MSA Toolkit Sept 2014

LISA PULLMAN, INDEX EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
JONATHAN E. MARTIN
AND THE INDEX MISSION SKILLS STEERING COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 2014
Mission Skills Assessment (MSA)
USERS GUIDE AND TOOLKIT
Welcome
Table of Contents
WELCOME
ntroduotion .................................................................................................................................................. 4
STRATEGIES
Caso Study: Now Canaan Country Sonool ................................................................................................... 7
10 Stops to a Suooossul MSA ................................................................................................................... 10
Caso Study: Far Hills Country Oay Sonool ................................................................................................. 12
Administoring tno MSA: Communioation Tips ............................................................................................ 16
Administoring tno MSA: Managing tno Tosting .......................................................................................... 18
Caso Study: Loxington Sonool ................................................................................................................... 20
Poading and Snaring Your Poport ............................................................................................................. 24
Caso Study: Snady Hill Sonool ................................................................................................................... 27
Using tno MSA to mprovo Studont Loarning Outoomos in tno Six Skills: A Proliminary Guido ................ 30
UNPACKING THE SIX SKILLS
Tno MSA Crosswalk ................................................................................................................................... 36
MSA ndioators ........................................................................................................................................... 37
Assossing tno Skills .................................................................................................................................... 38
Mission Skills Posoaron .............................................................................................................................. 41
APPENDIX
Froquontly Askod Quostions or Eduoators ................................................................................................ 47
Froquontly Askod Quostions or Paronts .................................................................................................... 51
Cnooklist or Sonool MSA Program Administrators .................................................................................... 53
Elovator Spooon ......................................................................................................................................... 55
Suggostod Additional Poading and Posouroos ......................................................................................... 56
Aoknowlodgomonts .................................................................................................................................... 58
Oata normod Oooision Making: A Primor ................................................................................................ 59
All statomonts oxprossod in tnis artiolo aro tno autnors' and do not rohoot tno ohoial opinions or polioios
o tno Eduoational Tosting Sorvioo.
MSA is ownod and managod by NOEX.
www.indoxgroups.org
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2014 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DATA EXCHANGE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Introduction
Woloomo to tno Mission Skills Assossmont Usor's Guido and Toolkit. A oommitmont to dovoloping onaraotor,
sooial and omotional skills, and 21st oontury oompotonoios oan bo ound in tno missions o many sonools o all
typos. n addition to aoadomio loarning, sonools proolaim tnoir oommitmont to dovoloping studonts in boooming
lio-long loarnors, skillul oollaborators, moral individuals, oonhdont and porsistont problom-solvors, organizod
and oonsoiontious studonts, and innovativo tninkors. Howovor, ar too oton, tno aoadomio sido o tnoir mission
takos oontor stago, at loast in part booauso only intollootual dovolopmont nas boon ablo to bo oootivoly
moasurod -- until now.
Tnis is tno opportunity and tno powor o tno MSA. Now sonools oan lovol tno playing hold, moasuring tno ull
broadtn o wnat mattors, witn ovidonoo-basod, rosoaron-tostod, assossmonts. Tno MSA is an important and
innovativo pro|oot. t will assoss our institutional oootivonoss and provido sonools witn ob|ootivo, soiontiho ood-
baok and usoul data on now woll our programs dovolop ossontial skills in our studonts: Toamwork, Croativity,
Etnios, Posilionoo, Curiosity, and Timo Managomont. Posoaron snows tnat tnoso skills aro intogral or suoooss in
tno 21st oontury workplaoo and tnat tnoso skills oan bo taugnt and built ovor timo.
Wnon tno PANO Corporation in 2013 oombod tno nation to idontiy tno vory bost tools availablo or "moasuring
21st oontury oompotonoios" or inolusion in a roport o tnat namo, tnoy solootod only ono or a "doopor look":
tno MSA. As tno roport oxplains, it was onoson booauso it was ospooially innovativo, oost-oootivo, and woll
"saoguardod" against "tnroats to roliability and validity."
Tno MSA originatod in oonvorsations among oommittoo mombors o tno Elomontary Sonools Posoaron Col-
laborativo (now NOEX.) tno oduoational oxoollonoo o tnoir sonools was rootod in botn aoadomio growtn and
onaraotor dovolopmont oqually, snouldn't botn bo moasurod witn oqual ompnasis? Unsuro about tno potontial,
but oagor to oxploro, tno oommittoo solootod ETS and its Contor or Aoadomio and Workoroo Poadinoss and
Suoooss to do tno rosoaron, and twonty NOEX mombor sonools voluntoorod to partioipato in tno pilot. To dotor-
mino tno partioular skills to bo moasurod, tno oommittoo, working witn ETS, roviowod tno mission statomonts o
all pilot partioipating sonools, and ator a longtny disoussion and dobato, arrivod oonsonsually at tno hrst hvo;
ETS rosoaronors tnon suggostod adding timo managomont as a sixtn, booauso o tnoir prior work and suoooss
witn tnat oonstruot. ETS drow upon its long nistory o assossmont to dosign a multi-motnod approaon inoorporat-
ing and "triangulating" studont sol-assossmonts, toaonor assossmonts o oaon studont, and a studont poror-
manoo task.
Now, in 2014, noarly 90 sonools aoross tno US and intornationally aro partioipating in tno MSA and aro hnding it
valuablo in many dioront ways. Somo navo |oinod to support tno rosoaron pro|oot tno MSA roprosonts: gloaning
rom tno data o tnousands o middlo sonool studonts wnion skills aro most oorrolatod witn aoadomio suoooss
and lio satisaotion and wnion intorvontions most oootivoly improvo tnoso outoomos. Otnors aro looking to
study tnoir sonool's data, longitudinally ovor yoars, to inorm tnoir program dovolopmont, idontiy prioritios,
and moasuro tno impaot o tnoir initiativos. Somo want to onsuro tnoy navo data o oqual (or groator) validity
and roliability to maton up to tnoir aoadomio tosting, to ovon tno playing hold in tno way tnoy ovaluato tnoir
oduoational programs in an ora wnon wo know "wnat gots moasurod gots dono." Somo sonools navo tno intont
in timo to bo ablo to domonstrato publioly tno quality o tnoir onaraotor oduoation, to bo ablo to toll tno world
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MISSION SKILLS ASSESSMENT USERS TOOLKIT
tnoir program is among tno bost o its kind (tnougn tno guidolinos o tno MSA pronibit using it to disparago or
donigrato otnor sonools.)
But tno most oommon uso o tno MSA is to position it in support, or as tno oontorpiooo, o sonool-wido onaraotor
oduoation. Sonools snow now tno MSA is rolatod to otnor sooial and omotional loarning aotivitios undorway,
and uso tno MSA oonstruots, matorials, notwork, and rosouroos to inorm and guido tno ongoing work in tnoso
otnor aotivitios. Somo ombraoo tnis wnolonoartodly and uso it to drivo a ull-blown Mission Skills Program. Tnis
booomos tnoir platorm: a oonoront, targotod, hnito sot o skills upon wnion tnoy oous tnoir onaraotor oduoation.
For many partioipants, tno most valuablo bonoht o administoring tno MSA is tno powor o partioipating in tno
notwork o MSA sonools, ooming togotnor in oonoronoo, snaring rosouroos and praotioos, bonohtting rom tno
inspiration and ahrmation o snarod purposo and oollogiality.
Tnis publioation is intondod to bo a oomprononsivo usor's guido and rosouroo kit or sonools alroady using,
boginning to uso, or oonsidoring uso o tno MSA. t is botn taotioal and stratogio. Wo snaro spooiho aotions or
you to oonsidor taking as you oommunioato about tno MSA, administor tno assossmont at your sonool, and road
and intorprot tno roport you got oaon yoar. Booauso wo boliovo tnat ultimatoly tno point o administoring tno MSA
is to uso it to improvo studont outoomos, (tnougn it is still quito oarly in tno nistory o tno tool), wo oor suggostod
stratogios or now tno MSA mignt inorm and ompowor your onaraotor oduoation program dovolopmont.
Knowing tnat tno most oootivo oduoational pnraso availablo in tno Englisn languago is "or oxamplo," wo
provido our oaso studios o sonools. As oan bo soon in tno tablo o oontonts, tnis toolkit also inoludos a varioty
o otnor rosouroos, suon as FAQs or oduoators and paronts, a sot o suggostod roadings or moro inormation,
a dotailod ovorviow o tno six skills, and a snort primor on data-inormod dooision-making.

Thank you for joining, or considering joining, our collaborative effort to better understand, assess, and
develop character. We believe this work to be of the utmost importance in educating future leaders and
citizens, and we know that the more we work together, the more effective we can be in doing so.
Strategies
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New Canaan Country School
"t Lecame increasing|y c|ear to me that we were not ooing a gooo joL assessing what we Le|ieveo we
oo we||. have a|ways Leen concerneo that we test, check, ano confrm that we oo we|| what we say
we oo we||, ano this was an exciting opportunity to improve this work," New Canaan Country Schoo|
Heao (2000-2014) Tim Bazemore rememLereo thinking when raising his hano to vo|unteer for a
committee in 2009. " oio think this might Le a foo|'s errano. was not optimistic we cou|o oo this we||,
measuring character re|iaL|y." The committee Legan scanning various artic|es ano as they oio they
founo particu|ar|y va|uaL|e E|ena Si|va's 2008 paper for EoSector, "Measuring Skills for the 21
st
Century.
Oisoussing tnat papor, tno group assignod Bazomoro to ollow up witn ono o tno oxports Silva oitod, Pionard
Poborts, Pn.O., at ETS's Contor or Aoadomio and Workoroo Poadinoss and Suoooss. A oonoronoo oall ol-
lowod, and initial skoptioism tnat ETS soomod only a oognitivo tosting organization quiokly dissipatod as Poborts
oxplainod tno wido oxporionoo nis group nad witn tnis work. Bazomoro: "Wo did look at otnor oompanios and
otnor rosoaron, but ETS soomod most aooossiblo and applioablo to wnat wo wantod to do, and Poborts was
inorodibly knowlodgoablo and nolpul, assisting us ovon witn dohning our quostions and goals booro prooood-
ing to tno tost motnodology."

From tno start, Bazomoro oonsultod witn nis administrativo toam and ospooially nis middlo sonool division
noad. t took littlo oonvinoing, no rooallod; tnoy |umpod on board. Tnoy tnon sot out as a toam to oommunioato
vigorously to toaonors, paronts, and studonts about wnat tnoy woro doing and wny. Bazomoro: "it was a big PP
oort, but it wasn't nard: it roally soomod to oapturo our oommunity's imagination." Tno mossago ompnasizod
tno importanoo o tnoso skills in today's and tomorrow's workplaoo, and oitod souroos suon as tno Partnorsnip
or 21st Contury Skills and tno Businoss Poundtablo study, "Aro Tnoy Poady to Work?" Ho oouonod tno
assossmont initiativo always as a rosoaron pro|oot and a tool or oontinuous improvomont, novor as a rating
or aooountability tool.

Ho romombors roooiving only a ow quostions, mostly about individual studont rosults (no) and tno possibility
o a onaraotor roport oard (not soon.) Toaonors woro snown samplo quostions, and timo was takon to oultivato
tnoir buy-in. Somo toaonors woro oonoornod about tno "ono moro tning" problom, and sonsibly tno loadorsnip
toam idontihod an annual toaonor task tnoy oould tako o tno tablo as a swap. "Pooplo intuitivoly undorstood: o
oourso wo snould bo doing tnis. t was not as nard as oxpootod, soouring support."
Wnon tno timo oamo or administoring tno "tost" to studonts, Bazomoro and otnor sonool administrators mado
tno somownat unusual dooision to porsonally suporviso. Tnoy did so partly to oovor or toaonors, giving tnom tno
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broak as an osot or tnoir timo to do tnoir piooo o tno MSA, but also booauso tnoy wantod to domonstrato tnoir
porsonal invostmont as sonool-loadors. t was good to soo it hrstnand, "invaluablo" Bazomoro says, and tnoy
woro ablo to bottor brio studonts and motivato tnom to do tnoir bost. Tnoy rooommond tnis praotioo stronglyit
is so important or administrators to visibly domonstrato tnoir oommitmont to tno suoooss o
tnis program.

Studonts woro told in advanoo tnat tnis tost was vory dioront rom oonvontional standardizod tosting, and woro
onoouragod to soloot tno answors tnat olt most truo to tnomsolvos, not wnat tnoy guossod tno tost-makors "woro
looking or." n tno hrst yoar or two, timo was takon tnrougnout tno sonool-yoar, at sonool mootings, advisorios,
and olsownoro, to oxplain wnat was moant by oaon o tno six skills, but ovor timo tnoy navo booomo so ingrainod
in tno sonool tnat tnis is no longor nooossary.

As toaonors proparod to do tnoir part o tno MSA assossmont, tnoy took tno timo to gonorato oommon
undorstanding about tno moaning o oaon rating torm, suon as wnat doos "usually, oton, somotimos, raroly"
moan in praotioo. (Ploaso roor to tno toaonor tost in tno Oomo aooount ound in your sonool's MSA Portal.) Tnis
nas roally nolpod toaonors ool oomortablo and oonhdont as tnoy rato, and moro ohoiont as tnoy oomploto tnoir
orms: tnis proparation is a good invostmont.

"Tno wnolo oxporionoo nas gonoratod wondorul oonvorsations about 21
st
oontury skills among ovoryono noro;
tno work nas booomo muon moro intontional and oxplioit." As no oxplainod in anotnor roport about tno MSA
at nis sonool, "Tno oonvorsation at our sonool nas onangod, booauso wo'vo brougnt soionoo and rosoaron to
moasuro tno mission skills o our sonool. Hallway oonvorsations aro no longor only about a storylino rom a piooo
o litoraturo in Englisn olass. Tno oonvorsations aro about now tno onaraotors in tno story oould navo dovolopod
bottor toamwork or boon moro rosiliont. Tnis is nap-
poning only two yoars into tno MSA program. oan
only imagino wnat it'll bo liko in hvo yoars."
Walking around tno sonool quiokly oonhrms
Bazomoro's roport. MSA postors aro visiblo in ovory
olassroom, and studont work on display makos
rooronoo to tno mission skills. Toaonors display no
nositation wnon askod about now tnoy uso tno MSA.
t is romarkablo tno dogroo o involvomont tnis
program nas gonoratod or toaonors at tno sonool.
Country Sonool division noad Kirston Posolon and
toaonor-loador Suzy Taylor navo workod oaroully to
build aoulty oxamination o tno six mission skills via
a oross-divisional toaonor group pullod togotnor or
tnis purposo. At hrst a group o 8-10, it nas grown to 15 partioipants, mooting sovoral timos a yoar. Tnoy work
to dovolop oommon vooabulary aoross tno aoulty and or tno studonts, using montnly assomblios dovotod
to snowoasing oaon skill, ono at a timo, witn rion oxamplos and inspirational modoling. Tno oommittoo also
prosonts wnat tnoy oall "pop-ups" at toaonor lunonos, in wnion tnoy suooinotly snaro toaoning stratogios or
mission skills, suon as idontiying tnom in tno aotions o onaraotors in tno litoraturo tnoy aro studying.
"The who|e experience has
generateo wonoerfu| conversations
aLout 21st century ski||s among
everyone here, the work has
Lecome much more intentiona|
ano exp|icit."
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Wnon tno roport oamo, tnoy took tno timo to oduoato tno aoulty on now to road tno data, partioularly tno box
and wniskor plots, and on statistioal signihoanoo. Posolon and Taylor aro also working nard to build a strongor
toaonor notwork aoross tno MSA partioipating sonools, bolioving tnat ultimatoly tnis is wnoro tno groatost impaot
o tno MSA will bo, wnon toaonors oan oomparo dioront sonool praotioos in lignt o tno oomparativo data.

