The power of student assessment in the promotion of an inclusive environment in the school

Student assessment is usually viewed as a tool for teachers to grade their students by the end of a period or school year. It is often used as a single moment where the students’ achievements are evaluated as a final mark. Furthermore, assessment is often done in a standardized way and focused on the amount of knowledge students were able to retain and with a limited view on a few skills they may have developed. Student assessment has existed for decades and has served many purposes. However, as society is evolving and schools are becoming more aware of the importance of diversity, inclusion and innovative educational methods, the standardized method of assessment is becoming obsolete.

In a survey done to over 150 teachers in Spain, Portugal, Greece and a few other countries, many teachers have reported that they understand the need to innovate in assessment, they want to focus on students’ skills, more than on the knowledge retained and that they lack the tools, skills, and know-how to do it. It has become evident that assessment needs to embrace student diversity and must be used as a tool for development. It must be seen as a fluid evaluation where student find endless opportunities to evolve and grow, not only academically but also socially and emotionally.

Considering this, the ASSESS project was born, through a partnership between four partners from Portugal, Greece, and Spain and with the doors open to all interested teachers that want to revolutionize student assessment. The project team believes that a standardized student assessment can never reach the depths of human diversity and talents and thus, needs to be reinvented and updated.

The project will work with teachers to create an innovative assessment methodology as well as a kit of digital and analogue tools that teachers and students can use for assessment. Furthermore, the project will offer an on-line course for all teachers interested in learning how to use but also how to create their own innovative assessment tools.

The project has already launched a campaign during the EU Diversity Month (May 2021) where over 100 teachers and students from over 8 countries have created sentences about assessment, which were shared in the projects’ Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AssessProject). ASSESS is now recruiting teachers that want to participate and collaborate in the creation of an innovative assessment paradigm. More info can be found on the projects’ website: https://assess.nuclio.org . During this talk, the project idea is going to be presented as well a summary of the results obtained so far.