Assessment based on documentation of performance
Teachers observe and document the daily life of the school to make learning visible. They use a variety of documentation methods, such as cameras, movie recorders and journals, to track children’s thoughts and ideas as they play together or work on projects. Each child has a journal, including photographs of their projects, quotes, artwork and writing samples. This forms a story of what the child learns at school.
Because children at CIJS learn through their own experiences, they retain what they learn and are able to apply it in real-world situations. They also find out that learning is fun, and become self-motivated. As children continue with their education, they have the knowledge-base and motivation to succeed.
CIJS meets state standards through documenting children’s performance, rather than through forced testing. Teachers record children’s verbalizations, collect their work, and video tape their performance in order to document the development of their skills. Children are not subjected to the pressure of testing, and their level of performance is assessed accurately.