Bazomoro also took spooial oaro to oduoato nis board about tno MSA, dodioating a day-long board rotroat to
it witn a panol o oxports prosonting about tno valuo o nonoognitivo skills and tno now tool or assossing tnom.
Aoadomio aoniovomont data in gonoral is snarod only sparingly witn tno Board at Country Sonool, but Bazomoro
nas prosontod MSA nignlignts to nis trustoos. Ho bogan
by asking board mombors to prodiot tno skills at wnion
tno sonool would do bost, and tnat quory by itsol, ovon
prior to viowing tno data, stimulatod good, "gonorativo"
oonvorsation, no oxplainod.
His trustoos on|oyod tninking about and disoussing tno
sonool rom tnis anglo, and tnoy also booamo ongagod
oonsidoring now tno data mignt bo oootivoly usod in tno
uturo. Ho tninks tno MSA will assist tno sonool in rooruit-
ing now board mombors, partioularly tnoso wno work in
hnanoo and numbors all day and approoiato tno sonool's
oorts to bottor quantihably moasuro its suoooss.

Ho soos an impaot too in onrollmont. Country Sonool disoussos tnis work in ovory Opon Houso, and
"prospootivo paronts roally sit up and rospond wnon wo disouss tno MSA and tno soriousnoss o our
oommitmont to onaraotor oduoation."
"Prospective parents rea||y
sit up ano respono when we
oiscuss the MSA ano the
seriousness of our commitment
to character eoucation."
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Include Widely
Tno most oootivo programs tnorougnly and moaningully inoludo administrators and aoulty mombors in tno
ontiro proooss o planning or and using tno MSA.
Communicate with Clarity
From tno boginning and tnrougnout tno proooss, oduoational loadors, botn administrativo and aoulty, snould
oloarly oommunioato to all oonstituonoios wnat tno MSA is, wnat tno purposos o partioipation aro, and now it will
bo usod (and now it won't.)
Seek Learning and Improvement, not Accountability
Tno most suooossul programs will bo tnoso wnion oonvoy and undorsooro tnat tnis is a rosoaron and
improvomont pro|oot, and not a tool or rowards or punisnmont. Somo sonools hnd tnat omploying tno MSA is
a poworul voniolo or organizational loarning about tnoso six skills and tnoir importanoo, about assossmont
motnodology, and about data litoraoy and intorprotation.
Form Communities of Practice
Tnis work is too nard and too important to do alono. Partioipato aotivoly in tno MSA notwork, attonding
oonoronoos, sonding toaonors to notwork mootings, and orm "buddy sonool" rolationsnips. Considor also
ahnity group notworks witn sonools you snaro oommon prinoiplos or praotioos witn, and witn tnom, study data
oollaborativoly, dovolop oommon intorvontions, and oomparo praotioos and rosults.
Appreciate Different Avenues
Tnoro is no ono rignt way to implomont and uso tno MSA. Bo opon-mindod; uso tnis guido and tno notwork to
idontiy and oxploro many dioront approaonos.
Commit Resources
Assign rosponsibility to spooiho administrators and provido tnom dodioatod timo; support toaonors in tno timo
tnoy nood to partioipato; provido mooting timos or tno aoulty to intorprot rosults and plan appropriato aotion.
Connect to Mission and Culture
Put your own mission in tno Mission Skills Assossmont. Holp ovoryono rooognizo tno rolationsnips rom tno six
MSA skills to tno partioular qualitios your sonool ompnasizos and oolobratos.
10 Steps for a Successful
MSA Program
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Make It School-Wide
Tno MSA only assossos studonts in grados six to oignt, but its most oootivo usors aro oxtonding tno
oonvorsation and promoting its impaot aoross tno broadtn o tnoir program, roaoning out to inoludo and inorm
tnoir olomontary and sooondary oolloaguos.
Practice Action Bias, Data Skepticism
Potor Elbow's logondary 1983 titlo on toaoning oapturos it brilliantly: oduoators must "Embraoo Contrarios."
n ovory mooting around tno MSA, simultanoously rosist making too muon o tno data wnilo onsuring tno
oonvorsation is about wnat oan wo do witn tnis inormation to improvo toaoning and loarning.
Integrate and Connect
Ono rulo o tnumb or data-inormod dooision-making is not to tako aotion on a singlo data point. Expand your
data oollootion about koy skills to supplomont tno MSA witn otnor moaningul intornal, autnontio, and survoy-
basod tools, and aot witn tnis widor sot o data.
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Far Hills Country Day School
"Surprising as it seemeo, there just weren't any gooo too|s out there for measuring these areas that
are so important in mioo|e schoo|," Jennifer Phi||ips, Far Hi||s ntermeoiate Schoo| Director rememLers
aLout her frst conversations with the steering committee that frst Legan this work unoer the auspices
of the ESPC, the NDEX preoecessor. The few too|s that were out there re|ieo exc|usive|y on se|f-
assessments, ano that just wasn't gooo enough for the committee. These conversations were in 2009
ano 2010, (as Phi||ips rememLers, "Lefore Pau| Tough's artic|es ano Looks heighteneo interest in
character")ano they took p|ace Lecause the committee Le|ieveo they were such critica||y important
oistinguishing e|ements of eoucationa| exce||ence in the mioo|e schoo| years.
Coming baok rom nor oommittoo mootings, sno was ploasod to roooivo ull support rom nor tnon Hoad
o Sonool Jayno Goigor to prooood witn implomonting tno now tool in nor sonool. "Tnis nas boon my most
oxoiting and moaningul work o my oaroor," sno says. Hor hrst stop was, as sno oxplains, "to build a oontoxt"
or toaonors and paronts at nor sonool about wny tnoso skills woro important onougn to bo moasurod in tnis
way. As a aoulty tnoy road widoly rom books by Tony Wagnor, Paul Tougn, and Sir Kon Pobinson, and many
aoulty wont to soo Tony Wagnor's koynoto rom tno NJAS bionnial oonoronoo. Tno Far Hills' sonool loadorsnip
roinorood tnis work in a sorios o dialoguos, publioations, and prosontations to aoulty and paronts about tno
importanoo o tnoso nonoognitivo skills and tnoir rolation to tno sonool's mission.

An ontiroly undorstandablo quostion Pnillips roooivod rom toaonors was "Wny?" Wo alroady toaon tnoso skills,
tnoy said; "wny tnis now tost?" "And aron't our kids tostod onougn alroady?" Ator rosoaron and rohootion,
Pnillips ropliod: wo nood to do moro to olovato tno importanoo o tnoso skills, and wo nood to bottor domonstrato
our oommitmont to and our oootivonoss in intontionally building tnoso skills ovor timo in our studonts.
Familiarizing toaonors witn tno way tno MSA works, and wnat it roquiros toaonors and studont to do, also nolpod
aoulty rooognizo tnis was dioront rom "|ust anotnor standardizod tost."

From paronts, tno only pusnbaok or oonoorn was tno laok o individual roports or tnoir onildron. t is
undorstandablo tnat paronts will want to know now tnoir son or daugntor partioularly is doing, and mignt
boliovo tnat tnis is tno only |ustihoation or taking tno timo to administor tno assossmont. But Pnillips romombors
ovorooming tnis by nolping paronts approoiato tno valuo o tnis tool or improving tno sonool's work in tnoso
important aroas. (As an asido, intornational organizations and tno US Oopartmont o Eduoation rogularly
administor tosts suon as tno PSA and NAEP wnion uso sampling motnods to assoss oduoational oootivonoss
witnout providing individual studont rosults: tnis is a moro oommon praotioo tnan somo may roalizo.)

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PhiIIips reports that many Iessons were Iearned in the course of the rst few administrations at Far HiIIs
Country Day School.
Sonodulo administration o tno MSA on tno oalondar oarly and hrmly, or it will bo nard to squoozo in your
always busy sonool yoar.
Avoid sonoduling studont tost-taking timo during broaks or PE timo: studonts will rospond witn a nogativo
attitudo, wnion oould inhuonoo tnoir rosults.
Study tno toonnioal roquiromonts oaroully or administration, and ollow tnoir guidolinos.
Havo a dotail-oriontod porson manago tno tosting planning.
Tnink twioo about wno aotually is in tno room to suporviso studonts wnon tnoy aro taking tno assossmont:
Pnillips nas ound tnat i it is not somoono wno undorstands dooply and is invostod moaningully in tno
program, tnoro oan bo somo opportunitios lost in oonvoying its purposo and valuo.
As prooious as tnoir timo is, it oan bo a wortnwnilo oommitmont by aoadomio administrators to bo prosont,
"snow tno hag," and oonvoy porsonally and porsuasivoly tno importanoo o tnis program to tno studonts.

Pnillips also nas ound good valuo in studont "dobrios," usually in advisory, witn guidod oonvorsations unpaok-
ing wnat was intorosting or onallonging about tno assossmont. Again, tnis mignt bo timo wortn sponding by mid-
dlo sonool division noads, ourrioulum ooordinators, and pornaps ovon tno Hoad o Sonool. Finally, it is rospootul
to studonts, Pnillips boliovos, to oomo baok and snaro tno rosults wnon tnoy arrivo, at loast tno noadlinos.

Toaonors at Far Hills aro usually providod ono or two aoulty mooting sossions to oomploto tno toaonor
assossmonts, and aro askod to do tnom togotnor so as to bo ablo to talk togotnor as tnoy do, and snaro
porspootivos on studonts. Pnillips rominds toaonors tnat it is only tno aggrogato data tnat is roviowod, novor tno
individual, and aooordingly onoouragos tnom not to got nung up on any individual studont roport.

Wnon roooiving tno roports, tno olks at Far Hills hnd tno ETS analysis and tno hndings about oorrolations among
all MSA sonools most usoul, muon moro so tnan any spooihos o tnoir own sonool data, and tnoy tako oaro to
rolay tno broador hndings to aoulty and paronts. Espooially important is tno way in wnion partioular mission skills
aro ound to support aoadomio aoniovomont, wnion is usoul in tnoir oommunioations about tnoir sonool's valuo.
Tnat "sot skills load to nard rosults" nas booomo a oontral and oompolling mossago at tnis sonool.

n ordor to broadon tno impaot o tno MSA, tno toam hrst ostablisnod a aoulty-administration "Cnaraotor Task
Foroo" to oatalog and roviow tnoir myriad onaraotor oduoational pro|oots, and nappily ound tnat tno six MSA
skills woro woll omboddod alroady aoross tno ourrioulum. Tnoy also proparod a mapping or "orosswalk" o tnoir
sonool's 5 Pillars, (Pospoot, Kindnoss, Posponsibility, Honosty, and Loadorsnip), to tno MSA Six, wnion was
nolpul or tnoir sonool oommunity to undorstand tno rolationsnips and buy-in to tnis now tool.
All tnis nolpod build doopor support or tno MSA tnrougnout tnoir sonool oommunity, loading to wnat Pnillips
dosoribos as "not |ust a Mission Skills Assossmont, but truly a Mission Skills Program."
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FAR HILLS 5 PILLARS CROSSWALK WITH MSA
MISSION SKILL FAR HILLS 5 PILLARS
TEAMWORK
Respect, ResponsibiIity, Kindness, Leadership, Honesty
CREATIVITY
Leadership, Respect, Responsibility
ETHICS
Respect, ResponsibiIity, Kindness, Leadership, Honesty
RESILIENCE
Responsibility, Leadership
CURIOSITY
Responsibility, Leadership
TIME MANAGEMENT
Responsibility

As tno languago and tno signihoanoo o tno MSA aro boooming moro widoly ombraood aoross tno sonool,
its oduoators aro inoroasingly building tnom into otnor sonool assossmonts. Pubrios or tnoir pro|oot-basod
ourrioular units aro sniting to align witn tno MSA Six.
Studont disoiplino nas also snitod, so tnat studonts
nooding to oomploto a "bonavioral problom rohootion"
do so tnrougn tno lons o tno Mission Skills, oonsidoring
now a problom mignt rolato to a growtn opportunity in
otnios, toamwork, or timo managomont. Tnoy aro also
looking orward to using tno Mission Skills as a ramowork
or paront oonoronoo oonvorsations and or progross
roports, spooihoally in tnoir "oort grados." Tnoy want
to do moro to study tno obsorvablo studont aotions
assooiatod witn oaon o tno six, and tnon as toaonors,
uso tnom to bo bottor ablo to provido studonts ongoing,
oonsistont, and oloar oodbaok. "t's about tying tnings
togotnor, oonnooting tno dots, so tnat wo navo a moro
oonsistont, oontinuous approaon to dovoloping and
roinoroing tnoso oritioal onaraotor skills."

A now Hoad o Sonool nas arrivod at Far Hills, Tom Woolpor, and no nas mado a oommitmont to oarry tno
program orward, wnion Pnillips oxplains is o tno utmost importanoo: "you navo to navo strong baoking rom
tno sonool's onio oxooutivo to mako tnis suooossul." Knowing tno valuo o oous, Pnillips oxpoots tnat Far Hills
will bogin proparing targotod intorvontions on individual skills tnoy doom most important, pornaps boginning
witn timo managomont and rosilionoo. For tno ormor, tnoy aro oxploring adapting or tnoir studonts rosoaron-
supportod praotioos basod on rooont initiativos at Tno Lawronoovillo Sonool (soo tno Suggostod Additional
Poading and Posouroos appondix or tnis inormation). Tnoy aro ourrontly roviowing tnoir K-5 matn ourrioulum
"t's aLout tying things together,
connecting the oots, so that
we have a more consistent,
continuous approach to
oeve|oping ano reinforcing
these critica| character ski||s."
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as woll, and working to add moro probloms roquiring
rosilionoo, and moro pro|oots ontailing toamwork,
in ordor tnat tno matn ourrioulum bottor support tno
broador Mission Skills oduoation.

Tno sonool's now MSA program is also nolping in
anotnor important domain, admission and markot-
ing, wnoro tnoy navo takon oaro to oommunioato its
implomontation oloarly to all prospootivo amilios.
t is nignligntod in tno admission publioations, and
two wobsito pagos oxplain urtnor tno importanoo o
tno MSA to tno onaraotor oduoation program at tno
sonool. "Prospootivo amilios toll us tnat our oommit-
mont to toaoning onaraotor skills, so ovidont in our
work witn tno MSA pro|oot, is a diorontiator and is
inhuontial in tnoir solooting our sonool ovor otnors. Ono paront said, 'Tnis stood out or us, and is wny wo piokod
your sonool,'" Pnillips roports. Convorsion o admission inquirios to applioations is improving, and middlo sonool
onrollmont is robust, not duo ontiroly to MSA, o oourso, but Pnillips boliovos it nas boon a oontributor.
"Prospective fami|ies te|| us that our
commitment to teaching character
ski||s, so evioent in our work with
the MSA project, is a oifferentiator
ano is infuentia| in their se|ecting
our schoo| over others."
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Administering the MSA
COMMUNICATION TIPS

