Culturally Appropriate Assessment

Classes

CSP 630 - The Holistic School Counselor

School counselor trainees take CSP 630 in their first year, which addresses school counseling through a social justice lens. In this course, students create their own ecological model and explore their motivations for working as a school counselor, while also learning how to conduct ecological models with students. Past scholars have shared that learning about ecological models and ecosystemic analysis in this class helped them to better understand culturally appropriate assessment.

CSP 761 & 711 - Dynamic Assessment

Third year school psychology trainees take two Dynamic Assessment courses (CSP 761 and 711) over the course of one year. In these two courses, students learn how to conduct dynamic assessment using MindLadder tools, as well as how to mediate learning through the theoretical and practical framework found in Twenty-One Thinking Skills for the 21st Century: The MiCOSA Model. Students facilitate culturally-affirming mediated learning interventions at Albert Einstein Academy and their own practicum sites. Past scholars have shared that their learning in these courses helped them implement mediated learning strategies in the Identity & Resilience groups with Native/Indigenous youth.

Conferences

National Indian Education Association (NIEA) Conference

If you have the opportunity to attend NIEA or other conferences, this could be a place to learn from others outside of our local area about what culturally relevant assessment looks like in practice. For example, one scholar noted how he learned at NIEA that in the state of Minnesota, they are required to have a cultural liaison conduct at least one observation in the classroom, and they also recommend observing the student in a cultural setting with peers of the same culture. You can also check the NIEA website for at home resources related to culturally relevant assessment.

Peer to Peer Learning

Peer to peer learning was one of the most cited opportunities for past scholars to deepen their understanding of culturally relevant assessment. Scholars described learning from each other in their design and facilitation of groups with Native youth, as well as learning from each other in seminar while practicing dynamic assessment and mediated learning. School counselors in particular cited learning from their school psychologist colleagues in the grant, as the counseling program places less of an emphasis on assessment in its overall curriculum.

On-Site Work with Native Youth

Many past scholars have cited their time working at a school site as some of the most helpful opportunities to learn about Culturally Relevant Assessment. These scholars have mentioned learning directly from their students, designing and administering pre-post group surveys, and consulting with others at the site to support students who qualify for special education services as examples of learning about culturally relevant assessment in practice.