Reflective journaling is a good way for students - and teachers - to begin doing this. It takes time, though, for it to become a useful habit. Like most habits, I suppose.

I recently discovered your Blog and I’ve been transfixed ever since. I look forward to coming back!

Thanks for providing all the great links and resources in this most recent post. When I have a free moment, I intend to listen to the full panel discussion between Dorn and Christensen and read the summary of Nebraska’s STARS program. At first glance at least, it appears to be a step in the right direction!

You mention that you’re thinking of designing your own performance-based formative assessments. You continually express concerns with NCLB and ’standardization’, but not standards as organically intended (i second Ms.Whatsit in my enjoyment of this discussion, by the way!). I’m wondering: other than the Nebraska approach, have you found any other examples of states, school districts, or other administrative units that are “getting it right” with regard to developing standards? It will be exciting to see how Nebraska’s system fares over the next few years! I would encourage educators and administrators with knowledge of successful programs to present them in this forum.

Also, I think Sarah Puglisi brings up an excellent point regarding the need to motivate disadvantaged students to love to learn and take ownership of their educations. One of the most successful tactics I’ve seen to achieve this: student-designed and conducted assessments (with teacher guidance, of course). Last summer, I interned at an educational reform non-profit (Facing History and Ourselves) that works with teachers in Boston Public Schools. In a number of the classrooms I visited, students were asked to continually reflect on their performances. For every paper and test completed, students described their efforts, results, and lessons learned for application to future assignments. Then, at the end of the year, they compiled portfolios showcasing their work according to a number of criteria, e.g. most challenging assignment, most proud achievement, most enjoyable, etc. When I chatted with the middle-school aged students (I had the task of ‘assessing’ their portfolio presentations), I was extremely impressed with their metacognitive skills, enthusiasm, and ownership of their work as a result of this process. Of course, this was a relatively informal classroom exercise, not a statewide approach to standards. Still, I’m wondering: Do you know of other instances where students are directly involved in the assessment process? Do you have thoughts on more actively engaging students in the development of standards, maybe even in your own classroom? Thanks again to you and the others for their comments!

Peter Sacks book is really rather brilliant.
I have to recommend it again!