Schoo|s vary wioe|y in regaros to communication aLout the MSA, some oe|iLerate|y soft-peoa|
their messaging aLout the assessment, others prouo|y ano |ouo|y trumpet their invo|vement. These
suggestions are for your consioeration, choose the ones that ft with your approach ano goa|s.
n launoning tno program, sonool-loadors snould oommunioato oloarly and oonsistontly to all oonstituonoios-
-tno board, tno aoulty, studonts and paronts-- tno dooision to partioipato in tno MSA and oxplain tno goals
or doing so. t is probably bost to oxplioitly dohno your sonool's ob|ootivos or gotting involvod. Tnis snould
bo ramod in two parts: wnat makos tnoso skills important to your sonool, its mission, valuos, and tradition;
and now will your oduoational program bonoht rom assossing tnoso skills?
Tno most oommon pusnbaok rom oonstituonts is about tno uso o timo-- is tnis wortnwnilo? -- and it
rooommondod tnat sonool-loadors addross tnis noad-on: oxplain tno timo it will tako (not muon), and wny it
is a vory good uso o tnis prooious rosouroo.
Tako oaro to oxplain and undorsooro to all tnat tno assossmont oarrios littlo or no stakos and will not bo
usod to ovaluato individual studonts or toaonors. Tnis appoars to bo tno sooond most oommon quostion
or oritiquo rom paronts, and it is also good to addross tnis ortnrigntly, and oxplain again its valuo to your
sonool dospito not gonorating individual studont sooros.
Considor uso o outsido oxport spoakors to gonorato support in your oommunity rom paronts, toaonors,
and trustoos. A spoakor oan prosont to various audionoos and oxplain tno importanoo o tnoso skills and tno
valuo o moasuring tnom, and nolp sonool-loadors build oonsonsus. As is woll known, somotimos it takos an
"outsido" oxport to logitimato suon an oxoroiso or gonorato widor support. Now Canaan Country Sonool did
tnis witn tnoir board, Far Hills and Snady Hill witn tnoir paronts and toaonors.
Uso languago oaroully. Bo wary o tno word "valuos." Tnoso aro skills your sonool valuos, to bo suro, but
tno word itsol oan oonvoy or oonnoto dioront tnings to dioront pooplo, and oan load somo to tnink tnat
you aro sooking to imposo a partioular morality wnion mignt disturb somo in your oommunity. Also bo oaroul
about uso o torm "trait." Somotimos a torm liko "trait" oan slip into our vornaoular, but tno dovolopors o tno
MSA aro ompnatio tnat tnoso aro skills: not hxod or inborn but tnings vory muon ablo to bo dovolopod and
improvod in loarning onvironmonts.
Foaturo tnis work on tno sonool wobsito and sooial modia oods, to roinoroo tno initial oommunioations
and garnor groator support and involvomont. Somo sonools navo oroatod now wobsito tabs, usually undor
"About" or "Aoadomios" or tno MSA work tnoy aro doing; otnors tag itoms in tno Faoobook ood wnion
oxompliy tno sonool's oommitmont to tnoso six skills. At Loxington Sonool, tno Hoad usod nis wobsito
oolumn to prohlo, montn by montn, oaon o tno six skills and wny tnoy woro important to nis studonts and
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tnoir uturos. (Tnoso aro wortn checking out: visit the Lexington School site to read them). Soo tno Now
Canaan Country Sonool wobsito or a vidoo tnoy'vo mado about tno MSA.
your sonool alroady prominontly oolobratos a oortain sot o skills or onaraotor qualitios, (at ono MSA sonool
it is "sonolarsnip, intogrity, opportunity, oommunity"), it is probably wortnwnilo to oroato and distributo a so-
oallod "orosswalk" snowing tno rolationsnip o tno MSA Six to tno sonool's sot-- to nolp pooplo undorstand
and approoiato tno oxtont to wnion tnoso aro not altogotnor now. (Soo orosswalk oxamplos in tno Far Hills
Country Oay Sonool oaso study and in tno appondix).
Ensuro toaonors undorstand oarly upon launoning tno MSA tno partioular ormat o tno assossmont, and
snaro samplo quostions witn tnom (soo Unpaoking tno Six Skills). doally, tno pro|oot will bo rollod out witn or
via a oommittoo or working group wnion inoludos toaonors, in suon a way tnat it diminisnos tno porooption
tnat tnis is ooming oxolusivoly rom tno administration. Bo rank about tno workload ontailod, but oonsidor
suggosting work osots; now oan toaonors bo supportod or "oovorod" or wnon tnoy nood to do tno toaonor
assossmont orms. Bo suro to oxplain tno valuo o tnis initiativo to gonorato groator invostmont rom toaonors.
t is important not to nogloot oommunioation to studonts: you vory muon want tnom to undorstand tno valuo
o tnoso skills and tno roason or "anotnor tost." Low studont motivation will nurt tno quality o tno data you
oolloot. Tako timo to onorgizo tno studonts. You oan navo un witn tnis: at ono sonool, Ootroit Country Oay
Sonool, it was introduood to studonts witn a soourity oamora-snot vidoo o middlo sonool administrators
drossod all in blaok darting baok and ortn tnrougn a nallway liko soorot agonts aooompaniod by tno musioal
tnomo to Mission mpossiL|e. Somo sonools aro posting MSA postors in ovory olassroom and oroating
bullotin board dodioatod to tno skills.
Oon't nogloot your Board. Somo sonools aro hnding it vory usoul to snaro tnis program witn tnoir trustoos,
wno approoiato tno data and rosults-oriontod aspoots o tno program. Board mombors roport tnat it is,
among otnor tnings, a groat nuggot tnoy oan add to tnoir "olovator spooon" about tno sonool tnoy sorvo.
t mignt bo bonohoial, as ono sonool ound, to dovoto a ull mooting or a board rotroat to oxploring tno MSA
and its usos, pornaps bringing in outsido prosontors about tno skills and tools, as Now Canaan Country
Sonool did.
Somo sonools aro also making tnoir sonool's adoption o tno MSA prominont in admission oommunioations--
viowbooks, admission wobsitos, admission tours, admission intorviow-- and hnding it a vory oootivo
diorontiator in orowdod markots. No sonool roports publisning MSA rosults in tnoso oommunioations.
Patnor, tnoy aro oxplaining now using MSA is improving tnoir onaraotor oduoation program, and also
ompnasizing tno bonohts tnoy dorivo rom partioipation in tnis nationally rooognizod, outting odgo
assossmont program. "Wo now navo moro oonoroto ways to toaon sot skills," is tno way Cnuok Baldoooni,
Loxington's Hoad o Sonool oxplains it, and no says no gots admiring nods o approoiation rom nis
audionoos. Sovoral sonools boliovo tnis oommunioation nas assistod tnoir sonool's growtn in onrollmont.
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Administering the MSA
MANAGING THE TESTING
See MSA Aoministration Check|ist in the Appenoix for Specifc nformation aLout MSA aoministration.
See a|so on the MSA Porta| a separate oocument ca||eo MSA 2014 Technica| Overview ano Best
Practices for the techno|ogy ano technica| oetai|s on aoministering the MSA.
Key points for school-leaders to consider as they oversee the administration of the MSA:
Havo a dotail-oriontod porson manago tno tosting planning.
Sonodulo administration o tno MSA booro tno sonool yoar starts, or it will bo nard to squoozo in, and
sonodulo it as lato in tno tosting window as possiblo, so toaonors navo tno most timo to got to know tnoir
studonts. Avoid sonoduling studont tost-taking timo during broaks or PE timo.
Study tno toonnioal roquiromonts oaroully or administration, and ollow tnoir guidolinos. Ensuro toonnology
is up to task, and provido studonts log-in inormation on papor or rooronoo. Tnoso will bo gonoratod by
NOEX and availablo on oaon sonool's MSA portal.
Sonools roport it is ospooially important and usoul to support toaonors in doing tnoir assossmonts o
studonts. Poassuro tnom tnat tnoy aro nard or ovoryono, navo tnom disouss witn oaon otnor now to sot
standards, navo tnom praotioo using tno domo aooount, and romind tnom tnat or toonnioal issuos all omails
submittod tnrougn tno MSA Portal and pnono oalls to tno support lino numbor providod on tno portal will bo
answorod in a timoly asnion. Provido mooting timo to allow toaonors to disouss in somo dotail wnat oaon
rating torm ("somownat woll","protty woll","vory woll","outstanding","truly outstanding", oto.) moan to tnom,
and orgo oonsonsus. Tnis is a groat topio or MSA toaonor-notworks: tno moro oonsistont rators oan bo,
tno bottor. Uso tno praotioo "domo aooount" tnat will bo providod on oaon sonool's MSA portal. Explain
in advanoo and nolp toaonors undorstand anonoring itoms (tno tnroo quostions at tno start o tno toaonor
assossmont usod to oquato dioront toaonor porspootivos.) Considor inviting oxporionood toaonors at otnor
sonools to snaro tnoir oxporionoo via Skypo.
Explain to studonts it is vory dioront rom typioal standardizod tosting, and tnat tnoro is no rignt answor.
Enoourago studonts: "to lot go o tno ooling tnat you nood to provido |ust tno rignt answor you tnink tnoy'ro
looking or, and instoad answor in a way wnoro you aro truo to yoursol." Pomind studonts tnat tnoro is no
individual sooring, but do so in a way tnat doosn't diminisn tnoir oort by oxplaining now tno sonool will uso
tno data to improvo tnoir sonool.
Noto: Tno studont assossmont is not to bo viowod by toaonors or administrators. ETS asks tnat sonools
avoid viowing/roading tno studont aroas, in ordor to roduoo possibility o "ooaoning," oonsoiously or
unoonsoiously, studonts on tno "rignt" answors.
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Considor naving administrators prootor tno studont assossmont, ratnor tnan toaonors, making timo availablo
to toaonors or tnoir assossmont dutios. Tnink twioo about wno aotually is in tno room to suporviso studonts
wnon tnoy aro taking tno assossmont. At Far Hills Country Oay Sonool, Jonnior Pnillips nas ound tnat i
tno prootor is not somoono wno undorstands dooply and is invostod moaningully in tno program, tnoro
oan bo somo opportunitios lost in oonvoying its purposo and valuo. As prooious as tnoir timo is, aoadomio
administrators hnd it wortnwnilo to bo prosont, "snow tno hag," and oonvoy porsonally and porsuasivoly tno
importanoo o tnis program to tno studonts.
Sook to "do-stross" all partioipants, ospooially, about tno toonnology. Toaonors and assossmont suporvisors
snould bo advisod tnat tno systom usos a oonstant auto-baokup systom, so notning will bo lost in a gliton,
and know tnat tnoro is always somoono availablo by pnono during tno assossmont, so i somotning doosn't
work, it oan bo oorrootod promptly. Studonts oan stop tnoir assossmont at any timo and roturn to it wnoro
tnoy lot o, witn no loss o data. Tnis oaturo also lots studonts soo now muon o tno assossmont tnoy
navo oomplotod.
Gatnor survoy oodbaok at rogular intorvals rom ovoryono at tno sonool involvod witn tno implomontation
o tno assossmont. Tnis mignt moan a snort ollow-up survoy o studonts, but most importantly involvos
standardizod oodbaok rom toaonors. Qualitativo oodbaok (o.g. notos rom inormal oonvorsations) may bo
important as woll, in partioular at smallor sonools witn owor toaonors. Howovor, wnoro possiblo quantitativo
oodbaok rom ollow-up survoys (o.g. 85% o toaonors olt X way about Y aspoot o tno MSA) will provido
tno simplost way o summarizing and assossing your sta's oxporionoo witn tno tool. Ploaso orward rolovant
oodbaok to NOEX to support its work in oontinuously improving tno tool.
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Lexington School
For the eoucators at The Lexington Schoo|, the "A" is the |east important part of the MSA. There, they
vieweo the assessment too| as a prompt, a |ever, ano a vehic|e Ly which the entire schoo|, preschoo|
through eighth graoe, cou|o activate ano emphasize its character eoucation programano they've
oone so |ouo|y ano c|ear|y, in ways that no constituent can over|ook. The schoo|'s weLsite has a taL
(or suL-taL) for MSA unoer Programs ano it is prominent|y featureo on the Heao's We|come page, fre-
quent|y written aLout in the schoo|'s news|etters ano magazines, ano spoken aLout at parent, Loaro,
ano community meetings.
For tno MSA's introduotion, Hoad o Sonool Cnuok Baldoooni wroto a sorios o sovon artiolos, montn by montn,
or nis oommunity, introduoing tno program and tnon disoussing oaon skill in dotail. n nis introduotion, no wroto
"Tno Loxington Sonool is oxoitod about tno prospoot o dosigning a tost tnat aooossos many o tnoso '21st Con-
tury skills.' am not oonvinood tnat any tost will bo ablo to truly rohoot and assoss tno truo abilitios o oaon onild,
but wo aro oxoitod to bo a part o a pionooring group o oduoators wno aro looking or a moro autnontio way to
dotormino wnotnor wo aro doing wnat wo truly say wo aro doing." n ovory ono o nis oommunioations, no undor-
soorod tnis initiativo wasn't a ad; it was dooply oonnootod to tno sonool's longstanding valuos and mission.

Baldoooni wroto in oaon o tno individual skill ossays now tno skills aro oultivatod in studonts tnrougnout
tnoir growtn in nis sonool. As an oxamplo, rom nis piooo about timo managomont "n Middlo Sonool tno
undorstanding o timo managomont oontinuos. Moro indopondonoo is oxpootod, but prioritization is also
introduood. Somo tnings aro moro important tnan otnor tnings. A tost oalondar will inoludo daily nomowork,
quizzos, ma|or tosts, and pro|oots on any givon day. Not only aro studonts oxpootod to organizo tnoir days and
sonodulo timo ovor a two or tnroo wook poriod, but tnoy bogin to loarn now to prioritizo tnoir timo."

Etnios is ono o tno six MSA skills, and listoning to Baldoooni, you oan noar now or nim, tno work o assossing
onaraotor oduoation is itsol a mattor o intogrity. Noarly ovory sonool olaims tnoy dovolop studont onaraotor,
but vory ow navo ovidonoo to baok up tnis olaim. Baldoooni: "Again and again, wo toll pooplo wo do x, y, or z,
and tnon toll a story o an alumnus wno oxomplihos tnat onaraotor quality. But boards and amilios don't want
anoodotos any moro; tnoy want data. Wo'vo nad a long oommitmont to dovoloping rosilionoo, but now do you
provo it? Tolling a story isn't good onougn anymoro."

Now no ools no oan do somotning to domonstrato "wnotnor you roally aro doing wnat you say you aro doing."
Tnis is a tnomo noard at many MSA usor sonools: it is about putting your monoy wnoro your moutn is, about
CASE STUDY
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hnally boing ablo to say witn all soriousnoss tnat you aro ovaluating wnotnor your sonool is ulhlling its mission in
its broadtn, and using moro tnan aoadomio tost sooros and GPA's to domonstrato it.
And it is working, no roports. Loxington trumpots in admissions oommunioations its uso o tno MSA in ordor to
oonvoy its soriousnoss o purposo about onaraotor oduoation: it is a loading mossago or tnom. Trustoos roport
tnoy now navo somotning ar moro oonoroto to disouss and nignlignt in tnoir "olovator spooon" wnon tnoy spoak
to oommunity mombors about tno sonool's valuo. Admission and onrollmont statistios domonstrato strong
growtn or tno sonool sinoo tnoy'vo bogun doing so.

But it's moro tnan intogrity and ovidonoo. t's also about transormation. Proud o its Kontuoky noritago, Loxington
Sonool is a traditional sonool, and Baldoooni viows nis loadorsnip onallongo as porpotuating its traditional
strongtns wnilo also onsuring it booomos a truo 21st oontury loarning organization. Wnat's groat is tnat tno
MSA oovors tnis broadtn: somo o tno MSA skills aro vory traditional, suon as otnios and timo managomont
(work otnio), wnoroas otnors roprosont moro orward-looking oduoational oompononts, suon as oroativity and
ouriosity. Baldoooni oxplains tnat nis sonool
porormod strongly in timo managomont, but loss
so in oroativity, and tnis oors nim an opportunity
to olovato tno sonool's attontion to tnoso otnor
skills. "Tno data don't mattor noarly as muon tno
as oonvorsation it prompts. t's |ust a voniolo or
groat, sustainod oonvorsations about wnat mignt
bo dono diorontly to olioit moro oroativity and
ouriosity day-to-day in our olassrooms."

Baldoooni takos tno long viow: sonools aro liko
giant oooan-tankors, botn tako groat timo and
distanoo to onango dirootion. But in timo, no
nopos and oxpoots to soo quantitativo growtn in
nis targot aroas. "ntontionality" is nugo or nim;
no boliovos and obsorvos tnat naving toaonors
tako spooiho aotions to provido onaraotor oduoation nas moaningul impaot. Tno work nas unoldod ovor sovoral
yoars, in wnat no dosoribos as a tnroo-yoar plan, gradually moving rom introduotion and program roviow in
tno hrst, to ombodding tno languago and oonoopts o tnoso partioular skills into toaonors' narrativo roports and
widor snaring o instruotional praotioo, to a ully intogratod Prosonool to 8tn grado program by tno tnird yoar.

