Own Your Learning!

Like many other classrooms, we have to do testing to show student growth. In our district, one of the ways we measure student growth is with the use of STAR Early Literacy. My students look forward to this because they like tracking their own growth! They get upset with me if I do not give them their reports right away. We talk about their "bubbles" (scores), and why they went up or down. We have had many fantastic conversations about our scores that have impacted instruction.

ANYWAY, the other day during the testing window for the Spring Tests, a child came up to me during playtime and was all excited because "Derek" was taking a STAR test, and she wanted to take one too! I squeal, "Noooo!" Thank goodness, he had not actually started the test yet! (We had already taken ours, and you are only allowed to take it once during the window!) When I asked him why he was taking a STAR test, his response was, "I wanted to see my bubble grow again! ...... So, I can't take one now?" Bless his little heart. The other child was disappointed as well!

Now that is real ownership! I NEVER would have thought children would be excited to take a STAR test, but when you show them how important it is, they see how the test works into their instruction and learning, and THEY track it themselves, it is POWERFUL stuff!