Designing an Assessment Plan That Reflects What Matters Most

Module 1: Getting Started with Assessment
Designing Your Microschool Assessment Approach
Module 2: The Purpose of Assessment
Rethinking Assessment: A Tool for Growth and Empowerment
Assessment as an Ongoing Practice
Module 3: Collecting Evidence
From Snapshots to Stories: Gathering Meaningful Evidence
Module 4: Artifacts Collected Through Project-Based Learning
Portfolio Evidence and the Student Success Framework
Module 5: Academic Skills
Two Kinds of Academic Outcomes
Assessment Tool 1: Rubrics
Module 6: Life Habits
Building Habits That Help Students Thrive
Assessment Tool 2: Checklists
Module 7: Purpose and Sense of Self
Reflecting on Purpose and Identity
Assessment Tool 3: Reflections
Module 8: Other Critical Outcomes
Academic Content Skills
Module 9: Helping Students Develop a Growth Mindset
Why Growth Mindset Matters
Module 10: What Comes Next?
Looking Ahead
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Building Habits That Help Students Thrive

Designing an Assessment Plan That Reflects What Matters Most Building Habits That Help Students Thrive

Why Life Habits Matter

Success in school—and in life—is about more than academics. Students thrive when they develop strong personal habits: asking thoughtful questions, working well with others, persevering through challenges, and understanding how their actions impact the world around them. These life habits turn learning into a journey of growth, purpose, and self-awareness—and help prepare students to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The Life Habits Reflection Checklist

At Rock by Rock, we use a Life Habits Checklist to help students and teachers reflect on these essential skills. It’s not a rubric—it’s a simple, flexible tool for noticing patterns, tracking growth, and starting meaningful conversations.

 

Directions: In the portfolio, you’ll find Life Habits Checklists completed by both Nicholas and his teacher. As you review them, ask yourself: 

  1. What kind of evidence does this checklist provide?
  2. How is this different from a rubric? 
  3. What differences do you notice about how Ms. Emily and Nicholas evaluated Nicholas’ work? How could Ms. Emily use that information to lead a conversation with Nicholas?

What's Being Measured?

Each checklist focuses on a specific habit. For Nicholas, the focus was empathy—a skill that helps students understand and support others.

 

Instead of rating performance on a scale, the checklist uses simple, student-friendly language to help learners reflect on their actions. For example, in the empathy section, students consider:

  • Do I notice how others are feeling when I play or work with them?
  • Can I share my ideas in ways that support others?
  • Do I try to feel what others are feeling?

By checking off these indicators, students (and teachers) start to build a shared understanding of how habits show up in real contexts—like group projects, class discussions, or problem-solving tasks. This can help students see and leverage strengths. It can also help students identify skills with-in empathy they want to prioritize working on more or more consistently.

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