Fortuitously, wnon tno MSA bogan Loxington nad rooontly oxpandod its oommitmont to instruotional ooaoning
witn a now position hllod by toaonor Jaimo Lassman. Lassman rooognizod tnat no oould bottor ooaon toaonors
in using toonnology by oousing on tno goals and outoomos wnion toonnology oan aid studonts in mooting, and
saw tnat MSA providos a groat ramowork or tnoso outoomos. As a rosult, nis now position nas inoroasingly
booomo ono witn a largo ompnasis on ooaoning toaonors in tnoir work on oduoating tno six Mission Skills,
botn witn and witnout toonnology. For Lassman too, it is in part a mattor o intogrity. tno sonool was going to
proolaim tnat tnoir uso o tno MSA was ovidonoo o tnoir oommitmont to onaraotor, tnoy nad bottor bo suro tnoy
walkod tnat talk. As no romombors about tno oarly oonvorsations in nis ourrioulum oommittoo, tno oonoorn was
"How oan wo moan wnat wo say? How oan wo mako tno MSA program roal, and onsuro it nas a gonuino impaot
on studonts' loarning and growtn?"
"But Loaros ano fami|ies oon't want
anecootes any more, they want oata.
We've hao a |ong commitment to
oeve|oping resi|ience, Lut how oo
you prove it? Te||ing a story isn't gooo
enough anymore."
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Tno oommittoo's hrst stop was to ask toaonors simply to uso six now boxos omboddod in tnoir Atlas Pubioon
ourrioulum maps to idontiy wnion o tno MSA skills tnoir upooming ourrioulum units would bo addrossod. "Wo
|ust wantod to got tnoso skills on tnoir radar, and it workod: slowly but stoadily wo starting noaring moro and
moro rooronoos to oaon o tnoso skills aoross tno broadtn o tno sonool."

mportant to noto: tnougn tno MSA assossmont itsol only ooours in grados six tnrougn oignt, Loxington's work
on Mission Skills ourrioulum and instruotion is napponing aoross tno ontiro broadtn o tno sonool. Tno Prosonool
toaonors stop rignt up into tnoso oonvorsations, snaring tno way tnoso onaraotor qualitios aro at tno oontor o
tnoir instruotion, and sooking to support tnoir oolloaguos in boooming moro intontional about tnom.
Lassman rooalls tnat it would navo boon bottor to bo moro spooiho wnon asking toaonors to dooumont tnoso
skills, pornaps by asking tnom to go boyond |ust a singlo onookbox to olariying i it woro an instruotional
olomont tnat |ust arisos in oonvorsation, or is oxplioitly taugnt, and/or is spooihoally assossod.

n stop two, oxpootations woro raisod. Evory toaonor in tno sonool, in ovory grado and ovory spooialty, was
askod to assoss oaon and ovory ono o tno six skills in oaon marking poriod. Lassman rooalls tnat tnis did put
stross on toaonors ("in rotrospoot, it was probably too big a goal")but tno sonool was luoky to navo nim in
plaoo to talk tnrougn toaonor oonoorns ono by ono, somotimos dodioating ontiro olass poriods |ust to oxplaining
again wny tnoy woro doing tnis and now tnis would bo
usod. t was nolpul too to navo nad a ull wook o Juno
mootings dodioatod to toaonors disoussing, snaring,
and rohooting upon tnoir assossmont and instruotional
stratogios or tno six skills.

Tno oonvorsations woro rion, oxpansivo, and important.
Lassman rooalls an art toaonor snaring rooollootions o a
provious oort to put on roport oards grados or oroativity,
and nor porooption tnat it baokhrod. n somo oasos,
grading oroativity soomod to produoo a hxod mind-sot tnat
innibitod or diminisnod tnoir subsoquont oroativo skills.
And grading or rosilionoo? How is a "O" or rosilionoo
going to assist a studont's growtn? Aooordingly, tno
sonool is not quantiying assossmont o tnoso skills by and
largo, and is not adding tnom to roport oards. nstoad,
tnoy aro proparing to ombod tnom in narrativo roports and
paront oonoronoos, using supporting and oonstruotivo
languago to onoourago and oounsol studont dovolopmont.

An intorosting dioronoo nas boon obsorvod botwoon two sots o toaonors: tno grado six to oignt toaonors
wno annually assoss oaon o tnoir studonts on tno toaonor orm o tno MSA, and tnoso wno don't ovor soo tno
toaonor orms. Tno ormor may navo a noad start and an advantago rogarding now oaon skill is dohnod in
obsorvablo praotioo. t mignt bo usoul to onoourago toaonors in otnor divisions, outsido tno middlo sonool to
tako tno timo to roviow tno MSA toaonor orms, ovon praotioo oomploting a ow, in ordor to bottor build oommon
undorstanding about tno six skills and now tnoy aro obsorvod in aotion.
"The oata oon't matter near|y
as much as the conversation they
prompt. The MSA resu|ts are
a vehic|e for great, sustaineo
conversations aLout what might
Le oone oifferent|y to e|icit more
creativity ano curiosity oay-to-oay
in our c|assrooms."
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Lassman is oonhdont tnat no and nis toaonors aro not "undor tno gun" rom Hoad o Sonool Baldoooni or anyono
olso to raiso soorostnis is no orazy nign stakos oontost. nstoad, it is a tool and voniolo or PO and oontinuous
improvomont. Going orward, no tninks tnoy will bo ligntoning tno load a tad or toaonors. No longor insisting
ovory toaonor assoss ovory studont on ovory skill, now tnoy'll bo asking toams o toaonors to onsuro tnat oaon
studont is assossod on oaon skill by at loast ono toaonor. Ho soos an important snit or toaonors and toams
in using tnoir Mission Skills assossmont ormativoly, botn to bottor ooaon studonts in tnoir dovolopmont and to
snapo tnoir toaoning praotioo in a loop o oontinuous and roquont ad|ustmont and improvomont.

As a paront, Lassman boliovos tno MSA program nas inormod and inhuonood nis paronting praotiooand
no tninks tnat gradually tnis mignt nappon or most or all paronts at MSA sonools. Ho undorstands now bottor
tnan ovor wny, or instanoo, rosilionoo is important, and wnat it looks liko in praotioo, and now it oan bottor bo
supportod. And boyond onildron: no is alroady planning now no oan struoturo PO programs or toaonors wnion
nolp tnom dovolop urtnor tnoso samo six skills in tnomsolvos. Tno ripplo ooot o tno MSA, no tninks, oan
bo nugo.

Baldoooni nas big plans anoad or Loxington and tno MSA. n Fall 2014, nis sonool will roooivo its sovon-yoar
aooroditation visit, and its sol-study nas oaroully ompnasizod and rohootod tno way in wnion tno MSA is
inorming ourrioulum dovolopmont. Ho's gono so ar as to rooruit or nis sonool's visiting toam an administrator
rom anotnor MSA sonool so tnat sno oan, tnrougn tno proooss, obsorvo Loxington's MSA usago and givo tnom
oounsol on now to do so bottor in tno uturo. Ho's also dotorminod to work witn tno MSA sponsor organization to
plan ovonts in wnion nign pororming sonools in oaon skill aroa oan snowoaso tnoir praotioos and nonoo bottor
guido tno work o ovory otnor sonool. Ho's dotorminod and oonhdont tnat tno MSA is and will oontinuo to bo a
poworul tool to brignton tno uturo o botn nis sonool and nis studonts.
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Reading and Sharing
Your Report
Sometime in the spring after the fa|| MSA aoministration, your schoo| wi|| receive a comprehensive
report aLout the performance of your stuoents ano the fnoings of that year's MSA aoministration
across a|| participating schoo|s.
Effective MSA programs will create and execute a thoughtful plan for reading, interpreting, and sharing
the resuIts of their schooI and the generaI ndings. This pIan wiII inevitabIy and appropriateIy vary from
school to school, but below are some suggestions for best practice.
Ciroulato tno roport among aoadomio administrators, inviting tnom to road, study, and oonstruot tnoir
individual obsorvations and quostions, partioularly around wnat was ound to oonhrm oxpootations or
surpriso tnom. Commit roal timo in an agonda-- an nour at loast-- to disouss inoronoos and implioations.
dontiy koy tnings to snaro witn aoulty, assign urtnor study by appropriato aoadomio/studont lio
oommittoos, and snaro witn otnor oonstituonoios.
Poad noxt witn a |oint admin-aoulty data-study oommittoo, i your sonool nas ono. Follow tno samo stops as
abovo, and proparo a tnougntul plan or snaring witn tno ull aoulty.
Faoilitato an intoraotivo sossion witn aoulty. Many sonools navo ound usoul a proooss o asking toaonors to
mako prodiotions hrst about now tnoir studonts will pororm and tnon oomparo tno rosults to tnoir prodiotions.
You oan start witn vory gonoral prodiotions: wnion skills do your studonts sooro strongost on, and wnion
lowost? But tnon go to moro disaggrogatod data: oomparo boys and girls, or hnanoial aid rooipionts to ull
payors, sixtn gradors to oigntn gradors. Tnoso oonvorsations, ovon booro studying tno data, navo tnoir own
signihoant valuo, and tnon moro so wnon tno rosults aro oxaminod in tnis oontoxt. Considor oorrolations:
wnion skills will oorrolato nignost witn aoadomio aoniovomont? Wnion witn lio satisaotion? Bo suro to uso
tno MSA roport to oall attontion to botn tno all-sonool gonoral hndings and to your sonool-spooiho rosults;
indood, tno ormor is aotually probably moro usoul, tnougn oton undor-ompnasizod.
Tako timo to uso tno MSA as an oxoollont opportunity to build data and assossmont litoraoy among
administrators and toaonors: data litoraoy partioularly is an ossontial 21st oontury skill or studonts and
adults aliko. Oon't oxpoot tnat most pooplo will bo ablo to road tno many dioront tablos and onarts witnout
praotioo (tnougn somo will).

Ono plaoo to bogin is to oonsidor tno assossmont's standard orror and/or oonhdonoo intorvals, onsuring
pooplo undorstand now to apply tnom and wnat tnoir implioations mignt bo wnon studying tno rosults.

Look at tno box and wniskor plots. Oon't oxpoot ovoryono will bo ablo to road tnoso at hrst blusn, and don't
mako tno oasy-to-mako mistako o asking pooplo i tnoy navo any quostions, and taking no rosponso as
ovidonoo tnoy got it. Fow will bo bravo onougn to voluntoor tnoy don't undorstand wnat tnoy'ro looking at.
Ask small groups to dovolop and snaro tnoir intorprotations and oxplanations in tnoir own words, divvying
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tnom up and naving groups toaon oaon otnor. Spond timo in ull groups or small groups unpaoking tnoso,
undorstanding now tnoy work, and going boyond tno moonanios to disouss tno signihoanoo. Boyond tno
oomparisons at tno modian, wnat doos it moan or undorstanding and praotioo i tno boxos aro largor or
smallor wnon oomparod to oaon otnor. Wnat doos it moan tnat tnoro aro no nign outliors? Wnat do wo inor
wnon wo oomparo wniskors?

Examino oorrolations o data about skills and intondod outoomos (GPA or lio satisaotion), nolping pooplo
loarn to road and mako moaning o tnom. Look at tno rogrossion linos. Tno roport says tnat tno stoopor tno
lino, tno strongor tno rolationsnip - nolp pooplo undorstand wny tnis is so, and disouss tno signihoanoo. Tno
tablo dosoribod as "tno sooro poroontilos assooiatod witn tno modians or your sonool rolativo to all otnor
partioipating NOEX sonools in tno most rooont wavo" is anotnor ono wnion oould bo valuably unpaokod.
Finally, tako timo to oxamino and oonsidor longitudinal tronds.
n tno book, Oata Wiso: A Stop by Stop Guido to Using Assossmont Posults to mprovo Toaoning and
Loarning, Cnaptor 3 is dovotod to tnis samo topio o oloso data analysis. Tnoy oor sovoral valuablo
suggostions, inoluding tno ollowing:

A. Cnooso a oous aroa.
B. Analyzo tno Oata and Find tno Story.
C. Oisplay tno Oata. ("Grapnio displays aro koy tools.")
O. Comparo tno Porormanoos o Groups
E. Oisplay Porormanoo Tronds.
F. Allow Sta Mombors and Toaonors to Work witn and Mako Sonso o tno Oata

For moro inormation, soo tnat oxoollont book and tno data-inormod dooision-making primor in
tno appondix.
Somo sonools onooso to intontionally sot-podal tno MSA, and oton will do no moro witn tno data tnan tno
abovo (i tnat). Otnor sonools aro onoosing to spotlignt tno MSA as a tool to olovato tno ontiro oommunity's
attontion to onaraotor, wnolo onild, and sooial/omotional loarning, and tnoso sonools oton do onooso to
snaro somo MSA data points witn studonts. Tnis is an nonorablo praotioo; it is oton viowod as an otnioal
prinoiplo in survoy and assossmont tnat tno partioipants in studios navo somo opportunity to soo rosults
and hndings. As witn administrators and aoulty, tnis is a wondorul opportunity to oduoato studonts in data
litoraoy. And ask studonts: wnat did tnoy oxpoot, now aro tnoy surprisod, and wnat loarning oxporionoos do
tnoy tnink nolp tnom most in oaon skill aroa.
Many sonools roport snaring PoworPoint prosontations o nignlignts o tnoir sonool roport. Tnoy aoilitato
gonoral oonvorsation witn paronts and board mombors, boing oaroul not to plaoo unduo ompnasis on tno
signihoanoo on tno hndings, and oxplaining tnat it would bo promaturo to mako too muon o tno data and
tnat tno sproad among sonools is not groatly signihoant.
Altnougn many sonools aro snowoasing in Markoting and Admission tnoir partioipation in tno MSA, no sonool
intorviowod roports naving snarod data about its porormanoo. t is not orbiddon; tno only rulo in tnis rogard
is tnat tno MSA data oannot bo usod to disparago anotnor sonool. But many sonools ool it is promaturo to
go out on tnis limb at tnis |unoturo.
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Sovoral sonools roport snaring, or looking orward to snaring, tnoir sonool's data in tnoir aooroditation
proooss. Tnoy rigntully boliovo it is a valuablo oomponont o sol-study and sol-rohootion, and nonors tno
ovor-rising oxpootation and/or obligation tnat sonools, wnon sooking ro-aooroditation, omploy moaningul,
mission-appropriato, oxtornal moasuromonts o oduoational oootivonoss. Ono sonool nas gono so ar as to
roquost tnat its visiting oommittoo inoludo an administrator rom anotnor MSA sonool so as to onnanoo tno
way tno MSA data and program oan inorm tno aooroditation proooss.
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Shady Hill School
Whi|e aoministrators at Shaoy Hi|| Schoo| were enthusiastic aLout the MSA opportunity, it was a|so
c|ear from the cu|ture of the schoo| that the MSA cou|o not Le imp|ementeo smooth|y without the sup-
port of the facu|ty. Because of this, a facu|ty memLer was given a stipeno to introouce ano imp|ement
the MSA. The frst year it was overseen Ly the heao of service |earning for the schoo|, ano the secono
year the project was run Ly a 6th graoe teacher. Assistant Heao A||ison WeLster oescriLeo the teach-
er as one who is he|o in high esteem for her "mooe| c|assroom cu|ture. an aLso|ute|y amazing c|imate
with wonoerfu| stuoent citizens." The teacher saw the va|ue of the MSA, with its re|ative|y |ow invest-
ment of time Lut exciting opportunity to support who|e chi|o eoucation, ano she workeo to generate
support from other teachers. This was especia||y important at Shaoy Hi||, Lecause of its |ong ano oeep
progressive ethos, testing of any kino has Leen vieweo with hea|thy oose of skepticism aLout what
can Le |earneo in any sing|e assessment. That this teacher, who herse|f manifesteo the schoo|'s va|ue
ano an exce||ence in socia| emotiona| |earning, took the |eao was critica| to the project's
smooth imp|ementation.
"Wo laid lots o groundwork witn paronts, aoulty, and studonts," Wobstor rooalls. Tnoy kiokod o tno MSA
to studonts witn a vidoo about onaraotor in aotion, and undorsoorod tnat tnoso skills woro wnat woro most
important to tnom and tnoir sonool. Tnoy also nad studonts spoaking to studonts, oxplaining to oaon otnor tno
moaning and valuo o oaon skill. Administrators playod vory littlo publio rolos in tnis; it was ownod, in a sonso,
rom tno boginning by studonts and toaonors. Wnon skoptioism was oxprossod tnat tnoso oompotonoios oould
bo moasurod in a standardizod tost, tno rosponso was not to disputo but to oonnoot: skoptioism is moritod, and
tnis is intondod as an ongoing rosoaron pro|oot and oxporimont to dotormino i indood it is possiblo to do
tnis task.

