We designed the Learner-Centered Assessment Fellowship to bridge the gap between academic research in assessment and K-12 educational practice, by providing early-career assessment scholars with hands-on experience with education practitioners.
Each fellow, a graduate student with expertise in assessment, was matched with an education partner for a service-learning experience that provided approximately 30 hours of collaborative support on an assessment-related problem of practice. With support from a senior scholar mentor, fellows worked alongside their practice-side partner to understand their needs, generate ideas, and contribute their knowledge, while also learning from the expertise and real-world experience of their partners.
The four inaugural fellows pursued projects that addressed pressing challenges in education. Topics included:
"I gained valuable insights into many key facets of assessment. Working with stakeholders to understand their needs and goals was a precious experience. Working with a mentor was enriching and allowed me to think creatively and in ways that challenged my perspectives. On a personal level, this opportunity allowed me to apply many technical skills to a project I was passionate about.” (Fellow)
The fellowship provided meaningful experiences to all participants. Fellows gained firsthand experience in bridging research and practice, as well as gaining real-world consulting experience. For education partners, the projects generated valuable insights, actionable steps, and, oftentimes, external validation of their work. Mentors also shared that this experience was uniquely rewarding, given how the mentorship focused on a goal of maximally supporting the education partners rather than on creating a publishable scholarly article.
"I witnessed the immense benefit of empowering local communities to use evidence to share their own previously overlooked stories. … I’ve developed a deeper connection to the mission of culturally responsive assessment and have strengthened my self-efficacy in applying its theory to K-12 educational contexts." (Fellow)
The work of these scholars exemplifies the power of the next generation of assessment scholars, who are committed to developing assessments that acknowledge the cultural nature of both individuals and systems, leading to more fair and effective measures of learning. The care put into these projects is an example of the importance of research-practice partnerships that bring together education practitioners, scholars, and communities to co-create meaningful assessment solutions.
“I just want to give my gratitude back to [the Scholar] for doing this project. … Some of the ideas [the Scholar] came up with are really going to help us as we try to move forward, and as we work with our partners at the elementary schools and try to come up with ways to address the issues that we have currently.” (Education Leader)
Acknowledgements: Special thank you to our four talented and dedicated 2024 Fellows: Keisha Lanier Brown (Georgia State University), Juan Cruz (Harvard University), Nicolas Mireles (James Madison University), and Anna Yinqi Zhang (Penn State University), and their generous mentors: Brian French (Washington State University), Chad Gotch (Washington State University), and Kent Seidell (University of Colorado Denver). Heartfelt thanks also to all our partners at the Learner-Centered Collaborative, Bonsall Unified School District, Hawai’i Public Charter School Commission, and the Western Pennsylvania Innovation Cohort for their generous and inspired collaboration.
