3 Design Principles
Report card results can be a surprise. They can't be a mystery.
We'll have a clear, actionable report card by following these 3 easy principles. Time to get to work!
Be Specific
Be Independent
Be Motivational
Do you like people who are vague? Do they make you feel confident and respected? Yeah - me neither.
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For our report card, being specific has two aspects. The first is creating graphs that focus our attention on the item for improvement. This implies careful choice of graph type, scale and colors.
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The second is retaining information. Some mathematical functions are "lossy" as they reduce the amount of information. For example, placing scores from 0-100 into five categories is a lossy transform. Reducing information can aid memory, and it's fine as a final step.
The danger is in chaining too many lossy transformations together - computing categories, then pass/fail, then letter grades - whew! We can't be specific when we lose that much information. And, often, we can accomplish the same objectives with lossless transformations in the middle.
"Be motivational" is the most important design principle. This doesn't mean a lapse in accountability. It means people must believe that the assessment system is fair and accurate, with achievable goals as mentioned previously. People must believe that progress is possible and see the first steps on the path.
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The second aspect is that the assessment process must consider how people perceive particular advice. In other words, you must speak the same language as those being assessed. Letter grades are a prime example. Chances are your perception of a "D" or "F" is inextricably linked with panic or outrage from your own experiences as a student. Seeing this on a state report card evokes those same strong memories.
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As others have said, data should be a flashlight, not a hammer. Let's make it so.
Imagine an assessment process where only goal is to achieve a higher rating relative to the teacher or district next door. This might even be reinforced with rewards or punishment. What does this sound like?
It sounds like... a hot dog eating contest. A short-term competition intensely focused on beating the other hot dog eater by any means available, regardless of whether eating that many hot dogs is a good idea.
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I think we can all agree that education reform is not a hot dog eating contest. First, education reform is a collaborative, creative process. We need innovative solutions that are flexible in the face of new challenges. The goal is to help all students learn and to share best practices with each other.
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Second, education reform is a partnership. It requires goals that are achievable in the face of current circumstances in order to be a fair evaluation. We should be assessed using independent benchmarks with achievable near-term interim goals.