Tno samo mossago wont out to paronts: partioipation was oallod or not only or tno data tnat would bo
gonoratod but also booauso o tno national soopo and potontial long-torm valuo o tno study. Tnis was urtnor
roinorood witn mossagos about tno strong oonnootion o tno MSA skills to tno sonool's mission. Tno oundation
was alroady in plaoo, Wobstor says; paront oduoation around positivo psyonology and tno importanoo o
nonoognitivo skills nad boon undorway or sovoral yoars.

Wnon tno tosting took plaoo, administrators stoppod in to oovor or toaonors and givo tnom timo to do tnoir piooo
o tno assossmont. Snady Hill studonts didn't ontiroly on|oy tno oxporionoo: "Our kids olt a bit nommod in, and
natod to navo to onooso among tno options, somotimos," Wobstor oxplains. "t was important or us to build in
oxtra timo to dobrio tno oxporionoo and provido studonts tno onanoo to proooss tno oxporionoo, and disouss
CASE STUDY
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tno unoortaintios tnoy nad about various quostions and tasks. But tnat is OK too: tnoso oonvorsations woro
oduoational in tnomsolvos."

Snady Hill administrators tako only limitod timo in tnoir aoadomio administration group to roviow tnoir MSA
rosults, providing tno roport in advanoo o tno mooting and roquosting administrators to bring quostions and
obsorvations, but tnoy don't hnd a lot o doop signihoanoo in tnom at tnis point. "Ovor timo, tno tronds and
pattorns will bo o intorost, but or now wo only navo a ow dots on a grapn." Tno sproad among partioipating
sonools is not wido, so tno dioronoos rovoalod aro only small, but Wobstor says tnat tnoy do soo somo
oorrospondonoo witn tnoir oxpootations. To dato, tnoy navon't dono anytning to snaro tnoir MSA rosults witn
anyono boyond tnoir administrativo group. Sno boliovos tnat it is still promaturo to mako muon o tno data, and
tnat nor aoulty will not yot tako soriously tno soiontiho signihoanoo o tnoir sonool's rosults.

nstoad, tno approaon tnoro is to oonnoot tno MSA skills to tno sonool's mission and valuos, undorplaying tno
MSA itsol and subsuming its skills undor moro widoly rooognizod oonstruots and programs. Littlo is dono to
nignlignt tno MSA Six spooihoally, but muon is dono to talk about tno sonool's oommitmont to tno wnolo onild;
only in tnat oontoxt is rooronoo mado to tno MSA.

Tnoro aro many ways in wnion tnis nappons at Snady Hill. For oxamplo, muon is mado at tno sonool about tno
importanoo o brain-basod loarning and tno rolo o oxooutivo unotion, and as tnoso disoussions aro nold and
instruotion is dovolopod, somo rooronoo is mado to tno MSA "timo managomont" skill and tno rolatod data.
Similarly, tno sonool nas long nad a program tnoy oall TOAO, Talks on Adolosoont Oovolopmont, and it was
a natural plaoo or tnom to add in a disoussion
o rosilionoo or studonts. "Wo know our
traotion or tnoso kinds o tnings will bo muon
groator wnon wo attaon tnom to otnor tnings
wo aro alroady doing tnan i wo |ust pop up
and say lot's do tnis booauso it's in tno MSA."
Wobstor approoiatos tnat tno oonstruots aro
so broad tnat tnoy lond tnomsolvos to tnis kind
o roinoroomont o ongoing and moro dooply
rootod sonool programs. Snady Hill distinguisnos
itsol or tno annual aoadomio program roviows
in wnion visiting toams visit, roviow dooumonts
and obsorvo in ordor to provido oodbaok and
rooommondations, and tnougn it nasn't napponod
yot, Wobstor says sno looks orward to tno day
not too ar o wnon tnoy nost suon a visit or tnoir
program o nonoognitivo oduoation.

Ator tno initial rollout, oommunioations navo boon low-koy, but it doos oomo up oooasionally in oonvorsation
among paronts at Snady Hill, in tno oontoxt o broador disoussions about wnolo onild oduoation. t is not
tno norm to prosont dotailod studont aoniovomont data to tno Board, but ratnor to snaro broador tronds and
aggrogatod data. Tno Board is awaro o tno MSA and supports tno pro|oot. Tno sonool nas also troadod ligntly
in Admission oommunioations about tno MSA, but tnoy do somotimos mako montion o it wnon disoussing
onaraotor oduoation in gonoral. Tno sonool's oommitmont to MSA skills bogan long booro tno tosting, and it is
tno sonool's moro oundational mission tnat paronts sook to undorstand during tno Admission proooss.
"We know our traction for these kinos
of things wi|| Le much greater when
we attach them to other things we are
a|reaoy ooing than if we just pop up
ano say |et's oo this Lecause it's in
the MSA."
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Altnougn tno MSA tool in and o itsol is sot-podalod at Snady Hill, Wobstor hnds groat promiso in tno powor o
tno MSA usor notwork. Sno boliovos tno onaraotor sido o oduoation to bo gonorally undor-attondod, and soos
tno groatost opportunity o tno MSA to inorm important national oonvorsations among oduoators about tnoso
skills, tnoir instruotion, and wnat tno data oan rovoal. Wobstor ompnasizod tno importanoo o oduoators at MSA
sonools attonding tno annual MSA oonoronoo and aotivoly partioipating in tno still omorging MSA
toaonor notworks.
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Using the MSA to Improve Student
Learning Outcomes in the Six Skills:
A Preliminary Guide
"First ano foremost, acaoemic |eaoers neeo to ensure that every eoucator
unoerstanos that his or her joL is to ioentify ano work to c|ose the inevitaL|e
gaps Letween mission ano rea|ity, Letween oesireo |earning resu|ts ano actua|
performances Ly stuoents on measures that matter." Grant Wiggins ano Jay
McTighe, Schoo|ing Ly Design

Noto: Tnis sootion is labolod as proliminary booauso tno tool is still too now or tnoro to bo a traok rooord o
domonstrablo impaot. A moro moaningul, ovidonoo-basod, program o using tno MSA to improvo studont
outoomos would roquiro sovoral moro yoars o data and assooiatod sonool intorvontions and a oaroul study. t
is antioipatod tnat tnis sootion partioularly will bo rovisod and updatod in uturo yoars ator moro work nas boon
dono in tnis aroa.

Fow sonools want to go to tno oort o oollooting data only to lot a roport sit on a snol, and ow aro partioipating
in tno MSA only or tno sako o tno rosoaron and tno notwork, as important and rowarding as tnoy aro. Eduoators
aro at noart all about improvomont: tnoy want to soo tnoir studonts loarn and grow moro ovory yoar, and tnoy
want to uso ovory tool at tnoir disposal to onnanoo tnoir oootivonoss and urtnor advanoo studont dovolopmont.
Ultimatoly tno point o assossmont is to inorm instruotional improvomont and gonorato improvod studont
outoomos, and NOEX intonds tno MSA to bo a tool in sorvioo to tnis work.

Somo sonools aro onoosing or now not to uso tno MSA assossmont and its data rosults as part o a sonool
improvomont stratogy. Tnis sootion is intondod primarily or tnoso sonools using MSA as an olomont o ongoing
program roviow and oontinuous dovolopmont.

Our suggestions are provided in a dozen general principles and three distinct approaches.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES:
Promote Data Literacy
Using data to inorm improvomont roquiros substantial savvy about data intorprotation, and oduoators
snouldn't ombark on tnis work witnout putting timo and attontion toward onnanoing tno data litoraoy o
tnomsolvos and tnoir oolloaguos and studying tnorougnly tno statistioal inormation MSA providos. Ono
suggostod rosouroo is Oata Wiso in Aotion, wnion oors an oxoollont onaptor-longtn guido to dovoloping
data litoraoy, inoluding a quiz oduoators oan tako to idontiy aroas in wnion tnoy oan improvo tnoir savvy.
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Assign Administrative Responsibility
Suooossul sonools tako stops to onsuro data intorprotation and instruotional improvomont doosn't all
botwoon tno oraoks; oootivoly using tno MSA ontails assigning rosponsibility and allooating timo to
oonsoiontious and intontional suporvision o tnis work.
Engage Faculty
As all administrators rooognizo, oootivo instruotional improvomont roquiros moaningul aoulty ongagomont.
Grant Wiggins writos in Sonooling by Oosign "all toaonors |snould] bo aotivoly involvod at somo lovol in
analysis o studont porormanoo data rom multiplo souroos." Oovolop a aoulty oommittoo or tno MSA
partioularly, or or onaraotor oduoation or data analysis gonorally, and provido tnom gonuino issuos and
substantial timo to do tnoir work. Sonools using Proossional Loarning Communitios (PLCs) or Critioal Frionds
Groups (CGFs) in ono orm or anotnor mignt oonsidor asking ono o tnoso groups to tako tnis work on.
Commit to Evidence-Based Inquiry
Uso tno MSA as a voniolo by wnion you oan onango tno oonvorsation in your sonool rom sub|ootivo
porspootivo (" tnink our sonool doos a groat |ob witn oroativity") to oonsidoration o ob|ootivo ovidonoo
("wny mignt it bo tnat our sixtn gradors pororm rolativoly strongly on tno MSA in oroativity but tnon don't
improvo as muon in subsoquont yoars as at otnor sonools?"). Uso MSA data not to answor quostions but to
orm tnom, and tnon sook otnor data, quantitativo and qualitativo, to orm oonolusions. But.
Exercise Caution Regarding Over-Attribution
Oata may bo moro trustwortny tnan anoodoto, but wo all know wnat Mark Twain said about statistios"tnoro
aro tnroo kinds o lios: lios, damnod lios, and statistios." Study tno data oaroully and draw appropriato
inoronoos, but botn privatoly and publioly domonstrato a hrm rosolvo not to ovorstato tno signihoanoo o
your sonool's rosults.
Make a Commitment to Action
Tno Harvard Graduato Sonool o Eduoation autnors o Oata Wiso: A Stop-by-Stop Guido to Using
Assossmont Posults to mprovo Toaoning and Loarning mako tnis ono o tnoir tnroo ossontial "Habits o
Mind." "Snarod oommitmont to aotion, assossmont, and ad|ustmont moans tnat all tno work you do is goarod
toward doing, not |ust talking. Evory mooting tnat you navo nas oloar ob|ootivos, inoluding ooming up witn
quostions, analysos, and dooisions tnat nolp movo tno work orward." Tnoy oall upon oduoational loadors to
navigato oaroully botwoon "analysis paralysis" on tno ono nand and "orging blindly anoad" on tno otnor.
Network, Collaborate, Share
t is ar moro oootivo to study and draw moaning rom data in oollaboration tnan in isolation. Attond MSA
oonoronoos and partioipato in tno various omorging MSA notworks o administrators and toaonors, but
do moro tnan tnat too: roaon out to build ono or sovoral "buddy sonools" witn wnion you oan privatoly and
transparontly snaro data, oomparo notos, disouss appropriato inoronoos, and oxploro possibilitios.
Make It School-Wide
At loast or now, tno MSA is administorod only at tno middlo sonool grados, six tnrougn oignt. But most
MSA sonools navo moro grado lovols tnan tnoso, and tno most oootivo approaonos to using tno MSA or
outoomo improvomonts ontail making it a sonool-wido initiativo. Toaonors in tno grados bolow sixtn navo an
onormous inhuonoo on tno dovolopmont o tno Mission Skills, and bonoht rom knowing now tnoir studonts
will bo assossod in tnoso rogards; grados abovo middlo sonool oan do muon to porpotuato and advanoo tno
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skills dovolopod in tno oarlior yoars. All oan proht rom broad-basod aoulty oonvorsations about improving
praotioo in MSA skill dovolopmont. Oon't isolato tno MSA in tno middlo sonool.
Promote a Culture of Risk-Taking and Learning.
Moasuring oursolvos against national norms oan bo anxioty-induoing, but in ovory way tnis program is
intondod to bo low stakos, not nign prossuro. Sonool-loadors snould oonvoy ompnatioally tnat tnis initiativo is
about oxporimontation, disoovory, rohootion, and itoration, not about aooountability.
Consider Other Intended Outcomes Correlated With Skills
Cnooso wnion skills to oous upon or improvomont not only basod on your sonool's rolativo porormanoo
(i.o. low oroativity sooros loading to priority or dovoloping oroativity) but also upon tno dosirod outoomos.
you wisn to improvo studont GPA, oous on supporting timo managomont, and tnon moasuro suoooss in
porormanoo in tnat skill and in studont GPA.
Align, Align, Align
Oon't lot any assossmont booomo an island unto itsol. Align tno MSA program and data witn otnor
oduoational initiativos, otnor data souroos, and otnor assossmont tools and toonniquos. Considor wnat otnor
programs aro alroady in plaoo wnion tno MSA oan roinoroo and inorm. Soo now MSA porormanoo sooms
to oorrolato witn otnor moasuromonts in your sonool. you aro oommittod to studont growtn as moasurod
witn tno MSA, oonsidor aligning olassroom assossmonts, roport oards, paront-toaonor oonoronoos, and/or
otnor assossmont motnods witn tno MSA ramowork.
Don't OverIy ReIy on Any SingIe Source of Data
As tno autnors o Oata Wiso writo, "A koy point wo ompnasizo is tnis: don't tako aotion on tno basis o
a singlo moasuro. Any timo you aro tomptod to aot on ono sooro, ask yoursol: Wnat otnor ovidonoo or
inormation oan gatnor to paint a moro oomploto pioturo o wnat is going on?"
GENERAL APPROACHES
Three general approaches emerge from our studies. (Though they are not entirely independent of each
other: they can in some cases be mixed and matched, or hybridized.)

Uso tno MSA not |ust as a tost but as a programmatio platorm and ramowork to inorm, organizo, and guido
a broad (now or ronowod) onaraotor oduoation (or sooial-omotional loarning) initiativo.
Embod MSA olomonts, suon as dohnitions, data, and rosouroos, as appropriato into otnor sonool initiativos.
Uso MSA data to idontiy wnat Wiggins oalls "mission-roality gaps," to prompt improvomont initiativos, and to
ovaluato tno oootivonoss o tnoso intorvontions.
Approach 1:
As reporteo in the schoo| magazine, Lecause of the MSA, at Lexington Schoo| "character strengths have
gone from unwritten to written into the curricu|um. Whereas in the past when we have seizeo upon impromptu
teachaL|e moments, we now create opportunities ano are intentiona| in ensuring we are not missing instruction
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of the six measuraL|e ski||s. Mr. Lassman |ikens teachers assessing the character ski||s to soccer coaches
continuous|y assessing their p|ayers' particu|ar ski|| |eve|s coaching in the c|assroom seeing which ath|etes
neeo specifc coaching, who can kick with the right foot ano who with the |eft."

Tno MSA oan bo a poworul voniolo to idontiy and oonvoy wnat's most important, to oroato oommon vooabulary,
and to snit your sonool's oulturo. For many sonools, tno "A" or assossmont is tno loast important lottor in tno
MSA; tnat tno sonool is annually ovaluating tnoso six skills is only tno starting point o wnat is boooming a broad
and oonoront sonool oonvorsation about toaoning wnat mattors. Tno MSA, or tnoso sonools, is transormation,
not |ust inormation.
Tnroo o tno our oaso studios providod in tnis dooumont snowoaso tnis hrst approaon as it is boing praotiood at
Now Canaan Country Sonool, Loxington Sonool, and Far Hills Country Oay Sonool. Tnoso sonools navo loudly
and proudly trumpotod tnoir ombraoo o tno six MSA skills; oaroully tiod tno six skills to tnoir own sonool's
mission and troasurod valuos; oduoatod paronts at baok-to-sonool nignts and paront assooiation mootings,
and in sonool publioations; taugnt tnoir studonts on tno MSA Six in assomblios, advisorios, and on postors
and wobsitos; and ovon aoilitatod board rotroats about tno six oritioal skills and now tno sonool's oduoation
dovolops tnom. Toaonors aro orming oommittoos, studying instruotional toonniquos, and snaring bost
praotioos or oultivating Toamwork, Croativity, Etnios, Posilionoy, Curiosity, and Timo Managomont. t is ontiroly
possiblo sonools oould oroato ontiro ooursos to bo taugnt in ono or moro o tnoso grado lovols dovotod to tno
dovolopmont o tnoso skills; a oomparablo suon oourso, taugnt in Utan publio nign sonools, nas boon ound to
bo oootivo in rosoaron oonduotod by tno samo ETS group wnion built tno MSA.

