Rethinking Assessment: Justice, Feedback, and Real Growth in Education
By Jonathan Webb
What Assessment Means to Me
Assessment isn’t just about grades or test scores, but about how we read the room, sense progress, and shape next steps for learning. For me, it’s a process of witnessing development, not measuring deficits. SoumiaBechkit and Chetoui (2024) describe assessment as the gathering and interpreting of evidence of student learning. But I would add: it’s also about honoring who the student is while imagining who they might become.
I build lesson objectives by working backward from what I want students to walk away with—not just academically, but personally and professionally. My time with Rick Stiggins’ (2014) “New Vision of Excellence in Assessment” reinforced this: when assessments become emotionally supportive and purpose-driven, they become tools for liberation, not limitation. That’s the bar.
Performance, Open-Ended, or Selected Response?
I’ve used all three, but if I had to pick a favorite, I’d choose performance-based assessments every time. They mirror the real world, especially in interpreter education, where theory and practice are inseparable. Performance tasks allow students to apply ethical frameworks or interpretation models like Demand-Control Schema (Dean & Pollard, 2013) in simulated environments. These tasks don’t just show me what students know; they show me how they think, adapt, and respond. That’s the kind of assessment that prepares someone for life beyond the classroom.
The Debate Over Effort Grades
Effort grades often get dismissed as “soft,” but I see them as strategic. When clearly defined, they can capture the grit, persistence, and resilience students demonstrate (Paredes, 2017; Swinton, 2007). In my classroom, I use effort grades sparingly, and always with transparency. For instance, if a student shows up with consistency, responds to feedback, and revises work with intent—that’s effort. And it deserves acknowledgment. Stiggins (2008) advocates for systems that reward growth, and effort grades, done right, help us build that culture.
Self-Assessment and Co-Constructed Rubrics
I’ve seen firsthand how powerful it is when students assess themselves. We use tools like GoReact to let students annotate their own interpretation work, then reflect on patterns. They develop SMART goals based on that feedback. It’s formative, it’s empowering, and it’s theirs. As Arindra and Ardi (2020) note, self-assessment reduces anxiety and builds writing confidence—but I’d say it does even more in interpreting: it helps students step into professional identity. Inviting students to co-create rubrics or reflect before conferences (as I’ve done using the RISE framework) turns assessment into dialogue instead of a declaration (Eun, 2019; Way, 2021).
Portfolios: Student Growth in Action
Portfolios are one of the richest ways to assess long-term development. In our final semester, interpreting students build digital portfolios that showcase their work, reflections, and readiness for certification. It’s not just a binder full of work; it’s a story about who they’re becoming. The benefit? Students get to see their own trajectory. The drawback? They take time. But the payoff in metacognition and confidence is worth it. Portfolios shift focus from “Did I get it right?” to “Am I growing in the right direction?” (D’Brot & Brandt, 2024).
Visuals: Data That Speaks
Figures matter. They help us see patterns we might otherwise overlook. In a recent project, I analyzed student scores over five assessments and noticed a steady decline—something I missed when only looking at numbers. That led to a redesigned lesson focused on scaffolding and cultural responsiveness (Johnson et al., 2025).
Figure 1. Average Class Scores Over Time (Week 1 to Week 5)
Final Thoughts: What We Often Miss
Assessment has become synonymous with compliance, but it should be about clarity and connection. Standardized testing still dominates discourse, yet it often marginalizes multilingual learners or students who don't fit the narrow mold (Holler, 2025; Markson et al., 2023). Yes, data has a place—but if we want meaningful education, we need assessments that reflect human growth, not just institutional needs. Whether it's a roleplay in ethics class, a student’s self-recorded interpretation, or a peer-reviewed blog like this one—assessment can be a place where students recognize their own brilliance.
References
Arindra, M. Y., & Ardi, P. (2020). The Correlation between Students’ Writing Anxiety and the Use of Writing Assessment Rubrics. LEARN Journal, 13(1), 76–93.
Bechkit, S., & Chetoui, Y. (2024). The nature of educational assessment in the educational process: Types and methods. Journal of Development & Human Resources Management, 11(1), 480–494.
Dean, R., & Pollard, R. (2013). The Demand Control Schema: Interpreting as a Practice Profession. CreateSpace.
D’Brot, J., & Brandt, W. C. (2024). Supporting continuous improvement efforts through balanced assessment systems. Region 5 Comprehensive Center. https://region5compcenter.org
Eun, B. (2019). The zone of proximal development as an overarching concept. Educational Philosophy & Theory, 51(1), 18–30.
Holler, A. (2025). Standardized testing: An inadequate measure of academic achievement and cognitive growth. Journal of Student Research at Indiana University East.
Johnson, W., Vlach, S., & Leija, M. (2025). Enacting Reading Comprehension: Using Diverse Literature to Engage Children’s Critical, Sociopolitical Knowledge. Reading Research Quarterly, 60(1).
Markson, C., Forman, K., Irizarry, D., & Levy, L. (2023). Diversity, inequity, and exclusion: How SATs and other standardized tests reduce diversity in higher education. Journal for Leadership and Instruction, 22(1), 41–46.
Paredes, V. (2017). Grading system and student effort. Education Finance and Policy, 12(1), 107–128.
Stiggins, R. (2008). Assessment manifesto: A call for the development of balanced assessment systems. Educational Testing Service. https://famemichigan.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Stiggins-Assessment-Manifesto-A-Call-for-the-Development-of-Balanced-Assessment-Systems.pdf
Swinton, O. (2007). Grading for Effort: The success equals effort policy at Benedict College. Review of Black Political Economy, 34(1–2), 149–164.
Way, C. (2021). Developing manageable individualized formative assessment of translator trainees through rubrics. Research in Language, 19(2), 135–154.