Across the country, educators need ways to assess student learning that can also support students' higher-order thinking skills, help improve teachers' instructional practices, and ultimately allow students to demonstrate college and career readiness through a culminating assessment--such as a graduate capstone or senior portfolio defense. In…

Performance assessments are part of a robust assessment system in which students show what they know by writing an essay, curating a portfolio of work, or conducting original research. Ultimately, performance assessments can allow students to demonstrate college and career readiness through a culminating assessment--such as a graduate capstone or…

Pasadena Unified School District (Pasadena Unified) introduced the senior defense to help each student develop the skills, abilities, and mindsets associated with the district's ideal graduate. These include critical, creative, and innovative thinking; effective communication and collaboration; a healthy mind and body; cultural competence; and…

In Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles Unified), high school seniors who attend a Linked Learning pathway--an industry-themed school or small learning community within a school--complete a portfolio and defense. Linked Learning is an approach to education, delivered in an industry-aligned "pathway," that aims to increase the…