Educational Leadership - September 2015

don’t give time and energy to pursuing these attributes because they’re not tallied on the public scorecard. Well, we can change that.

Why not convene a group of teachers and determine which one of these attributes will be your school’s focus? The year has begun and systems are in place, so now is a good time to work on the value-added, to embark on efforts that will benefit your students and set your school apart.

Let’s use creativity as an example.

Your teacher task force might begin by talking about how to observe and record instances of creativity. As you’re doing that, think about how to share this information with parents.

I suggest using a different symbol
system from the one you use for grade
and test-score reports—or maybe not
using symbols at all. Would rubrics
work better? Avoid a traditional
grading scale, and steer away from
narratives. For that matter, consider
whether this report would receive
more attention if it were sent home at
a different time than your traditional
assessments. As your group develops
the framework for adding creativity
to your assessments, periodically
share progress at faculty meetings or
“open mic” events in which teachers
are invited to hear progress and offer
input.

Determining and pursuing assess-
ments on the basis of your school’s
values can be wonderfully beneficial
for your students, and the process will
develop enormous collegiality among
your faculty. Let me know how it goes.
I’d love to hear a progress report on
your progress! EL

Thomas R. Hoerr (trhoerr@newcity school.org) is head of school, emeritus at the New City School in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the author of The Art of School Leadership (ASCD, 2005) and Fostering Grit: How Do I Prepare My Students for the Real World? (ASCD, 2013). Follow him on Twitter @tomhoerr.

We talk about the importance of looking

at the “whole child,” but often that wider
view of a child’s growth and well-
being is more talk than action.

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