Various tools contribute to the assessment of a childís progress in the classroom:

Observation: Each child is observed in his or her work environment on a regular basis. The teacher takes notes on the students work habits, peer interactions, and ability to process the task at hand. Observation helps the teacher assess whether a child is ready to advance through different aspects of the academic curriculum, how well he or she is able to handle certain social dynamics, and allows teachers and students to have a reference point during student/teacher conferencing.

Written work: All written work is reviewed by a teacher to evaluate progress and ability. Through reviewing the childís everyday work, we are able to see each childís natural strengths, as well as areas that are in need of improvement.

Portfolio: An ongoing portfolio with samples of each childís work is kept to track the success and progress of each student. Both teacher and student choose a variety of work to put in the portfolio.

Presentations: Each child has several opportunities throughout each school year to gather information and present a well-planned presentation of his or her work to peers, teachers, and parents. This process of research, writing, refining, and public speaking preparation is a wonderful tool to assess the advances a child makes throughout the year.

Check point evaluation tools (teacher created tools to assess proficiency): Through teacher-made and pre-purchased benchmark tools, the child can be ìquizzedî without the pressure of a test, to demonstrate his or her knowledge and ability before moving on to new material within the childís studies.

Middle School online progress tracking: The Mathematics program includes an online option allowing the student immediate feedback on quizzes and tests. Parents and teachers will have access to these as they are completed. The goal of this is to identify mastery or focus areas as the student works through the curriculum.

Record keeping and Sharing Progress With Families Each teacher within the classroom keeps his or her own records to mark the progress of each student. As a staff, we meet together each day for brief check-ins, as well as for an in-depth meeting each week to share each studentís progress and to support one another. Through our record keeping system we are focusing on core skills in both math and language, which give the students a strong foundation to explore the rich Montessori cultural curriculum.

As a staff, we are open to informal communication throughout the year and we will always contact you if there are areas where your child needs extra support. We welcome phone calls, emails, and conferences as needed. We love sharing your childís success stories, too! Donít be surprised when you receive a phone call or email to hear about the wonderful act of kindness that your child shared on a given day.

You will receive formal written reports in the following months:

January with conference
May with conference