The process for this type of transformational change requires time, but districts can accomplish this if they…
STEP ONE: Think Differently
Our district began thinking differently about assessment and accountability more than eight years ago with the creation of our Profile of a Graduate. Shelby County Public Schools’ Profile has allowed for our district to develop a common understanding that we are preparing students to be much more than standardized test takers, rather, we are ensuring that our graduates are Lifelong Learners, Critical Thinkers, and Effective Communicators, among others. Every fifth, eighth, and twelfth grade student in SCPS takes part in a Defense of Learning; a performance-based assessment where they synthesize their academic, personal, and professional growth into a presentation delivered to a panel of adults and community members. The power and authenticity of these assessments has been felt by all of our school stakeholders, from teachers and administrators, to parents and business leaders. Because of the transformative success of our Defenses of Learning, our district continued to question how we could report and share our strengths and areas for improvement in a way that went beyond simplistically sharing standardized test scores in the local paper once a year.
