Clarify assessment purpose, define skill expectations with rubrics and progressions, and calibrate on student work¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The report recommends that districts first be clear about what they want to learn from their assessment system, aligning it with their instructional vision before designing it. Second, districts should clearly articulate the meaning of each future-ready skill and develop rubrics, learning progressions, "I can" statements, and classroom Look Fors to communicate expectations. Third, educators should regularly examine student work and calibrate to improve scoring consistency and build capacity.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A firmly-established vision and consideration of the connection of the assessment to curriculum and instruction

Constraints¶

• Without alignment across the full system of teaching and learning, assessments alone will not lead to the desired student outcomes

Target Learners¶

• K-12 students in districts with a Portrait of a Graduate

Target Learning Goals¶

• future-ready skills, competencies, and dispositions named in Portrait of a Graduate frameworks

Affordances¶

• Pog Assessment Three Components Framework

Related Strategies¶

• Establishing Clear Expectations
• Checklists & Rubrics
• Separate Product, Process, and Progress Criteria
• Standards-Based Grading
• Develop Observable Criteria
• Setting Goals
• Understanding By Design Unit Template

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• 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