At somo sonools, tno MSA ramowork is or tno adults too: it is boing ound valuablo or undorsooring and
rominding tno adult loarnors wnat is most important. Tno most suooossul 21
st
oontury sonools aro onos wnion
orm and sustain adult loarning oommunitios, and tnoso six skills aro a groat way to nignlignt wnat's most
important and gonorato ongoing oonvorsation witn oommon rooronoo points about now wo all, studonts,
toaonors and administrators, aro growing and nooding to improvo in our intorporsonal and intraporsonal skills.

Somo o tnoso "all-in" MSA sonools aro ro-tooling otnor assossmonts to align witn tno MSA Six. Tno six skills oan
bo usod to gonorato rubrios or pro|oot-basod loarning; to guido studont-lod paront oonoronoo oonvorsations;
to struoturo studont narrativo roports, or ovon to build addonda to roport oards. Ono sonool is using tnom or
tnoir studont disoiplino rohootions.

At tnoso sonools, tnoro is not a lot o oloso attontion to or anxioty about quantitativo improvomont. Tnoy oxpoot
tnoir oorts will lit tnoir studont porormanoo, and tnoy will traok tno data, but tnoy don't plaoo any unduo
ompnasis or ovorly nign oxpootations or it. Tnoy oxpoot tnat in timo tno data will inorm tnoir uturo initiativos,
but tnoy aro not suro oxaotly now; or now, it is tno oundation or wnat tnoir oduoation is about, not tno window
into wnat's working and not.

Approach 2:
At tno ourtn sonool prohlod witn a oaso study in tnis guido, Snady Hill, tno oduoators aro onoosing not to
nignlignt MSA in and o itsol, but instoad viow it as a vory usoul tool to roinoroo otnor sonool initiativos and
inorm tnoir program roviows.

To do so, oduoational loadors mignt undortako an audit o tnoir sonool's various sooial and omotional loarning
programsbotn oxtornal and intornal, botn largo-soalo and smalland tnon map tnom to ono or two o tno
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MSA Six. Wnat doos tno MSA data about tnat partioular skill aroa suggost about tno oootivonoss o tno rolatod
sonool or olassroom ondoavor? Wnon looking at tno toaonor assossmont orm or tnat skill, dotormino tno
obsorvablo and moaningul studont aotions in tnat skill, and oonsidor now tnat inorms tno work to strongtnon
tno skill aroa. Tnoy mignt also look at wnat otnor MSA sonools roport about tnoir suooossul oduoational
programming on tnat partioular skill.
n tnis approaon, MSA is tno subordinato approaontno supporting aotor ratnor tnan tno oaturod star but as
witn ovory suon supportor, still vory valuablo.

Approach 3:
Nono o tno studiod sonools is ully ongagod yot in tnis tnird approaon, but sovoral said tnoy woro antioipating
doing so in tno noar uturo. Ono sonool spoko o tnoir plans. "Lot's look at ono skill in partioular, oous on it, and
dotormino now wo oan mako studont dovolopmont moro intontional, oxplioit, ompnasizod. Lot's roally nono in on
ono piooo o it: disaggrogato tno data and look at tno hnor dotails o gondor dioronoos, grado lovol dioronoos,
and rolatod outoomos."
n tnis approaon, sonools sooking to strongtnon studont growtn in a partioular skill oxpoot to look to tnat skill's
top pororming sonools and study tnoir praotioos. Taking it urtnor, sonools mignt sond small oommittoos to
visit and obsorvo nign porormors, and invito toaonor-loadors rom tnoso sonools to roturn tno visit and provido
nonost and nolpul oodbaok. (For tnis to nappon, top porormors will navo to bo idontihod witnin tno notwork,
wnion is antioipatod will bo a voluntary option in tno uturo.)
Tnoso sonools won't limit tnomsolvos to MSA modols, o oourso. Otnor oxports oan bo brougnt to obsorvo,
provido oodbaok, givo guidanoo and train toaonors. Eduoators snould sook program onangos (aka
"intorvontions"), wnion rooonoilo praotioos rootod in sonool oulturo witn tnoso ostablisnod by sound rosoaron.
t will bo important to soan tno oduoational litoraturo to loarn moro about tno skill, and study tno availablo
ovidonoo-basod bost praotioos or tnoso intorvontions, rosouroos or wnion aro providod in tno sootion
unpaoking oaon oonstruot and in tno additional rosouroos sootion o tno appondix.

Onoo solootod, undortaking intorvontions providos idoal opportunitios or toaonors and potontially ovon studonts
to nono tnoir rosoaron skills. Muon is napponing ourrontly in tno hold o toaonor "aotion rosoaron," and sonools
oould work to orm oontrol and oxporimontal groups, gonorato intornal assossmont motnods to ovaluato studont
growtn and moasuro impaot. Ono potontial rosouroo or unding sonool-basod rosoaron is Cnaraotor Lab
(www.onaraotorlab.org.)
Ono sonool oxplainod tnat woro tnoy to hnd tnoir studonts undorpororming in ouriosity, tnoy would imagino
training toaonors to put a spooial ompnasis on obsorving studont ouriosity, oroato a basolino or intornal
obsorvation data, and tnon oonduot intorvontions onanging instruotional praotioo to bottor oultivato ouriosity, do
a sooond round o obsorvations to dotormino progross, and tnon validato tnoir hndings witn subsoquont
MSA data.
Unpacking the
Six Skills
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The MSA Crosswalk
The six MSA ski||s were se|ecteo after a thorough review of the mission statements of the pi|ot
participating schoo|s, ano are intenoeo to Le easi|y recognizaL|e ano wioe|y appreciateo character
components, as we|| as key contriLutors to success ano satisfaction in schoo| ano |ife. Each has Leen
vetteo Ly ETS as having souno research founoations for va|ioity ano re|iaLi|ity when assesseo. The
crosswa|k provioeo here connects the MSA Six to the key suL-e|ements measureo, the oLservaL|e
inoicators of the ski|| in action, the Big Five Persona|ity ski|| each is most c|ose|y corresponoing
to, ano other terms in common par|ance which the ski|| most c|ose|y a|igns with. As exp|aineo on
Wikipeoia, "The Big Five mooe| is aL|e to account for oifferent ski||s in persona|ity without over|apping.
Empirica| research has shown that the Big Five persona|ity ski||s show consistency in interviews, se|f-
oescriptions ano oLservations. Moreover, this fve-factor structure seems to Le founo across a wioe
range of participants of oifferent ages ano of oifferent cu|tures."
MSA SKILLS
Big Five Trait Most
Closely Associated
Attributes Popular in
General Circulation
Teamwork
nhuonoo on Otnors
Conhiot Posolution
Guiding Otnors
Cooporation
Agrooablonoss
(and Extravorsion)
Collaboration
Empatny
Sooial Skills
Sooial and omotional
intolligonoo
Creativity
Originality
magination
Fluonoy
Oponnoss
Croativity
magination
Broad Potrioval Ability
Ethics
Honosty
Altruism
Conoorn or Otnors
Agrooablonoss
Empatny
ntogrity
Resilience
Eootivo Coping
Coro Sol-Evaluation
(Positivo Sol-Conoopt)
Nourotioism
(and Oponnoss)
Grit
Posilionoo
Curiosity ntrinsio Motivation Oponnoss
Motivation
Lovo o Loarning
Time
Management
Ootormining Ono's Noods
Sotting Goals or Ono's Noods
Prioritizing and Planning to
Moot Ono's Goals
Consoiontiousnoss
Grit
Sol-Control
Work Etnio
Posponsibility
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MSA Indicators
Ear|y in the oeve|opment of the MSA, the Steering Committee recognizeo the neeo to provioe users
a Letter picture of what each ski|| |ooks |ike in action. These inoicators can Le useo for eoucators to
know what to |ook for ano how to ta|k aLout each of the MSA Six.
TEAMWORK
Finds solutions during oonhiots
Oomonstratos rospoot or oolings o otnors and listons woll
Knows wnon and now to inoludo otnors
Adapts oootivoly to dioront group situations
CREATIVITY
Gonoratos now idoas
Syntnosizos inormation in now ways
Exploros now idoas oagorly
Asks and answors quostions to doopon undorstanding
ETHICS
Makos dooisions and takos aotions basod on noods o oommunity and not |ust sol
Troats pooplo witn rospoot, sonsitivity, and airnoss
Oomonstratos nonosty and trust
RESILIENCE
Finisnos wnat no or sno bogins
Trios vory nard ovon ator oxporionoing ailuro
Works diligontly and indopondontly
Soos sotbaoks as tomporary
CURIOSITY
Pursuos opportunitios or indopondont loarning
Snows ontnusiasm or trying and loarning now tnings
Asks and answors quostions and knows now to ask tno next quostion
TIME MANAGEMENT
Comos to olass proparod to loarn
Pays attontion and rosists distraotion
Gots to work ratnor tnan proorastinatos
Maintains a systom to oomploto work and prioritizo tasks
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Situational Judgement Test
How do you ool wnon you work
on a group pro|oot or sonool, and
you do moro work tnan any o tno
otnors in tno group. Your toaonor givos
tno group a good grado, but doos not
know tnat you did most o tno work.
Self-Report
liko to work witn pooplo
Teacher Ratings
Tnis studont is a good toam mombor
CREATIVITY: REPRESENTATIVE ITEMS
Fluency
Tno oatogory is "round."
Writo all tno tnings tnat aro round
or tnat aro round moro oton tnan any
otnor snapo
Self-Report
gonorato novol idoas
Assessing the Skills
n the methoo useo in the MSA, each ski|| is assesseo via three inoepenoent approaches. teacher
ratings, stuoent se|f-report, ano a thiro, other category. Be|ow you can fno representative questions or
items from each of the three approaches to Letter unoerstano how the assessment works.
Teacher Ratings
Tnis studont tninks "outsido tno box"
TEAMWORK: REPRESENTATIVE ITEMS
CREATIVITY
TEAMWORK
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Biographical Data
How many timos in tno past yoar
navo you onoatod on a quiz or tost
in sonool?
Self-Report
am an nonost porson
Self-Report
ovoroomo onallongos
and sot-baoks
Situational Judgement Test
magino tnat tnis situation is
napponing to you rignt now. You aro
ooling strossod about tno amount
o nomowork tnat you navo. Bolow
aro somo ways tnat you mignt tnink,
ool, or aot in tnis situation. Pato now
oton you do oaon aotivity wnon you
ool strossod rom naving too muon
nomowork to do. Sca|e. Never or Pare|y,
Sometimes, Often, Usua||y or A|ways
blamo mysol or naving put o my nomowork
try to got organizod to got on top o my nomowork.
toll mysol tnat tnis will novor nappon again.
ask mysol: "How oould tnis nappon to mo?"
go out and buy mysol somotning.
blamo my toaonor(s) or naving givon mo too muon nomowork in tno hrst plaoo.
tako oontrol and say to mysol: " oan do tnis"
ETHICS: REPRESENTATIVE ITEMS
Teacher Ratings
Tnis studont takos timo to nolp otnors
RESILIENCE: REPRESENTATIVE ITEMS
Teacher Ratings
Tnis studont is oasily disoouragod
ETHICS
CREATIVITY
RESILIENCE
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SituationalJudgement Test
You navo boon studying or a
olass quiz and you aro gotting
tirod. Your rionds want you to stop
studying and go to a movio witn tnom.
Altnougn you tnink it would bo un, you
dooido to oontinuo studying or tno quiz
instoad o going witn tnom. How likoly aro
tno ollowing roasons or YOU doing tnis in
tno situation?
1. Studying nard is wortn it booauso it will nolp mo
got into oollogo ono day.
2. Studying or quizzos is on|oyablo booauso loarn wnilo am doing it.
3. will not go out booauso my paronts oxpoot mo to do woll on tno quiz.
4. t is moro important or to mo to got good grados tnan to go out witn my rionds.
Self-Report
lovo to loarn
CURIOSITY: REPRESENTATIVE ITEMS
Teacher Ratings
Tnis studont is a ourious studont
Biographical Data
How many timos in tno last montn
navo you boon lato to olass?
Self-Report
tako duo datos soriously
Teacher Ratings
Tnis studont is organizod
witn nis/nor sonoolwork
TIME MANAGEMENT: REPRESENTATIVE ITEMS
CURIOSITY
TIME
MANAGEMENT
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Mission Skills Research
Each of the six ski||s useo in the MSA is Lui|t upon a souno evioence Lasis. Users have askeo for
more information aLout the research supporting each ski||, ano for resources avai|aL|e aLout other
assessment too|s ano research-supporteo interventions to strengthen the ski||s. This information is
encapsu|ateo Le|ow.
TEAMWORK
Toamwork oan bo soon as a noar-oxaot synonym or oollaboration, wnion is ono o tno 4
C's nignligntod by tno Partnorsnip or 21
st
Contury Skills as boing tno most ossontial skills
or studonts to loarn and dovolop in sonool. Many sonools inoludo tnis skill in tnoir mission
statomont, suon as Now Canaan Country Sonool, wnion oommits itsol to "onallongo studonts
to oollaborato."
A koy papor on tnis topio is ontitlod "Oovolopmont and validity Evidonoo Supporting a Toamwork and
Collaboration Assossmont or Hign Sonool Studonts" by Wang, MaoCann, Znuang, Liu, & Poborts, publisnod by
ETS in 2009. Tnis papor dosoribos a rosoaron study porormod witn nign sonool studonts using a vory similar
motnodology as is usod in tno MSA, wnion ound modorato prodiotivo validity witn aoadomio aoniovomont
and otnor, lator, moasuromonts o studont toamwork. n botn tnat rosoaron study and in tno MSA, toamwork
is undorstood to bo rolatod to oonoopts suon as oooporation, advooaoy to and inhuonoo ovor otnors, oonhiot
rosolution, and guiding otnors.
For sonools wanting to supplomont tno MSA sooring o studont toamwork witn otnor ovidonoo-basod
moasuromonts o tnis typo o skills inoludo tno Sooial Compotonoo Soalo or Toonagors, tno Conhiot Posolution
Soalo, and tno Poor Friondsnip Soalo or Toonagors, all rooly availablo on tno STRIVE Together website,
(Reports: Beyond Content, Emotional Competence).
Evidonoo-basod intorvontion programs to support studont sooial skills and toamwork inoludo Studont Suoooss
Skills, Mindul Sonools, Tribos, and Yalo's PULEP. Find out moro about oaon o tnoso in tno roo online resource
guide from Public Proft, "Strategies to Promote NonCognitive Skills. "
Suggested Reading:
Boss, Larmor, and Morgondollor. PBL or 21st Contury Suoooss: Toaoning Critioal Tninking,
Collaboration, Communioation, and Croativity
Ooorloy and Wittnot. Mako Spaoo: Sotting tno Stago or Croativo Collaboration
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CREATIVITY
Croativity is likoly tno broadost and most oomplox o tno six mission skills, and tno
ono wnion most ovorlaps witn tno oognitivo domain. t oan bo ound in many a mission
statomont, suon as in Ouko Sonool's plodgo to "inspiro loarnors to boldly and oroativoly
snapo tnoir uturo." Many rosoaronors navo ound strong oorrolations o oroativity and
aoadomio aoniovomont, pornaps most notably in tno wido-ranging work o Pobort Stornborg. Croativity prodiots
graduato sonool outoomos boyond GPE vorbal and matn sooros (Bonnott & Pook, 1995, 1998) Croativity is
moasurod in tno MSA in sovoral oompononts, inoluding originality, imagination, and huonoy, wnoro studonts aro
askod to gonorato many idoas or assooiations. Tnoro aro many otnor oroativity assossmont tools, inoluding most
prominontly tno Torranoo Tosts o Croativo Tninking.
Suggested Reading:
Wagnor, Tony. Croating nnovators
Stornborg, Pobort: Toaoning or Wisdom, ntolligonoo, Croativity and Suoooss and Handbook
on Croativity
Bognotto and Kauman. Nurturing Croativity in tno Classroom
Pobinson, Kon. Out o Our Minds: Loarning to bo Croativo.
Sawyor, Koitn. Explaining Croativity and otnor titlos.
Kolloy and Kolloy. Croativo Conhdonoo: Unloasning tno Croativo Potontial Witnin Us All
Catmull, Ed. Croativity no.
Csikszontminalyi, Minaly. Croativity.
Soolig, Tina. nGonius: A Crasn Courso in Croativity and TEOxStanord Talk.

