Measuring progress is one of the essential steps in building academic momentum. Although we often assess students’ progress via report cards and exam grades, there is usually more to the story. School success should be measured through quantitative and qualitative measures, similar to annual job performance assessments. Proficiency in test-taking and homework accuracy should be evaluated alongside the more nuanced soft skills like organization and time management. A clear picture of progress and potential comes into view only when we combine the dual natures of student performance.
Of course, measuring student progress comes with other challenges beyond the essence of scope. Another factor is perspective. Our perspective of our own progress is skewed one way or another. Some students are too hard on themselves, while others need to be more critical. Parents and teachers can also be biased. Parents sometimes have strict standards that either don’t fit their child or are missing other elements of students’ success. Teachers carry biases, too. Some measure student performance exclusively on empirical data compared to the class average, ignoring the better approach of measuring a student compared to that student’s past performance.
Even with our perspective biases, there are three dimensions to consider in a progress checking practice: timing, balance, and implementation. Even the slightest step in the right direction is progress. Any amount of improvement should be celebrated.
In assessing a student’s progress, timing is critical. We recommend self-assessments weekly, monthly, and quarterly. These assessments can be written or verbal, formal or informal. The goal is to check progress and course correct consistently enough to get to the intended destination. Parents, teachers, or coaches can facilitate initially, but the ultimate goal is for students to evaluate their progress independently.
Self-evaluations should be balanced and consist of a brief check of the following skills: organization, time management, learning skills, and impression management. Students need to self-assess for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
To evaluate a student’s progress, walk through each skill and apply the tools. For example, students can assess the strengths and weaknesses of their current study habits, as well as opportunities for growth and roadblocks that might inhibit these new habits. The same can be done for organization and time management. For impression management, students should consider how well or how poorly they control the impressions they leave on teachers, parents, and peers. Then, apply the four tools to complete a thorough analysis and course-correct as needed.
The steps laid out above focus on implementation rather than fruitless data collection. When students properly assess all four skill-sets/tools, action and implementation follow naturally. The evaluation produces the correction in one fluid motion, whether it be a minor tweak from week to week or a major overhaul to begin a new semester.
At Illuminos, we provide the customized scaffolding your child needs while he or she learns to master organization, time management, note-taking, study and test-taking skills, self-advocacy, verbal and non-verbal communication, and social skills. To learn more about executive function and how it can help your child, please read our other resources or schedule time to talk with us.