Building Student Ownership of Choices
Assessment as Learning
In a UDL classroom, we expect students to be engaged, independent, and effective learners. This requires more
than just presenting content in an interesting way. As educators, we need to provide tools for students to take
ownership of their learning by reflecting on the choices that they are provided for engaging with content and
expressing their knowledge.
This concept is also supported by two forces within the current and emerging elementary school curriculum that
you should be aware of. First is the idea of Assessment as Learning, which means that we use the assessment
cycle as a learning opportunity for students rather than simply a tool to inform us as teachers. The second idea
is that in addition to teaching content, we are charged with teaching students to reflect on their own progress
and make choices about strategies to attain a goal. The MCPS Curriculum 2.0 addresses this with the Academic
Success Skills Indictors. The following charts appear at the end of this document and may be helpful to organize
your thinking about this topic.
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"Assessment as Learning"
"MCPS Thinking and Academic Success Skills Indicators"
Checkpoints for Building Student Ownership of Choices
There are many ways to have students reflect on choices in products, tools, methods or materials. Some
teachers use surveys. Others may consider graphing class preferences.
It may be helpful to reflect on three important checkpoints of empowering and building effective student
choices within the UDL framework:
1. Recognition: Methods to introduce choices to students. This may involve introducing a new method to
the whole class so that it becomes an option for future assignments. Or, it may involve explicitly asking
students to do a task several different ways in order to reflect on the experience.
2. Reflection: Methods to have students document or share which choices did or did not support their
learning for a specific task.
3. Planning: Methods for students to choose a way of learning or demonstrating knowledge based on
choices they've had before.
Consideration should be given to make sure each of these is "usable" and "accessible" to all learners.
Optional Reading
The two one-page summaries that follow are portions of longer documents for which links are provided below.
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Chapter 4: Assessment as Learning from online book Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in
Mind
Elementary Integrated Curriculum Framework
Chapter 4
Summary of Planning Assessment as Learning
Assessment for Learning
Assessment as Learning
Why Assess?
to enable teachers to determine next steps in
advancing student learning
to guide and provide opportunities for each student to
monitor and critically reflect on his or her learning and
identify next steps
Assess What?
each student’s progress and learning needs in
relation to the curricular outcomes
each student’s thinking about his or her learning, what
strategies he or she uses to support or challenge that
learning, and the mechanisms he or she uses to adjust
and advance his or her learning
What Methods? a range of methods in different modes that make
students’ skills and understanding visible
a range of methods in different modes that elicit
students’ learning and metacognitive processes
Ensuring
Quality
• accuracy and consistency of observations and
interpretations of student learning
• clear, detailed learning expectations
• accurate, detailed notes for descriptive feedback
to each student
• accuracy and consistency of student’s self-reflection,
self-monitoring, and self-adjustment
• engagement of the student in considering and
challenging his or her thinking
• students record their own learning
Using the
Information
• provide each student with accurate descriptive
feedback to further his or her learning
• differentiate instruction by continually checking
where each student is in relation to the
curricular outcomes
• provide parents or guardians with descriptive
feedback about student learning and ideas for
support
• provide each student with accurate, descriptive
feedback that will help him or her develop
independent learning habits
• have each student focus on the task and his or her
learning (not on getting the right answer)
• provide each student with ideas for adjusting,
rethinking, and articulating his or her learning
• provide the conditions for the teacher and student to
discuss alternatives
• students report about their learning
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• Re t h i n k i n g C l a s s r o o m A s s e s s m e n t w i t h Pu r p o s e i n M i n d
MCPS Thinking and Academic Success Skills Indicators
Critical Thinking Skills
1.0 Analysis
1.1 Identify and describe attributes.
1.2 Compare by identifying similarities and
differences.
1.3 Sort and classify into categories.
1.4 Identify and describe patterns and the
relationships within patterns.
1.5 Identify relationships among parts of a
whole.
1.6 Infer and explain meaning to make
sense of parts.
Creative Thinking Skills
4.0 Elaboration
4.1 Enhance thoughts, ideas, processes, or
products by adding details.
4.2 Demonstrate thoughts, ideas, processes, or
products by using different forms of
communication.
4.3 Combine or add to thoughts, ideas,
processes, or products.
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.3
5.0 Flexibility
5.1 Maintain openness by considering new and
diverse ideas and multiple perspectives.
5.2 Select and use multiple resources.
5.3 Move freely between new information and
prior knowledge.
5.4 Adapt and use information and multiple
strategies to seek clarity.
5.5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing ideas,
questions, resources, or strategies when
presented with evidence.
6.0 Fluency
6.1 Generate many ideas.
6.2 Represent and describe ideas or solutions in
a variety of ways.
6.3 Generate ideas using multiple strategies.
6.4 Ask questions in a variety of ways.
Evaluation
Rank options based on criteria.
Select and test possible alternatives.
Justify a choice or solution based on
criteria using evidence and reason.
2.4 Question facts and claims.
2.5 Determine the credibility of information
and claims.
2.6 Determine how to use conflicting
information.
3.0 Synthesis
3.1 Organize parts to form a new or unique
whole.
3.2 Integrate ideas, information, and
theories to invent or devise a solution.
3.3 Formulate generalizations by examining
parts and putting them together.
7.0 Originality
7.1 Create a new idea, process, or product using
multiple and varied formats.
7.2 Plan and formulate a new, unique, or
alternative solution to a problem or situation.
7.3 Transform an idea, process, or product into
a new form.
Elementary Integrated Curriculum Framework – Montgomery County Public Schools – September, 2010
Academic Success Skills
8.0 Collaboration
8.1 Demonstrate active listening and empathy in
communicating with group members.
8.2 Solicit and respect multiple and diverse perspectives to
broaden and deepen understanding.
8.3 Demonstrate teamwork by working productively with
others.
8.4 Define and identify steps to reach a group goal.
8.5 Identify and analyze options for sharing responsibility to
reach a group goal.
8.6 Demonstrate the characteristics of both a group leader and
a group member.
8.7 Support group decisions with criteria.
9.0 Effort/Motivation/Persistence
9.1 Demonstrate strategies to achieve a goal or solve a
problem.
9.2 Self-assess effectiveness of strategies and redirect efforts
to achieve a goal or obtain a solution to a problem.
9.3 Identify an achievable, yet challenging goal.
9.4 Identify and describe the outcome of a goal.
9.5 Identify the components of goal-setting.
9.6 Develop and demonstrate a sequenced program of action
to achieve a goal or solve a problem.
10.0 Intellectual Risk Taking
10.1 Adapt and make adjustments to meet challenges when
seeking solutions.
10.2 Demonstrate willingness to accept uncertainty by sharing
ideas, asking questions, or attempting novel tasks.
10.3 Challenge self and others to advance skill level.
11.0 Metacognition
11.1 Examine one’s own thoughts and ideas to identify
background knowledge.
11.2 Explain thinking processes.
11.3 Self-monitor strategies to assess progress and apply new
thinking.
11.4 Seek clarification and adapt strategies to attain learning
task/outcome.
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