Alternative assessment reporting and school improvement: Building a learning organization through collaboration and reflection

This research outlines a comparative case study of an alternative assessment reporting system at two school sites. Context Enriched Report Cards are school reporting devices that promote self-evaluation (Stover & Reed, 2002). Their goal is to report the quality of teaching and learning going on at the local school site. This research examined the process of publishing a Context Enriched Report Card to determine if the process could be described as a collaborative and reflective journey of school improvement.; The study took place at two schools in rural Alabama. The Context Enriched Report Card process was already in place at both sites before research began. Data collection consisted of open-ended survey questionnaires presented to three stakeholder groups, interviews conducted with a sample of educators directly involved in publishing the Context Enriched Report Card, and transcriptions and field notes from publication meetings at both sites. Using a constant comparative method, emergent themes were identified from the data to thoroughly describe each case. Themes and data were compared to provide generalizable conclusions about the Context Enriched Report Card process.; There were four conclusions discussed in this study. First, the Context Enriched Report Card primarily served an informational and public relations purpose at both school sites. Second, leadership style was a key factor in how the process was approached and executed. Third, representative participation in the process was important to institutionalization of the process. And finally, a micro-level approach to the publication process can limit inquiry, collaboration, and reflection of stakeholders, but an approach that is too broad may limit stakeholders' capacities to link action to school improvement planning. Implications for school improvement and school leaders are discussed as well as guidelines for creating a Context Enriched Report Card at other sites.