Home Assessments
Formative, summative, and ongoing assessments are a critical part of Park Day’s academic program. Assessment is woven into all projects, providing creative opportunities for students to demonstrate academic mastery. Formal written and oral assessments are given at the end of each core academic learning unit.
In the upper grades, the Blackbaud online grading system enables parents and students to track individual assignments (homework, essays, reports) and assessments (quizzes and tests). Standards-based progress reports are published in the fall and spring for all students K-8.
Teachers are in communication throughout the school year with parents as needed, and official parent-teacher conferences take place twice a year.
Park Day School favors assessments that provide students with opportunities to revise and improve their thinking, helping educators identify gaps in understanding that can be addressed with differentiated instruction.
Progressive education uses a variety of assessments and standards based grading to measure student learning. These mastery based learning models have been long used by progressive schools like Park Day. Over the past 20 years, this approach to assessment has been gaining in popularity nationwide as educational experts consider the skills students need to be successful in a rapidly changing world.
Research on Assessment/Learning:
KQED’s Mindshift: Assessments
Mastery Transcript Consortium
How People Learn, National Research Council
Progressive Education: Why it’s hard to beat, but also hard to find
Loving Learning: How Progressive Education Can Save America’s Schools
NPR: What kind of parent are you?
Educators send home comprehensive written narratives twice a year. These 12-16 page assessments include a string of standards based skills assessments in each academic area measuring multiple skills in each area. Teachers also write narratives to add depth and analysis to student learning in different areas. If a student is struggling, teachers will reach out and communicate with a family in order to partner in support of a child’s learning in advance of any formal feedback.
Teacher/advisor conferences are held midway through the term, twice a year. In Middle School, students lead those conferences with support from their advisor. Student-selected portfolios are part of each conference, and teachers/students guide parents through student work, and each student’s growth edge and areas of success. Beginning in 3rd grade, students take part in helping lead these conferences. They share their own successes, alongside stretch and challenge areas while outlining personal goals.
In Middle School, students and parents access the Blackbaud online grading system to track completed and missing work, receive scores and feedback on homework, classwork, and tests.
View Assignments
Students and families can view current and upcoming assignments for the day, week, or month, as well as see all past assignments.
View Progress and Scores
Students and families can track progress overall as well as see feedback and scores on individual assignments.