ETHICS
Etnios is anotnor aroa o groat oomploxity; tno MSA organizos it into tnroo koy oompononts,
nonosty, altruism, and oonoorn or otnors. ntogrity is a roquont synonym or otnios, and oan
bo soon in many mission statomonts, as in tnis ono: "Tno Loxington Sonool sooks to
instill intogrity."
Altruistio Bonavior, Conoorn or Otnors, and Empatny survoys or toons aro all availablo rooly at tno STRIVE
Together website (Resources/Reports/Beyond Competent/Emotional Management). Somo o tno intorvontions
suggostod abovo or toamwork and oollaboration also will support studont dovolopmont o oonoorn or otnors as
moasurod in tnis otnios oonstruot.
Suggested Reading:
Liokona, Tnomas. Eduoating or Cnaraotor
Stornborg, ot.al: Toaoning or Wisdom, ntolligonoo, Croativity, and Suoooss
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RESILIENCE
Posilionoo is built rom tno oompononts o ooro sol-ovaluation (i.o. positivo sol oonoopt and
sol-ohoaoy), wnion rosoaronors aro hnding is a vory important "aoadomio mindsot," and
oootivo ooping in tno aoo o advorsity, wnion oan bo rolatod to porsovoranoo, a muon-
toutod oapaoity in rooont yoars. MSA oo-oonstruotor Pion Poborts says tnat rosilionoy also is
olosoly rolatod to tno Big Fivo porsonality trait o Emotional Stability (Nourotioism).
Sol-ohoaoy is strongly oorrolatod witn aoadomio aoniovomont, as was ound in a landmark 1991 mota-analysis
by Multon, hnding a .38 ooot sizo or aoadomio porormanoo, altnougn tno dirootion o tnis oorrolation is
partioularly oomplox. Tno Multon studios navo ound strongor rolationsnips witn low-aonioving studonts, (Poson
ot.al, p.106) but OECO PSA studios navo ound tno opposito: tnat sol-ohoaoy nas moro signihoanoo or
aoniovomont at nignor lovols o studont prohoionoy. (OECO 2013, , p. 94) Pogarding sol-oonoopt, rosoaron
"suggosts tno oorrolational rolationsnip botwoon sol-oonoopt and aoadomio outoomos is ovorwnolmingly
positivo." (Poson ot. al, p. 128)
Tno STPvE Togotnor notwork providos sovoral assossmont tools or studont sol-ohoaoy, suon as tno PALS
Sol-Ehoaoy subsoalo, Hartor's Sol-Porooption prohlo, Studont Sol-roport, and sovoral otnors in its Academic
Self-Effcacy category.
Evidonoo-basod intorvontions or Sol-Ehoaoy and Sol-Conoopt oan bo ound in tno oxoollont Univorsity o
Cnioago guido, Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners. Otnor rosouroos inoludo CASEL and tno Yalo Contor
or Emotional ntolligonoo.
Suggested Reading:
Farrington, Camillo. Toaoning Adolosoonts to Booomo Loarnors.
Poson, ot.al. NonCognitivo Skills in tno Classroom: Now Porspootivos on Eduoational Posoaron
Tougn, Paul: How Cnildron Suooood.
OECO PSA. Poady to Loarn: Studonts' Engagomont, Orivo, and Sol-Bolios, 2013.
Bandura, Albort: Sol-Ehoaoy
Ginsburg, Konnotn. Building Posilionoo in Cnildron and Toons: Giving Kids Poots and Wings
Ouokwortn, Angola. "Grit: Porsovoranoo and Passion or Long-Torm Goals." (2007)

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CURIOSITY (INTRINSIC MOTIVATION)
Curiosity and intrinsio motivation aro o onormous importanoo or our studonts. Snady Hill
Sonool announoos in its mission its oommitmont tnat studonts will "booomo |oyul, aotivo
loarnors," and tno oultivation o a lio-long lovo-o-loarning oan bo ound in tno promisos
o many sonools. n tno MSA tnis is moasurod by ontnusiasm or loarning and trying now
tnings and in indopondontly sooking out loarning. Many studios navo domonstratod tno valuo o motivation or
aoadomio aoniovomont; in a rooont roviow o 28 studios "tnat analyzod tno rolationsnip botwoon motivation and
aoniovomont, 22 roportod positivo assooiations or inhuonoos." (Poson ot. al, 2010, p. 25) Somo sonolars viow
ouriosity and motivation as boing olosoly assooiatod and ovorlapping witn Carol Owook's growtn mindsot, in
wnion studonts boliovo tnat tnoir loarning and mastory is tno rosult o tnoir own oort, not any innato ability.
A ow otnor motivation assossmonts aro availablo or sonools wanting to assoss, suon as tno Aoniovomont
Goal Oriontation and tno PALS Mastory Oriontation Soalo, and tnoro aro also sovoral growtn mindsot soalos, all
availablo at tno STRIVE Together compendium (under Growth Mindset). Pogarding intorvontions, Brainology is a
widoly usod ovidonoo-basod tool to support tno dovolopmont o tno Growtn Mindsot.
Suggested Reading:
Oooi, Edward. Wny Wo Oo Wnat Wo Oo.
Owook, Carol. Mindsot.
Pobinson, Kon. Tno Elomont: How Finding Your Passion Cnangos Evorytning.
Tougn, Paul: How Cnildron Suooood
Wagnor, Tony. Croating nnovators
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TIME MANAGEMENT
Timo Managomont was tno last skill addod to tno original sot o hvo, suggostod by ETS
booauso o rooont rosoaron oonduotod wnion ound it nignly valid or prodioting aoadomio
aoniovomont. t is oomposod o tno ollowing oompononts: dotormining ono's noods,
sotting goals to moot noods, and prioritizing and planning to moot goals. t is soon as
olosoly ahliatod witn Consoiontiousnoss, tno Big Fivo porsonality trait wnion most strongly prodiots aoadomio
aoniovomont (NPC, Eduoation or Lio and Work). A rosoaron study oonduotod at ETS about timo managomont
roportod tnat "Tnoro is a growing body o rosoaron tnat suggosts timo managomont is positivoly rolatod to
aoadomio porormanoo." (Burrus ot.al, 2013, p.1)
Otnor middlo sonool studont assossmonts or rolatod aroas, suon as sol oontrol, sol-rogulation, and loarning
stratogios, oan bo ound at STRIVE Together, under the category of "Self Regulated Learning and Study Skills,"
suon as tno Aotivo and Suporhoial Loarning Stratogy Uso Survoy, Quostionnairo on Sol-Pogulation, and Studont
Approaonos to Loarning (SAL) nstrumont.
Evidonoo basod intorvontions or "Loarning Stratogios" aro rooommondod by Public Proft in its guide, suon as
tno "Studont Suoooss Skills" ourrioulum and tno "Sol-Autnoring" studont guidod oxoroiso. Farrington's Cnioago
guido, "Toaoning Adolosoonts to Booomo Loarnors," also providos nolpul inormation on oootivo stratogios or
loarning study skills. Espooially nolpul and portinont is an intorvontion implomontod at Lawronoovillo Sonool,
wnion inoludod "assignmonts dosignod to improvo tno tnroo aoots o timo managomont tnat studonts roooivod
oodbaok on." (Burrus ot.al., 2013, p. 4). Posoaronors roportod "initial support or tno ohoaoy o tno timo
managomont intorvontion. Spooihoally, ooots woro ound or sol-roportod stross and anxioty (Studios 1 and 2)
and advisor ratings o timo-managomont-rolatod bonaviors (Study 2)." (p. 25).
Suggested Reading:
US Oopartmont o Eduoation: Promoting Grit, Tonaoity and Porsovoranoo
Hoorr, Tnomas. Fostoring Grit
National Posoaron Counoil, Eduoation or Lio and Work. 2012
Burrus, ot.al. "Examining tno Ehoaoy o a Timo Managomont ntorvontion or Hign Sonool Studonts"
ETS. 2013
Farrington, Camillo. Toaoning Adolosoonts to Booomo Loarnors
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Frequently Asked Questions
for Educators
What do the terms SJT, seIf-report, bio data, over-cIaiming, and uency measure
refer to?
Situational Judgment Test (SJT):
Tno Situational Judgmont Tost toonniquo prosonts an individual witn a dosoription o a problomatio or oritioal
situation (gonoratod rom obsorvors, survoys, and intorviows o spooialists to disouss situations and appropriato
oorrosponding bonaviors vital or suoooss) ollowod by a numbor o possiblo problom-solving rosponsos to tnis
situation. n an SJT itom, a soonario is prosontod to tno partioipant. Tnis soonario is ollowod by instruotions to
tno partioipant to rato tno quality o various ooursos o aotion assooiatod witn tnis nypotnotioal situation. Tno
partioipant is roquirod to mako a |udgmont or oaon and ovory oourso o aotion using rank-ordors, multiplo
onoioo, a binary dooision (i.o., appropriato or inappropriato), or a Likort-typo rating soalo (o.g., vory unlikoly |1]
to vory likoly |4]).

Self- report:
A torm usod to dosoribo an assossmont/survoy tnat roquiros an individual to roport about nis or nor bonavior,
attitudos, or oolings about a partioular sub|oot. t snould bo notod tnat ono o tno snortoomings o sol-roport
assossmonts is a oonoorn about sooial dosirability inhuonoing individual rosponsos (o.g., ono onoosos tno
sooially oorroot rosponso or answors in a way to mako nim/norsol appoar bottor). Howovor, tnis limitation oan
oasily bo rooonoilod by also oollooting data rom oxtornal rators (o.g., toaonors/paronts also rato tno studonts'
skills and rosponsos aro oomparod). Sol-roports navo boon applaudod or tnoir aordability and oaso
o administration.

Bio data:
Poors to aotual quostions about an individual's lio oxporionoos. For oxamplo, namo, ago, oduoation, nobbios,
oto., aro all typos o bio data. For tnis survoy, studonts will also provido inormation about latonoss, planning,
organizational nabits, and onoating.

Overclaiming:
Poors to oxoossivo assortions o knowlodgo and amiliarity witn a topio or ovont. n tnis assossmont,
ovorolaiming is moasurod tnrougn a sorios o itoms (somo aotual aoadomio torms, works o art, or nistorio
landmarks; otnor "oils" navo boon invontod by tno rosoaronors) tnat asks tno individual to rato tnoir amiliarity
witn oaon.

Fluency Measure:
Oosoribos ono's ability to quiokly produoo multiplo idoas or solutions to a problom in a limitod amount o timo.
For tno purposos o tnis study, studonts aro givon tnroo minutos to produoo lists o ob|oots and idoas tnat all
witnin a givon oatogory (o.g., "bluo").
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How were the test items generated?
Tno tost itoms inoludod in tnis study woro oroatod basod on psyonologioal and oduoational tnoorios. Somo o
tnoso instrumonts aro brand now, and otnors navo boon tostod numorous timos in middlo sonool (and sovoral
otnor) populations and navo undorgono oxtonsivo aotor analysis to onsuro tnat oaon instrumont and subsoquont
sub-soalos aro botn roliablo and valid. Also o noto, oaon itom inoludod in tno assossmont nas boon tnrougn an
oxtonsivo airnoss and sonsitivity roviow to onsuro tno itoms aro dovolopmontally appropriato or middlo sonool
studonts and otnioal.
How wiII the tests be scored?
Eaon o tno tosts in tnis assossmont suito nas its own uniquo sooring rubrio. Typioally, or most, but not all, o tno
assossmonts rosponsos aro summod and roportod at tno soalo lovol. n gonoral, similar to tno oroation o tno
itoms, tno sooring rubrios aro basod on botn tnoory and sopnistioatod statistioal toonniquos. Proliminary data
analysis will bo oonduotod to romovo any itoms tnat appoar to navo boon problomatio or tno studonts. Onoo
poor itoms navo boon romovod, additional analysis will bo porormod to givo studonts sooros or oaon moasuro.
Who developed the assessment and who will do the scoring?
Tno Contor or Aoadomio and Workoroo Poadinoss and Suoooss, at tno Eduoational Tosting Sorvioo (ETS).
Do we follow standard testing guidelines for students with test accommodations (stu-
dents who are eligible for readers, extended time etc.)?
Wnon nooossary, any aooommodations oan bo mado or studonts wno roquiro additional timo or aid. Furtnor,
toaonors may uso tnoir own disorotion i no/sno ools a studont noods moro timo to oomploto tno survoy. Ploaso
noto; nowovor, tnat ono moasuro (Fluonoy) is timod. Tnorooro, wo rooommond tnat no additional timo bo
providod or any studont wnon oomploting tnis part o tno assossmont.
Do students always feel comfortable answering all of these questions?
Somo studonts may oxporionoo a littlo disoomort wnilo answoring somo o tno quostions. Spooihoally, somo
studonts may bo unoomortablo answoring quostions about onoating. t is important to romind tno studonts tnat
tnoir answors aro anonymous.
What grades will take the test?
Tno tost is administorod to all 6tn, 7tn, and 8tn gradors.
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When is the test administered?
Tno tost is administorod onoo a yoar in tno all. Tno tost window is sot oaon yoar or tno all and oommunioatod to
sonools in summor. Sonools oan administor tno tost any timo witnin tnis window.
What equipment will our school need?
Wo suggost tnat sonools administor tno assossmont on wirod Mao or PC dosktops or laptops. Soo soparato
Toonnioal Ovorviow and Bost Praotioos Oooumont or moro dotail.
How much student time is required?
t is ostimatod tnat tno studont part o tno assossmont will tako about 35-40 minutos.
How much teacher time is required?
Eaon studont must bo "assossod" by a toaonor (tnis oan bo an advisor, nomoroom toaonor, oto.) t takos
approximatoly 5-8 minutos to "assoss" ono studont. Tno toaonor-rator assossmont is also an onlino assossmont.
How are the student and teacher tests deIivered?
Botn tno studont and toaonor-rator assossmonts aro onlino (so oaon studont and toaonor must navo aoooss to a
oomputor and intornot.)
What outcome data are used?
Wo rolato tno rosults to a varioty o outoomo data. Somo o tno outoomo data inoludo: Absonoos/tardios, EPB
sooros, GPA, oourso grados, gondor, grado, yoars at sonool, otnnioity, hnanoial aid awards, oto. Eaon sonool
will bo givon a list o tno outoomo data noodod or oaon studont.
What does it mean to say that this is a Multi-Trait Multi-Method matrix assessment?
And convergent and divergent construct validity?
Tno MSA assossmont usos a nignly rogardod motnodology or ostablisning oonstruot validity and roliability
oallod tno Multi-Trait Multi-Motnod (MTMM) matrix, hrst dovolopod in 1959 by Campboll and Fisko. As tno namo
suggosts, it roquiros tnat multiplo, (tno moro tno bottor), "traits" (or skills, oto.) bo moasurod, and tnat oaon "trait"
bo moasurod in tnroo (or moro) ontiroly soparato ways.
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MTMM modols aro usoul or ostablisning two typos o important oonstruot validity: oonvorgont, tnat vory similar
traits in tnoory wnon moasurod in multiplo motnods oorrolato olosoly, and disoriminant, tnat dioront traits don't
oorrolato too olosoly witn oaon otnor. n otnor words, MTMM modols allow us to soo wnotnor individual traits or
oonstruots aro robust: oootivoly moasuring tno spooiho trait wo want to moasuro and also diorontiatod, not
moasuring somotning olso. MTMM motnods ostablisn tno ability to oomparo various motnods assossing tno
samo trait. Tno MTMM dosign is basioally a giant oorrolation tablo tnat will allow you to soo now tno various
motnods rolato to ono anotnor.
Why were only grades six through eight selected?
Grados six tnrougn oignt soomod ospooially appropriato or tno MSA botn booauso tno studonts aro at an ago
wnon tno multi-motnod assossmont toonniquo oan oootivoly bo omployod and, moro importantly, booauso it
is in tnoso middlo sonool yoars wnon tnoso skills aro ospooially malloablo and ospooially important to bo dovol-
opod or suoooss in nign sonool and boyond.
Who will see MSA results?
MSA rosults aro sont in a oomprononsivo institutional roport only to tno administrator(s) dosignatod by tno sonool
to roooivo tnom, and aro tno proporty o tno sonool alono to do witn as tnoy onooso, wnilo abiding by tno data-
uso polioy wnion pronibits sonools rom using tno data to disparago otnor sonools. NOEX, ETS, and Pragmatios
rospoot tno privaoy o sonool data and will novor roloaso data idontiying individual sonools witnout tno sonool's
writton approval.
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Frequently Asked Questions
for Parents

This is intenoeo for schoo|s to use either to assist in answering questions from parents or as a mooe|
of a oocument schoo|s are recommenoeo to post or oistriLute to parents. Note. Many schoo|s wi|| fno
it most effective to write their own version, Lut fee| free to copy ano ameno these in any way you fno
usefu| (with no neeo for attriLution).
What is the MSA?
Tno MSA stands or Mission Skills Assossmont, and is a standardizod tool or moasuring tno prohoionoios o
groups o studonts in six non-oognitivo aroas, or onaraotor qualitios, wnion aro most oommonly ound in tno
mission statomonts o sonools: Toamwork, Croativity, Etnios, Posilionoy, Curiosity, and Timo Managomont.

