Unlike a traditional school model, where students begin each semester with a brimming, sparkling 100% and then watch their percentage, proficiency level, and self-esteem slowly drip or instantly spill away with every small or large mistake they make, Endeavor Microschool was created with an entirely different analogy in mind. In our mountain climbing analogy, learning is equated to the sport of mountaineering—completing a challenging climb not only to reach a summit, but allowing the climb itself to become the ultimate test of courage, resourcefulness, strength, and growth; and acknowledging both the journey and the destination as sources of accomplishment, fulfillment, and joy.

Each Competency and Cultural Anchor at Endeavor Microschool is divided into a smaller set of skills or attributes. Each of those 60+ skills and attributes has its own Competency “Trail Map” that provides a progression of performance levels and clearly spells out observable, measurable descriptions of skills and attributes in action at each of the six levels of development. These descriptions are called “Guideposts” and serve as key indicators of growth.

Assessment in CBE has nothing to do with the traditional practice of subtracting points for mistakes but focuses instead on building upon learning, informing and advising learners’ next steps, and helping learners map their progress toward mastery and the top of the mountain. This dramatically changes a guide’s purpose from evaluating, grading, or labeling students’ work to offering feedback and coaching growth along a long-term plan for progression.

Instead of (often arbitrary) grades, progression along each Trail Map is demonstrated with actual physical evidence of learning—images, documents, video or audio clips, projects, productions, and demonstrations of targeted skills and attributes accompanied by student reflections on the learning process.

Students have a block of time set aside every day to capture evidence from the day, connect it to the corresponding Guideposts, reflect, plan, and, at least once every two weeks, conference with their trail guide in a one-on-one setting. This Guided Planning Session (GPS) ensures that customized route planning is logistically possible for every student.

In “The Approach” (the early grades “walk” to “the base of the climb”), students work with their trail guides in a more teacher-directed setting as learners become proficient in the essential literacies—verbal and written communication, math, and technology; are trained to use a Simplified Route Plan; and learn to identify and understand competencies, submit evidence of mastery, and reflect on the learning process as they begin to develop a portfolio that will grow with them from Kindergarten through high school.

Evidence of learning, then, becomes a process of building skills from novice to expert, a journey of climbing to the top of a summit, rather than a game of “patch the leaky bucket” (such as seeking after “extra credit” opportunities) that is commonplace in the traditional model. Progress is based on mastery, and report cards are simply an ongoing snapshot of a child’s goals and progress in these key skills and attributes throughout their K-12 education. Students and parents will essentially see the same progress report term after term but will be able to track students’ progress as students set new goals, work toward mastery, and then “Level Up” when they have demonstrated mastery in specific areas.

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With six levels of progression on each of the 60+ skills and attributes, students will be expected to submit evidence for roughly 32 skills or attributes per school year, or one per week. Some larger project-based experiences will demonstrate evidence of multiple skills/attributes in the same submission, allowing time for students to produce high-quality work that they can be proud of and that can truly show meaningful growth.

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DIGITAL PORTFOLIOS

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As students learn to set appropriate goals, collect evidence of learning, and submit their evidence to seek feedback using an app called Unrulr, these submissions can also be shared with parents/guardians, extended family, and even future employees as a complete K-12 digital portfolio. Portfolios will capture both physical evidence of growth and provide a peek into students’ reflective processes as they actively assess their work, and develop habits of seeking input, applying advice, and demonstrating growth. Digital portfolios can be viewed on the app or published independently on a student website or link. Submissions are also electronically connected to the competencies for which students are seeking to demonstrate evidence of growth, providing an ongoing record, or “Route Log.” of learning.