ABSTRACT
When the Paideia Group composed the original Paideia Principles in the mid-1980s, it tied assessment directly to the three “columns” of instruction and the student knowledge, skill, and understanding that was supposed to result. The Group's ninth principle states:
Each student's achievement of these results would be evaluated in terms of that student's competencies and not solely related to the achievement of other students.
This principle clearly suggests that although Paideia teachers set high standards, they do not equate intellectual quality with standardized test scores. Rather, they measure each child's progress individually and communicate about that progress as clearly and helpfully as possible. A Paideia classroom honors the democratic ideal: it is sensitive to the rights and needs of the individual while building a sense of community for the entire group. Ultimately, how teachers assess a student's progress may well be the key to how that student responds to didactic instruction, project work, and seminar participation.