Community Powered Assessment – Documenting Promising Approaches and Practices

We are a community of researchers, non-profit leaders, and advocates working at all levels of the education system to transform assessments and assessment practices in education. We work in partnership with systems leaders and their communities to create new assessment tools and processes – anchored in a localized understanding of community assets, culture and funds of knowledge – that reflect student identities, assets and shared goals for teaching and learning.

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What We Are Working Towards

Our work is guided by a core set of principles and beliefs rooted in the power and process of community
co-creation. Central to our work is a culture of continuous improvement and innovation grounded in
the rigor and quality of assessments which will improve the learning outcomes for students.

Assess systems

Assess Systems

Help all stakeholders assess whether and how their systems’ policies and practices support and nurture equitable learning environments and high-quality teaching and learning

Design New Solutions

Offer new approaches to capturing skills, knowledge, and opportunities elevated by young people and their communities..

Build Authentic Partnerships

Facilitate authentic partnerships between systems leaders, educators, and young people and their families to support a system of continuous improvement and mutual accountability.

Navigate System Change

Provide assets and guides to support advancing equitable and authentic engagement with youth voice

The education field needs examples of what equitable assessment systems look like in practice

Featured Resources

Project Flourish

Learn about the Education Collaboratory at Yale’s practices to advance inclusive and equitable implementation and evaluation of social and emotional learning in school settings.

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Culturally Affirming Practices Criteria

Learn about Village of Wisdom's process and approach of training and leveraging parent participatory action research to drive and engage in evaluation of learning environments.

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Adult & Child Agency Inventories

Learn about Beloved Community’s equity audit, which helps to align specific behaviors and policies that operationalize belonging.

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Schools and Communities Organizing for Racial Equity

Learn about the Center for Youth and Community Leadership in Education’s work assessing school district progress on community priorities.

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Educators all over the country know assessments need to change.

Designed using universal norms that don’t reflect the multi-dimensional diversity of students today, assessments fail to engage communities in decision making or advance equity in meaningful ways. There is a path, however, toward something better. Community Powered provides educators with tools and approaches to co-create community and student-informed assessments that provide a holistic picture of what students need to feel like they belong and can succeed in school and in life.

Join a new learning series hosted by Education First: “Community Powered: New Approaches to Measurement, Data and Assessment.” You will have an opportunity to learn and practice alongside thought leaders, advocates, practitioners, and researchers who are transforming assessment practices in education.