Blog author: Andres Chavez III
Deputy Director, Programs,
College & Career Readiness
Measuring What Matters
August 8, 2024
The second session in a four-part professional learning series hosted by TxLx, Getting Smart, and the Learner-Centered Collaborative facilitated a discussion on the future of measurement and the shortcomings of modern-day assessment. We discussed recalibrating a learner’s growth and progression, ensuring that numerous stakeholders are taken into account when determining the student’s goals and much more.
The session showcased Portraits of a Graduate, rubrics, and other learner-progression tools to provide insight to the attending educators and leaders from across the country. Much of the conversation hinged on asking “Are we seeing the results we want to see?” and “Are we, alone, the people who should be determining these results?”
In the chat, the attendees shared times they were assessed and how they have seen assessments work well in their professional lives. Attendee Terri Novacek said, “Last June, my governing board provided me with a collaborative summary of their perspective on my strengths and achievements as well as future goals.”
One of the mentioned resources, Street Data: A Next Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy and School Transformation, also helped to frame the discussion: “We have to be explicitly anti-racist as we pursue this path of street data. And we have to be willing to disrupt the narratives, practices, and biases that are continuing to marginalize students.”
Session Resources
The following resources were shared during our session and referenced within our slides:
- Street Data: A Next Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy and School Transformation
- Real World Learning Initiative Case Study
- The Wisdom of Crowds: Weighing an Ox and Learner-Centered Assessment
- A Proposal for the End of Standardized Tests
- Odyssey STEM Garden Program
- David Conley on Next Generation Assessment
- IMS Global
- The Future of Learning is Smart Measurement Rather Than Dumb Assessment
- Turnaround for Children Building Blocks
- Greenlight Credentials
- Personalized Learning DISD
- DISD TxLx Case Study
Host Your Own Measuring What Matters Session
If you are interested in hosting your own Measuring What Matters session, you can find the slide deck here:
Once you’ve reviewed the intro content or watched the session video as a group, it’s time for breakout sessions.
For the breakout rooms, we recommend giving each group a slide template or piece of paper (if in person) and having them work through an Align. Argue. Adjust. Aspire. protocol. The groups should each pick a presenter and be prepared to share out. Once all the groups have shared collectively, end the session by discussing next steps and commitments you can make toward measuring what matters.
We’d love to hear how your sessions go and what you’ve learned! Send your thoughts, growth, and feedback to info@txlx.org.
Upcoming Sessions
The TxLx project team is excited to announce the next two sessions in our professional learning series:
If you missed our Accelerated Learning session, you can view the recording and host your own session with our resources.
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