability to think about how they think through their learning (metacognition). Progress should be more readily apparent to the student. What a wonderful process of self-discovery!

Some teachers are having their students take home the portfolios before the conferences on December 5-6. However, most teachers will have the portfolios available only at the conference. Regardless, please take a good amount of time (30-45 minutes) sitting beside your child, talking about each selection and giving feedback. They have worked very hard on their portfolios and are proud of the accomplishments represented in the portfolio. Here are some questions you can discuss with your child as you’re looking through the portfolio:

• What were you learning about in class to help you complete this piece?


• Which selection in your portfolio are you most proud of? Why?


• Which selection was the most challenging to do? Why?


• How did you come up with your goals?


• If you could do this selection over again, what would you change?


• How can mom and dad help you reach your goals?

Your child should bring the portfolio back to school in January.

Performance Continua: Think of the performance continua as the “report card form.” Your child will receive continua for reading, writing, math, art, music, and physical education. The continua explain briefly the performance standard. Each continuum consists of four major performance evaluation areas: beginning, developing, achieving, and extending. Each performance area contains “descriptors” or detailed information about things your child does. The checkmark and date indicate where your child is along the developmental continuum. Some standards may not apply in the first semester, but will be addressed in the second semester. Copies of all the performance continua will be mailed to your home for your own records.

Student-parent-teacher conference (or three-way conference): We regard the conference as an opportunity to celebrate your child’s learning and efforts. Your child will have prepared something to say about his/her areas of strength, areas that need improvement, and a plan to support improvement. The teacher will reinforce or add comments, and you’ll be invited to also contribute comments.
We ask that you support your child’s goals by insuring that the agreed-upon action plan is implemented either in school, at home, or both. This is not the time to harp on your child, to compare your child to other children, or to discuss other children. You can always schedule another time for you and the teacher to discuss issues, perhaps without your child’s presence. The three-way conference is only about 20 minutes, so please observe the schedule by arriving on time and leaving so that the next set of parents and students can begin their conference.

Sometime after December 16, you will receive in the mail the copies of the performance continua and a conference summary for your records. Copies of these documents are placed in your child’s permanent school file.

Conferences with the Specialists: Another significant change in this year’s conference program is an opportunity for you to meet with the teachers of art, music, character/Christian education, and physical education. We believe that these content areas are just as important and necessary for your child’s whole development as the academic areas.

For this reason, the specialists are available for conferences with you. But you must schedule a meeting time for either December 5 or 6 by calling the school office at 441-3800 by this Friday, December 2. Or you can email the teachers directly as soon as possible:
• Shirley Rivera, Character/Christian education: srivera@midpac.edu
• Diane Koshi, Music education: dkoshi@midpac.edu
• Jill Brooks, Visual arts: jbrooks@midpac.edu
• Pam Jenkins, Physical education: pjenkins@midpac.edu

A holiday request: This is our very first Christmas in the new school and on this campus. I’d like to decorate the buildings so the school looks festive for the holidays. Perhaps strings of colorful Christmas lights on the roof edges? Or tinsel garland here and there? If you have ideas and can help with decorating, please call the office at 441-3800. I’m hoping to put something up this weekend and could use some help on Saturday afternoon, about 2:00 – 4:00pm.

What a stunning view of Manoa Valley this morning from my office window. It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

For our children,

Edna L. Hussey
Principal

Posted on December 1, 2005 10:53 AM | Permalink