Learner-Centered Assessment That Empowers Students

Portrait of a Graduate’s balanced approach engages participants in the process, leading to better outcomes

In today’s rapidly changing world, mastering content is no longer enough for students to thrive after high school.

To succeed in college, careers and life, students also must develop durable, future-ready skills — the very abilities employers value most. Skills like problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and empathy, along with adaptability, resilience and media literacy, are crucial for navigating an unpredictable future.

Yet our current educational assessment systems remain primarily focused on a traditional approach to academic achievement, leaving these vital competencies unmeasured. If we want students to be truly prepared for what lies ahead, we must transform not only how we teach but also how we measure learning. Instructional leaders are reimagining classroom experiences to foster the growth of these skills, but assessment systems must also evolve.

Just as importantly, students themselves must have a voice in shaping these new systems that will measure their growth and readiness for the future.

A Portrait Model

Using the Portrait of a Graduate model, Battelle for Kids works with school districts to define the durable skills that students should acquire and the characteristics they should possess before they graduate. This work gives a heightened purpose to students’ education and ensures they are well-prepared for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

But the portrait itself is only a starting point. We also work with districts to bring this vision to life by redesigning instruction, assessment and professional development so these activities focus on creating authentic, inquiry-based and student-driven learning experiences.

Last year, Battelle for Kids teamed up with AASA to run a program called Portrait of a Graduate Academy, helping school district leaders through the process of actualizing the portrait vision. This intentional planning process is a critical component in designing assessment systems that measure both core curriculum knowledge and the acquisition of durable skills.

A Broader Range

Purposeful assessment systems go beyond traditional approaches by including a broader range of evidence of success. This evidence often is captured in portfolios of student work and teacher observations of students’ skills. An essential component of this approach is student self-assessment and reflection. We’ve found that when students are asked to set their own goals, reflect on the growth they’ve achieved and assess their own progress toward meeting these goals, the results are quite compelling.

When students are involved in their assessment, they’re empowered to become more self-directed learners. They take ownership of the learning process and become more independent problem solvers and achievers. They also become more confident and self-sufficient, which is exactly what we want for our students as they transition into adulthood.

And, quite frankly, having students take part in their own assessment experience is more motivating. It helps students become deeply invested in their own education. What’s more likely to inspire students: trying to reach a goal that someone else has set for them or striving to attain a goal they have set for themselves?

A high school art teacher recently told us that when she incorporated student self-assessment into her classes, she discovered it was even more powerful for her students to engage in ongoing feedback and revision cycles. The process became less about her evaluation and more about the students’ perspective on their growth as artists — and they were highly driven to succeed as a result.

Conditions for Success

To set the conditions for allowing students to take part in their own assessments, it is essential that learning environments and the teachers who lead them are given the proper support. In Glenbard Township High School District 87 in Illinois, school leaders wanted to prioritize deeper learning and ensure their Portrait of a Graduate’s durable skills were being intentionally developed in the classroom. To accomplish this, they crafted professional development specifically around the competencies.

Having developed full-day workshops for their staff focused on competencies represented in their Portrait of a Graduate, they explicitly designed professional learning to engage teachers in making meaning of them. The workshops help teachers consider how those durable skills can be developed within each content area, creating instructional strategies to specifically teach them alongside the core content.

The district also created an educators’ guide around student self-reflection tools, which provides ideas and best practices for student self-assessment for each Portrait of a Graduate competency. The tools are designed to accomplish several goals when it comes to advancing Glenbard’s portrait by providing common language for students, opportunities for metacognition, practices that lead to self-empowerment and goals to monitor student learning and progress in each competency.

Melissa Creech, executive director of teaching and learning in the Glenbard district, says the district’s portrait provides a common vision for all stakeholders and unifies them with a common purpose.

“Through our work as a district, our students now use our Portrait of a Graduate self-reflection tools to self-monitor growth in each of our six competencies,” she says. “All of our unit maps and teacher evaluation tools are aligned with our Portrait of a Graduate.”

Holistic Assessment

In schools that have redesigned assessments to include students in the process, real transformation has taken place. According to Lesley Hughes, who serves as chief learning officer at Henrico County Public Schools in Virginia, the integration of the Profile of a Virginia Graduate framework has significantly influenced their school district’s approach to assessing student performance by broadening the focus beyond traditional academic metrics to include essential skills necessary for life readiness.

The Henrico Learner Profile embodies the competencies outlined in the Portrait of a Graduate. The district has embedded these competencies into its assessment strategies, ensuring that student evaluations are holistic and reflect the skills needed to be future-ready.

“This integration has led to developing and adapting several measurement tools and indicators to assess a more comprehensive range of student abilities,” Hughes says.

These tools include performance-based assessments that allow Henrico students to demonstrate their skills in these real-world contexts:

The LifeReady Learning Plan, a unique district tool designed to guide students through a process of self-assessment and goal-setting;

Portfolios, which allow students to document and showcase their learning and achievements throughout their school careers, demonstrating mastery of the skills outlined in Henrico’s program; and

The Henrico Learner Profile Progression tool helps both students and facilitators reflect on growth over time and set goals for further development.

“Overall, these tools and strategies represent a deliberate effort to move towards a more inclusive and holistic assessment system that aligns with the Portrait of a Graduate framework,” Hughes says. “This ensures that students are evaluated not just on their academic achievements but on their readiness to succeed in life.”

Including Stakeholders

It is also important for school districts to allow students to bring their teachers and parents along for the journey, keeping them informed of their progress. For Henrico, this includes learning exhibitions and student-led conferencing, which actively involve students in their learning journey.

“These activities encourage students to present their work to peers, educators and family members, fostering a deeper understanding of their progress and areas for improvement,” says Hughes. “Through these processes, students develop communication and reflection skills, take ownership of their learning and set meaningful goals for future growth. These practices ensure that learning is not only assessed but also celebrated and continuously improved.”

Henrico also ensures they lend support to teachers. Using the Henrico Teaching and Learning Framework, they provide their educators with a clear instructional model that supports the integration of best practices aligned with the Portrait of a Graduate competencies.

According to Hughes, the framework serves as a guide for teachers to design and implement instructional practices that are effective, equitable and aligned with the district’s educational goals. It also supports the ongoing professional growth of educators by providing structured opportunities for reflection and collaboration.

A purposeful approach to assessment is more than just an alternative to traditional grading — it’s a fundamental shift in how we understand and nurture each student’s potential. By creating a balanced system that highlights students’ strengths, identifies areas for growth, and actively involves them in self-reflection and goal setting, we empower students to take ownership of their learning. This kind of assessment not only measures what students can do today but also unlocks the deeper learning and self-directed achievement they will need to succeed tomorrow.

Now is the time to rethink how we assess our students. As educators, leaders and partners in their future, we must commit to designing systems that reflect the full range of their capabilities. Let’s lead the way in shaping an educational landscape where every student is prepared for the challenges ahead — because our students deserve nothing less. 

Mike Duncan, a former superintendent, is the president and CEO of Battelle for Kids in Columbus, Ohio. Shannon King is the chief learning officer of Battelle for Kids.