The Time is Now for Revelatory Assessment

What is the purpose of school? In recent years, there’s been a resurgence of possibility in answering this question with different timelines, school models, and rationale. With the access and rapid development of AI tools, the tumultuous workforce and industry climate, and the acknowledgement of creating environments that support mental health and well being, the old way of answering the purpose of school question no longer rings true and the traditional schooling model no longer rings relevant. 

A couple of years ago, we co-created a concept exploring that call to action, that purpose worthy of future generations and future learning possibilities with added resources and a dynamic human condition. We call it, Revelatory Assessment. Now, more than ever, we find it able to guide and provide examples of what can be, and is worthy for, our current and future generations of learners. Rooted in learning that has happened since time immemorial and successful in guiding humans through profound changes in their existence and survival, our distinctly human gifts are what will continue our livelihood into our challenging and amazing future. 

Is there space for Revelatory Assessment in the field?

America has “successfully” implemented a model of education for over one hundred years. The goals and outcomes for that schooling model are no longer the goals and outcomes for our graduates. We try, in many forms, to recycle industrial era values and purposes, and the system of education is slow to respond to change, but the world is moving on, with or without effective schooling models to meet the needs of our time. 

We wondered if there was space in “the field” for Revelatory Assessment, and, through rich discourse with experts and elders like those in the Gordon Seminar as well as working with practitioners across the country, we know there is. There is plenty of space for multiple approaches to meet the dynamic needs of our modern world. More importantly, the journey of our framework development, workshops and inquiries has opened a portal to schools, organizations and learning experiences that are happening across the country and world. Revelatory Assessment is not a novel idea. It is happening in many different places, and our work amplifies implementations in place, and it helps develop understanding and focus for folks starting this journey into learning possibilities. 

Distinctly Human (Abby)

In the process of sharing the Revelatory Learning & Assessment framework with folks across the country, we were reminded over and over about the power and the promise of centering wonder, discovery, and joy. As the world hurtles toward increased automation, artificial intelligence, and other innovation in the name of progress, it feels important to identify what separates us from the technology that we use…and to lift up what we as humans can find and experience in our bodies, and share with others. Even without the both exciting and ominous developments of large learning models and autonomous technology, the landscape of education has been experiencing an erosion of discovery, wonder, and joy for quite some time now. We are not suggesting that Revelatory Learning & Assessment can undo the effects of the high stakes testing era introduced by NCLB, or make up for inequitable funding allocations that disproportionately impact students who have been historically underestimated and systemically silenced, or remove the harmful phrase “learning loss” from the mouths of policy makers in this post-covid era. But we do believe that the basic philosophies, mindsets, and practices in the framework ask us to hold sacred the very things that we find in some of our most human moments – wonder, discovery, and joy.

We have been introduced to some beautiful examples of where this is already happening across the country. Students at Rock Tree Sky in Ojai, CA don’t choose from courses, instead they choose from offerings that invite them to build prototypes of helicopters, create music collectively, and explore the natural world as part of their core curriculum. At DEAP, a school in the Navajo Nation founded by members of its community, students explore their Diné culture as they root their learning into the land upon which they and their ancestors have walked and farmed and protected for generations. And at NEIA (New England Innovation Academy), all students are invited to do Passion Dives where they explore a personal interest with the goal of deepening individual connection to purpose and agency.It would not be possible for AI, large learning models, etc. to replicate the embodied learning experiences that are happening in these places. It is this type of learning, that which is distinctly human, that the Revelatory Framework seeks to move more systems towards,

Human centered learning (Kelly) 

What is my purpose as part of a learning ecosystem? Since the re-opening from post-covid school shut down era, students are telling us they need something else:purpose, meaning behind things, relevance, etc. They are telling us that there was a false buy-in to school only for compliance, a propulsion of output. And now, none of that matters. When school shut down, the cat was out of the bag to parents and students that, in most cases, classrooms and schools weren’t necessary for students to access information and learn. Everyone can access “all the answers, all the time”. With no shortage of information access, the need from schools shifts to how to interpret, discern, scrutinize and utilize all the available information so our future generations can be ready to use and engage in a technologically complex society. More importantly, our students need to learn these skills in a human centered, soul building culture that encourages creativity and purpose in an environment of information overload. 

What does it mean to be a good person? How do you build trusting relationships with others? How do I share my feelings? Overcome conflict? How do I know what I’m good at? What fills my heart with joy? How do I make sense of polarities and complex histories? These are the essential questions schools need to answer. Students need learning spaces that clear out all of the noise and center the humanness and necessity of learning in terms of agency and purpose of existence vs. knowledge attainment.

Conclusion 

Revelatory Learning and Assessment centers humanity and distinct experiences of wonder, discovery and joy. We are honored to share the stories of educators and students engaging in Revelatory Learning and Assessment, and to build a community of practice focused on the hearts and minds of young people.