The Chance Classroom
At Chance we choose to spend time and energy increasing students’ learning using authentic assessment to measure and support that learning. Beginning in the two-year-old classrooms and continuing through the fifth grade, authentic assessment takes place daily in a consistent, organized and structured manner. Because the instruction and evaluation are so closely woven and dependent upon each other, even the “look” of a Chance classroom is different than a more traditional setting. You can see it as you visit classrooms and tour the school.

The day’s work begins as students enter the classroom and get busy with the day’s activities. Teachers observe children’s involvement in class work and play to gauge understanding and application of learning opportunities. Observations are made regarding cognitive, social, emotional, moral and physical development. As children produce numerous works, some samples are gathered for portfolios to show a progression of learning and achievement of skills. Teachers take time to listen to students, giving them the opportunity to share. This provides evidence of their prior knowledge and new understanding of the curriculum happening around them.

As students mature, there is a natural progression toward greater personal involvement and ownership as each student works closely with his/her teachers in various ways, to show understanding of what has been learned through effective and reflective avenues of assessment. Self-responsibility and goal setting become refined and emphasized through this practice. Progress reports and parent-teacher conferences combined with the classroom structure of authentic assessment practices are ways to document and convey student learning and progress to parents.