Three Tools for Engaging Students in Self-Assessment 

In learner-centered classrooms, self-assessment is a transformative practice that deepens student engagement and enhances ownership of learning. Effective self-assessment tools—such as 1) student-facing learning progressions, 2) exemplars and non-examples, and 3) student-friendly success criteria rubrics and checklists—empower learners to take an active role in monitoring their growth. The power of using specific tools to support students’ thinking lies in their ability to make abstract learning processes visible and tangible, fostering deeper metacognition and reflection.

As outlined in Bloomberg and Pitchford (2017) and Bloomberg et al. (2022), self-assessment strategies improve learning outcomes and cultivate a classroom culture in which students feel valued, heard, and capable of success.

Learning progressions, like this selection from the book Amplify Learner Voice Through Culturally Responsive And Sustaining Assessment, provide students with a roadmap to mastery, breaking down complex skills into manageable steps. When designed to be student-friendly, these progressions serve as a mirror for learners, helping them recognize their current level and set goals for improvement. One effective example is the rainbow writing progression seen in this video of kindergarteners from PS 45 in Staten Island, which uses color-coded levels to indicate different stages of writing development, making progress visually clear and accessible for students.

Providing students with examples and non-examples helps them build a mental model of what high-quality work looks or sounds like. Examples, or exemplars, which can come in many forms ranging from written pieces and worked problems to live or recorded performances, set a standard for excellence. At the same time, non-examples highlight common pitfalls, encouraging students to analyze differences and refine their work accordingly. By comparing and contrasting examples using the success criteria, students move their learning from surface to deep. This process takes them deeper in the learning and strengthens their analytical skills, helping them understand not just what quality work looks or sounds like, but why it meets the standard. This practice, described in detail by Dr. Paul Bloomberg in Amplify Learner Voice Through Culturally Responsive And Sustaining Assessment, not only strengthens understanding but supports culturally responsive and sustaining assessment by ensuring that examples reflect diverse perspectives and experiences. Many educators have found these guiding questions for educators and sentence frames and stems for students helpful, especially when getting started with the process.

Success criteria make learning expectations explicit, giving students clear targets for self-assessment. One effective tool is the stoplight rubric, where criteria are categorized into green (meeting expectations and ready to teach others), yellow (approaching expectations and needs more practice), and red (needs improvement and support from the teacher). This visual framework helps students quickly assess their own work and determine next steps. Learners are able to focus on relative strengths within a task rather than having to think of themselves as either “good” or “bad” at the task as a whole. Teachers often incorporate visual cues or reminders into the criteria to support multilingual learners, developing readers, and others. Stoplight rubrics and similar tools provide step-by-step guidance for students, reinforcing key components of quality work, and fostering self-regulation.

Ready to see it in action? Check out these kindergarteners from Lefferts Park Elementary engaging in peer assessment using a stoplight rubric and check the Core Collaborative YouTube channel for more examples.

A crucial element of effective self-assessment is co-constructing success criteria with students. When learners participate in defining what quality work looks like, they develop a deeper understanding of expectations and feel a sense of ownership over their learning as you can see in this Algebra II class from Lyons Township High School. This process also strengthens culturally responsive and sustaining assessment practices by honoring students’ voices and experiences. Engaging students in discussions about quality, inviting them to analyze exemplars, and collaboratively developing rubrics ensure that assessment criteria are meaningful and relevant and that they transfer the criteria to other tasks.

Self-assessment is not just a reflection tool—it’s a powerful driver of student engagement and academic growth (Bloomberg & Pitchford, 2017; Bloomberg et al., 2022). By integrating student-facing learning progressions, exemplars and non-examples, and student-friendly rubrics and checklists, educators can create a classroom environment that nurtures learner agency and fosters continuous improvement. When students see themselves as active participants in the assessment process, they develop the skills necessary for lifelong learning and success.

Bloomberg, P., & Pitchford, B. (2023). Leading Impact Teams: Building a Culture of Efficacy and Agency. Mimi and Todd Press.

Bloomberg, P., Vandas, K., Twyman, I., Dukes, V., Carrillo Fairchild, R., Hamilton, C., & Wells, I. (2022). Amplify Learner Voice Through Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Assessment. Mimi and Todd Press.