​April 26, 2018

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Re: Self-Assessment of the Core Competencies

In 2017, the BC Ministry of Education introduced into the curriculum the Core Competencies of Thinking, Communication and Personal/Social Responsibility. These are broad-based sets of proficiencies that enable students to engage in deep and life-long learning. To support this initiative, the Provincial Student Progress Report Order was amended in July 2016 to include the requirement of an annual summative Self-Assessment of student growth on the three Core Competencies. Further information can be found at https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/.

Throughout this school year, your child’s teacher has been integrating both the Core Competencies and Self-Assessment into their lessons and activities. Teachers have engaged students in the practice of ‘noticing, naming and nurturing’ the competencies in all aspects of their learning. Students have learned to identify and assess their strengths and weaknesses, set goals, establish a plan to reach their goals, and regularly assess their progress.  

Each year in June, students complete an annual summative Self-Assessment. The Self-Assessment is a strength-based reflection connected to curriculum over the course of the year and is not teacher evaluated or graded. Students reflect on all three Core Competencies using “I can” statements and include specific evidence to support these statements. The focus is on their learning journey – what students are most proud of and why.

Once students have completed the Self-Assessment, parents will receive an email with information about accessing their child’s Self-Assessment. Parents may wish to discuss the Self-Assessment process with their child by asking open-ended questions about their development in the Core Competencies. We encourage parents to have a conversation with their child about “why” and “how” they generated their conclusions and how the evidence they chose supports their reflections. To assist parents, we have generated a series of question prompts on the Core Competencies.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your classroom teacher.

Sincerely,

Mark Pearmain
Superintendent of Schools

2018 Core Competencies Conversation Starters - Printable PDF