Student Assessment

At The Cooper School’s Middle School, we transform the grading and assessment paradigm, departing from the century-old A, B, C system. Instead, we champion Authentic Assessment practices, emphasizing students’ growth and learning.

We employ a system of assessment that informs instruction effectively, enabling students to showcase their skills through daily work, formative assessments, performance tasks, and presentations. Authentic assessment is central to our approach, offering students the time and support they need for meaningful self-assessment and peer collaboration. This aligns with modern research on how students’ brains develop and emphasizes the need for assessments to transcend narrow achievement outcomes. Our approach promotes transparency, minimizes ambiguity in grading, and mitigates the potential for bias.

In Middle School, we introduce a new grading system, offering students a checklist, a narrative, and a percentage grade based on summative assessments. This empowers them with a clearer understanding of their academic progress and equips them with the skills they need to succeed in high school and beyond. At the end of each trimester, these comprehensive report cards are issued to parents. In our commitment to open communication, we offer multiple opportunities for parent-teacher conferences and provide progress reports midway through each trimester. We empower students through a unique self-assessment conference in the spring led by the students. This conference fosters active student engagement, self-reflection, and ownership of their education, allowing them to set personal goals for the future.