Evaluations and Assessments

Assessment Philosophy

Discovery Prep believes that educational ability and intelligence are not constants; rather, they can grow in a stimulating and positive environment. Evaluation at Discovery Prep enables instruction to be adaptive and flexible. As a result, Discovery Prep uses a wide variety of testing and performance evaluations to monitor students strengths and areas of challenge.

Semester and Quarterly Evaluations

Following semester final exams, students earn grades on an A through F scale for each course. Grades are recorded on a four point scale, with A representing four points. Advanced and honors course offerings are recorded on a five- point scale to reflect additional work and mastery of the subject. These grades are accompanied by teacher narratives, which highlight important aspects of your child’s growth.

Core Value Evaluations and Feedback

Discovery Prep emphasizes a number of values key to personal and professional success: Trustworthiness, Creativity, Courage, Compassion, and Perseverance. Students self-assess on a 1-7 scale intermittently, with teacher-mentors providing formal and informal feedback based on classroom and community interactions. Quest work might also highlight a specific core value on which the students focus.

Annual Student Goals

Each year during our fall expeditions we walk our students through a goal setting curriculum that asks each student to develop two personal goals: one personal and the other community-based. These goals are presented and revised each term by the student, in dialogue with his or her faculty and family. Progress towards attainment is evaluated each quarter.

Quest-based Projects and Portfolios

Throughout the 6 Quest-based projects each year, students develop online portfolios which allow them to track their growth and development. These Portfolios are curated on the school’s proprietary Quest site, enabling students to share and build upon the previous work of other students. These projects provide an opportunity for the students to present their learning to the community, which in turn celebrates the development of the individual. The senior year cap-stone projects are presented as a component of the student’s graduation defense.

Standardized Testing (ACT Aspire, PSAT and Tessera)

Students take standardized tests in each discipline they study. These tests are used in Discovery Prep’s ongoing evaluation of each student and are scheduled each spring. Achievement test results inform the school and the student in areas of needed student growth and is one of several means to establish educational planning.