Assess, Reflect, Improve

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Assess, Reflect, Improve

The distinction of being an Illinois Democracy School is not a “destination” rather it is an acknowledgement that preparing students for civic life is a “journey” that is always evolving as the needs of our students evolve and change. The IDS Network provides a community of practice that uses a systemic approach to assess, reflect and improve civic learning across the school system (CLASS).

IDS Values	Educator Actions	School Leadership Actions	Student Engagement	School Engagement with Families & Community
Assessment	4TAa. ASSESS student knowledge and skills using a variety of modalities throughout lessons/units to help students improve their own learning.	4SLAa. Align assessment school wide by creating regular opportunities for all staff to engage in collaboration and conversations relating to school improvement.	4SEa. ENGAGE in continuous growth through assessment, peer review, feedback, and revision.	4EFCa. CONDUCT recursive assessments about quality of community engagement and utilize feedback to map out opportunities for improvement.
Reflection	4TAb. ENCOURAGE students to reflect on and improve their work by providing timely feedback as well as facilitating peer to peer collaboration in classroom work and extracurricular activities.	4SLAb. CREATE opportunities for students to share reflections about their learning and extracurricular experiences with families and community through events like student-led parent conferences.	4SEb. PRACTICE self-reflection and track growth/learning over time in an effort to continuously improve their work and develop content expertise with civic purpose.	4EFCb. PROVIDE school wide systems and protocols such as public forums, family surveys, and school wide celebrations to reflect on data, solicit feedback, and support decision making
Improvement	4TAc. REFLECT on student performance data, as well as formal and informal student feedback, to identify where instruction and coaching can be scaffolded and differentiated to serve all students’ needs.	4SLAc. FACILITATE opportunities for staff to collaborate, analyze student work, behavior, and community engagement to improve outcomes school wide.	4SEc. IMPROVE outcomes by implementing new understandings from assessment, peer review, self-reflection, and teacher feedback.	4EFCc. ENGAGE community voice in creating essential questions for inquiry to inform school improvement plans and district policies.
Outreach and Collaboration	4TAd. COLLABORATE with cultural institutions (museums, historical societies, libraries, etc.) and civic learning partners in professional development to utilize resources to prepare students for college, career, and civic life that is inclusive of historically underrepresented and economically excluded groups.	4SLAd. ARTICULATE connections between civic learning and other school and district initiatives to support local school improvement plans.	4SEd SEEK OUT school supports (peer tutoring, educator office hours, study groups, etc) to address gaps and opportunities identified in assessments to improve performance.	4EFCd. COLLABORATE, when possible, with families, community stakeholders,and students to support student growth by forming committees and working groups such as parent engagement programs, parent nights, open houses, and parent teacher conferences.
Continous Cycle for Improvement	4TAe. BE ACTIVE IN professional learning communities focused on support, sharing resources, collaboration, and mentoring to promote a continuous cycle of improvement and courageous engagement in dialogues and discussions that result from school wide civic learning.	4SLAe. ENGAGE in continuous development of a positive school climate using data, resources, and feedback provided by certified and non-certified staff, prioritizing student voice and agency to enhance the school experience.	4SEe.PARTICIPATE in opportunities for student voice and choice to support continous school improvement (student council elections, student voice committees, participatory budgeting, extra curricular activities, etc.).	4EFCe. BE ACCOUNTABLE, throughout the school improvement cycle, to community feedback by sharing how the input is applied and what changes are made to school policies and practices impacting the classroom and extracurricular activities.

Glossary of Terms

Assessment Mechanisms/Formats: Different ways to measure how well you understand something. Examples of these: tests, projects, presentations, discussions.
Co-creating: Working together with others to make something new, like a project or solution to a community problem.
Collaborate: Working together with others to achieve a common goal.
College, Career, and Civic Engagement (C3): A program of National Council for Social Studies which emphasizes the acquisition and application of knowledge to prepare students for higher education, career, and civic life.
Community Voice: The collective opinions and needs of the people in a community.
Dialogue: A two-way conversation where everyone has a chance to be heard.
Extracurricular Activities: Activities outside of regular classes that allow one to pursue a special interest, meet new people, and develop a new skill set.
Formative Assessment: Regularly checking understanding throughout the learning process, allowing you to adjust your learning approach.
Historically Underrepresented and Economically Excluded Groups: Communities whose voices haven’t traditionally been heard in government or civic life, and who may face economic challenges.
Participatory Budgeting: This is a process where community members directly decide how to spend part of a budget. It allows people to have a say in how their tax dollars are used.
Recursive: This means something that repeats itself, but with changes based on what was learned from previous iterations.
Student Voice: Giving students opportunities to express their ideas, opinions, and concerns about their world.

Examples of Element in Practice

By providing school wide systems and protocols to solicit feedback and support decision-making, Prairie Ridge High School engages with the community at several levels. This includes regular communication through letters, newsletters, videos, and surveys to gather feedback on various aspects of the school, from curriculum to policy to initiatives. The engagement of families through events, such as Parent Advisory Group meetings and Parent University, indicates a willingness to involve them in the educational process and to address their concerns. The practice of compiling guest speaker and career connection information in a software program for students and families reflects the school’s dedication to enhancing the learning experience and post-secondary planning. Additionally, the efforts to develop relationships and partnerships with community members, including politicians and businesses, demonstrate a commitment to creating a collaborative and supportive learning environment. (4EFCb)

Participatory Budgeting (PB) engages students in deciding how to spend funds to benefit the school community. School PB gives students voice and choice to support continous school improvement, develops student leadership, supports student and school success, and involves the entire school in meaningful civic experiences. Three of our Illinois Democracy Schools were involved in a Participatory Budgeting project during the 2023-24 school year. Read the details from the teacher who oversaw each: Spoon River Valley HS, Alton HS, West Chicago HS. (4SEe)