Districts report more success with future-ready skill assessment focused on student growth than on proficiency¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · qualitative r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? District leaders reported greater success when assessment emphasized student growth over time, self-evaluation, and actionable feedback rather than claims of proficiency. → Kyle Dunbar 2025

Evidence¶

Kyle Dunbar 2025¶

Kyle Dunbar, Katie Wilczak, Kelly Mills, Nick Mireles, and Alison Shell. (2025). Portraits in Progress: Emerging Future-Ready Skills Assessment Strategies. Digital Promise and Pearson. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/0a2c7a9e-634b-4ec1-ba5d-3c8bfa19e696 doi:10.51388/20.500.12265/266

q2 · i? · qualitative · r1

Cross-district insight from interviews and convening presentations. Districts emphasized opportunities for students to "recognize their growth, receive specific, actionable feedback, and self-reflect on their progress," illustrated by Shelby's defenses of learning and Ephrata's multiple reporting points.

"Districts shared that they had more success with future-ready skill assessment when they focused on student growth rather than student proficiency."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Districts face validity, reliability, comparability, and accountability-tension challenges in assessing future-ready skills — related
• Fewer than one fifth of districts with Portraits have taken the step of identifying actionable Practices within their Skill Sets — related
• Feedback Addressing Task Improves Learning — related
• Districts use a wide variety of methods to assess Portrait of a Graduate skills, varying across contexts and grade levels — related