Making Assessment Criteria Visible

“When students communicate their learning using a variety of work samples, they go beyond what grades, numbers and scores alone can show; they are able to examine the depth, the detail, and the range of their own learning to figure out their strengths and what they need to work on next” Anne Davies

Here's an example of how one of our grade 6 Math/Science teachers made the assessment criteria transparent and visible to students. The assignment was to identify a leaf using a dichotomous key and then create a summary of the student's observations.

Working together, the teacher and students created the descriptors for the four marks (1-4). Students then taped their own summaries to the board, self-assessing their work based on the criteria they developed as a class.. At the end, students were given the opportunity to reflect on the mark they gave themselves, and were able to change and improve their assignment.