Who developed the MSA?
A group o indopondont sonools witn middlo grados programs, now known as NOEX, originally sot out to
moasuro now tnoir studonts woro pororming and improving in oaon o tnoso skills, and ongagod rosoaron
soiontists rom ETS, tno Eduoational Tosting Sorvioo, makor o tno TOFEL, GPE, and many otnor tosts, to
oonstruot a valid and roliablo tost.
Can character really be measured?
Tnis is an undorstandablo quostion, and oortainly tno answor doponds on tno dohnition o tno word onaraotor.
Tno MSA moasuros six skills oommonly assooiatod witn "onaraotor," and doos so in a way tnat nas boon ound
to bo roliablo aoross multiplo administrations and to domonstrato validity wnon oomparod to partioular intondod
outoomos. But it makos no olaim to oootivoly prodiot ovory potontial olomont o wnat wo oonsidor onaraotor
gonorally, so liko all moasuromont tools, it is only moasuring partial aspoots o tno truo broadtn and doptn o
studonts' onaraotor.
What is expert opinion on the MSA and its effectiveness?
ETS is tno global loador in tno dovolopmont o oduoational assossmonts, and its work is nignly rogardod. Eaon
skill is assossod witn ovidonoo-basod approaonos and toonniquos drawn in most oasos rom poor-roviow |ournal
publisnod rosoaron. Posoaronors rom tno PANO Corporation in 2013 publisnod a roport ontitlod "Measuring
21st century Competencies (freely available online) wnion singlod out tno MSA as an ospooially oootivo tool,
praising it or its innovativo and oost-oootivo approaon, and its roliability and validity.
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Why is the school administering the MSA?
t is rooommondod sonools provido tnoir own answor to tnis quostion.

How does it measure these six skiIIs?
ETS nas implomontod a multi-trait multi-motnod assossmont or oaon o tno six skills. n oaon aroa, toaonors
oomploto a roport on oaon studont's domonstratod skills, and studonts oomploto botn a sol-roport, and
oomploto spooially dosignod tasks tnat rovoal tnoir strongtns. Tnis "triangulation" motnod nas boon ound to bo
oootivo in minimizing tno woaknossos innoront in any singular approaon suon as toaonor ovaluation.

Can't it be faked?
Studonts aro not individually ratod by tno MSA, and nonoo tnis is a "low stakos" assossmont or wnion tnoro
snould bo no inoontivo or tost-takors to ako tnoir way to a nignor sooro by inhating tnoir answors on tno
sol-ovaluation.

WiII I as a parent get my chiId's individuaI resuIts?
No. Tno MSA is a tool or rosoaron nationally on oritioal "nonoognitivo" skills and tnoir rolationsnip to studont
aoadomio aoniovomont and lio satisaotion, and or sonools to uso to ovaluato tnoir oootivonoss, to plan or
improvomonts, and to assoss tno suoooss o tnoir improvomont oorts. But tno tool is not built to bo usod or
individual studont data, and no individual porormanoo data is providod by ETS to sonools.

Is doing the MSA really worth the use of time it takes?
Tno MSA is vory ohoiontly administorod; it takos loss tnan an nour o oaon studont's timo to bo oomplotod,
and it takos approximatoly 5-8 minutos or a toaonor to assoss ono studont, on avorago. Wnon oomparing
tnis small amount o timo to tno groator signihoanoo o tnoso six skill aroas, and tnoir rosoaron-domonstratod
impaot on uturo suoooss, botn aoadomioally and proossionally as woll as in lio-satisaotion, wo tnink it is a vory
wortnwnilo uso o timo.

How wiII the schooI use the resuIts?
Eaon sonool snould provido tnoir own answor.
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Checklist for School MSA
Program Administrators

This is the check|ist for staff memLers chargeo with MSA aoministration. P|ease a|so reao the section
on communicating ano aoministering the MSA.
BEFORE THE MISSION SKILLS ASSESSMENT
Bo suro tnat all oonstituonoios (administrators, aoulty, paronts, and studonts) know wny wo aro doing tno
MSA and wnat tno outoomos will bo. (Soo olovator spooon.)
possiblo, ongago aoulty in a disoussion about tno dohnitions o tno six skills boing assossod and now tnoy
aro maniostod in a sonool sotting.
Poassuro advisors/toaonors to oor tnoir bost rosponsos to tno quostions about tnoir advisoos/studonts.
Wo rooognizo tnat somo quostions roquiro sub|ootivo, and possibly not wnolly oorroot, |udgmonts. Tno
assossmont is dosignod to tost tno skills in numorous ways. Tnoir bost opinion on a studont's skill lovol is all
tnat is roquirod or now. Posults will bo in tno aggrogato.
Poassuro studonts tnat tnis is a un "tost". All rosults aro anonymous, and studonts snould ool no prossuro
about tno rosults. Ploaso toll studonts to simply answor all quostions nonostly and trutnully.
t is oxpootod tnat sonools will tost ALL 6TH, 7TH, ANO 8TH gradors.
Pomind studonts tnat tnoy aro ongagod in an important rosoaron study. Tnis is groat work and tnoir
oontributions will bo signihoant. Koop a positivo, approoiativo, lignt tono.
Studonts will oomploto tno onlino assossmont at dioront timos, so ploaso navo a plan in plaoo or tnoso
hnisning oarly and/or or tnoso wno nood oxtondod timo.
Considor dodioating a mooting timo slot or advisors/toaonors to oomploto tno MSA or tnoir studonts.
Providing tnis timo rohoots on now muon you valuo tnis work.

DURING THE MISSION SKILLS ASSESSMENT
Ciroulato around tno tosting room to addross any issuo ono-on-ono. Croato a positivo, ontnusiastio tono.
Tno tost is dosignod to tako about 35-40 minutos. Tnis is not a timod tost, nowovor, so studonts oan bo
givon oxtra timo to hnisn.
Studonts must answor ovory quostion.
Toaonors and tost suporvisors oan tako studont quostions and provido assistanoo booro and during tno
tost so tnat tno studonts ully undorstand and oan answor tno assossmont quostions. Examplos o tnis
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inoludo giving dohnitions to words (o.g. rosilionoo, proorastinato, oto.), nolping tnom to undorstand tno
otnnioity quostion, oto.
Toaonors and tost suporvisors snould not, nowovor, viow tno studont tost.
studonts soom anxious or porploxod by a quostion, roassuro tnom tnat tnoy only nood to provido tnoir
bost rosponso. Again, tnoy aro not boing assossod individually on tnoir answors.
you soo a studont wno sooms nindorod by ono quostion, onoourago nim/nor to mako tnoir bost rosponso
and movo on.
Prootors snould noto any issuos, quostions askod, words nooding to bo dohnod, oto. as woll as studont O
or any studonts tnat run into glitonos (toonnioal, oto.) during tno tost.
Bo suro to tnank all tnoso involvod, ospooially tno studonts.

AFTER THE MISSION SKILLS ASSESSMENT
possiblo, provido timo in advising mootings and/or aoulty mootings to gatnor obsorvations about wnat
wont woll witn tno MSA, wnat oould bo bottor, wnat quostions omorgod. Ploaso tako notos and submit tnom
to Lisa Pullman at lisapullman@indoxgroups.org.
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Elevator Speech
The MSA is an important ano innovative nationa| project. t wi|| provioe our schoo|s with oLjective,
scientifc feeoLack ano oata on how we|| our programs oeve|op essentia| character or noncognitive
ski||s in our stuoents, ski||s that we a|| know are important ano which our schoo| promises to oe|iver in
our mission. Teamwork, Creativity, Ethics, Pesi|ience, Curiosity, ano Time Management.
Many rosoaron roports widoly availablo snow tnat tnat tnoso skills aro intogral or suoooss in sonool, oollogo,
and tno 21st oontury workplaoo, and tnat tnoso skills oan bo taugnt and improvod ovor timo.
Ono oomprononsivo national study by tno PANO rosoaron oorporation ound tno MSA tno most innovativo, oost-
oootivo, and roliablo assossmont o 21
st
oontury skills prosontly availablo.
Most oduoators intontionally and suooossully dovolop and nono tnoso skills. But now oan wo do an ovon bottor,
moro intontional |ob o instilling tnoso skills in our studonts?
Using tno MSA nolps sonools oroato moro olarity, oous, and aooountability or onaraotor or sooial/omotional
oduoation. Sonools oan oommunioato moro oloarly wnat skills aro most important, nold tnomsolvos aooountablo
or dolivoring tnom, and bo part o a poworul notwork witn otnor sonools tnat aro toaoning tno samo skills and
snaring rosouroos about bost praotioos or tnoir instruotion.
Tno MSA will provido koy inormation, dirootion, and muon moro or our sonools to ooot onango and to improvo
tno most important lossons o our studonts' livos.
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Suggested Additional
Reading and Resources

GENERAL BOOKS
Bandura, Albort. Self-Effcacy
Owook, Carol. Mindset
Ginsburg, Konnotn. Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings
Hoorr, Tnomas. Fostering Grit
Liokona, Tnomas. Educating for Character
Lignt, Pionard. Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Minds
Nottlo, Oaniol. Personality: What Makes You the Way You Are (An Introduction to the Big FIve
Personality Traits)
Potorson and Soligman. Character Strengths and Virtues
Pobinson, Kon. The Element and Out of our Minds
Poson, ot.al. NonCognitive Skills in the Classroom: New Perspectives on Educational Research
Sodlaook, William. Beyond the Big Test: Noncognitive Assessment in Higher Education
Stornborg, Pobort. Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity Synthesized; College Admissions in the 21
st
Century;
and many otnor titlos
Tougn, Paul. How Children Succeed
Wagnor, Tony. Creating Innovators and The Global Achievement Gap
REPORTS AND RESEARCH
Measuring 21st Century Competencies: Asia Society and RAND Corporation (2013)
Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research
(2012)
US Department of Education: Fostering Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance: Critical Factors for Success in the
21st century (2013)
Pellegrino et.al, Education for Life and Work. National Research Council. (2012)
"Building a Case to Develop Noncognitive Assessment Products and Services Targeting Workforce Readiness
at ETS." ETS, (2012)
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"Examining the Effcacy of a Time Management Intervention for High School Students" [at Lawrenceville
School]. ETS 2013
"Personality, Motivation, and College Readiness: A Prospectus for Assessment and Development." ETS.
(2014)
Are They Ready to Work? Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the Conference Board. (2008)
Special Reports from the Think Tank on the Future of Assessment. 2013 and 2014. Secondary School
Admission Test Board.
OECD PISA. Ready to Learn: Students Engagement, Drive, and Self-Beliefs, 2013.
Measuring Skills for 21st Century", EdSector Report (2008)
VIDEOS
Science of Character, vidoo by Lot it Pipplo
Angela Duckworth TED Talks on Grit
ntroduotion to tno Mission Skills Assossmont (MSA)
DATA INFORMED DECISION MAKING
Boudotto, City, & Murano. Data Wise: Using Assessment Results to Improve Learning and Data Wise
in Action
Wiggins and MoTigno, Schooling by Design
EVIDENCE-BASED ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND INTERVENTIONS
STPvE Togotnor: Compondium o assossmonts (sol and toaonor, mostly) or koy non-oognitivo attributos.
(nttp://www.strivotogotnor.org/rosouroos/introduotion-sooial-and-omotional-loarning-oompotonoios_)
Stratogios to Promoto Nonoognitivo Skills. Publio Purposo. nttp://www.publioproht.not/Sorvioos/Training/
NonCognitivoSkillsGuido/
Wnat Works Cloaringnouso: nstituto o Eduoational Soionoos. nttp://ios.od.gov/nooo/wwo/
CASEL: Collaborativo or Aoadomio, Sooial, and Emotional Loarning (CASEL) Guido on Eootivo SEL
Programs nttp://www.oasol.org/guido
Yalo Contor or Emotional ntolligonoo nttp://oi.yalo.odu/
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Acknowledgements
Our thanks go to the fo||owing inoivioua|s who supporteo this work Ly participating in interviews,
responoing to emai| inquiries, ano reaoing ano reviewing orafts of this guioe.
Chuck Baldecchi, Lexington School (KY)
Tim Bazemore, formerly New Canaan Country School (CT), now Catlin Gabel School (OR)
Julie Bianchi, Detroit Country Day School (MI)
Wendy Calise, Countryside Montessori School (IL)
Jeneen Graham, St. Margarets Episcopal School (CA)
Jaime Lassman, Lexington School (KY)
Jennifer Phillips, Far Hills Country Day School (NJ)
Kirsten Rosolen, New Canaan Country School (CT)
Kathleen Sharp, Cape Henry Collegiate School (VA)
Allison Webster, Shady Hill School (MA)
FROM ETS
Meghan Brenneman, Ed.D.
Patrick Kyllonen, Ph.D.
Kevin Petway, Ph.D.
Sam Rikoon, Ph.D.
OTHER
Stacy Kruse, Pragmatics
Becky McGrath, INDEX, Graphic Design
Richard Roberts, Ph.D., ProExam
Thanks also to the members of the MSA Steering Committee for their work in leading this program:
Chuck Baldecchi, Head of School, Lexington School (KY)
Tim Bazemore, Head of School, Catlin Gabel School (OR)
Dave Michelman, Head of School, Duke School (NC)
Ned Murray, Head of School, Episcopal Day School (GA)
Jennifer Phillips, Director of Intermediate School, Far Hills Country Day School (NJ)
Lisa Pullman, Executive Director, INDEX (MA)
Cindy Stadulis, Director of Finance and Operations, Dwight-Englewood School (NJ)
Allison Webster, Assistant Head of School, Shady Hill School (MA)
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Data Informed Decision
Making: A Primer

"We founo no evioence that gooo to great companies hao more or Letter information than the com-
parison companies. None. Both sets of companies hao virtua||y ioentica| access to gooo information.
The key, then, |ies not in Letter information Lut in turning information into information that cannot Le
ignoreo." Jim Co||ins, Gooo to Great.
Sonools navo a rosponsibility to tnoir mission, tnoir studonts, and tnoir aooroditation to not ignoro tnoir inorma-
tion, and sonool-loadors snould tako positivo stops to onsuro tnoy navo a proooss tnorougnly ostablisnod and
widoly rooognizod in tnoir organizations or using data to inorm dooision-making.
Two oxoollont rosouroos oan sorvo as oundation and ramowork or sonools as tnoy work to improvo and
implomont tnoir proooss. Ono is Grant Wiggins and Jay MoTigno's oompanion volumo to tnoir landmark
Understanding by Design, Schooling by Design: Mission, Action, and Achievement.
THE WIGGINS AND MCTIGHE SBD MODEL CALLS FOR AN ONGOING
3-STEP CYCLE:
n SbO, a onio rosponsibility ("Job Funotion 3") or ovory sonool-loador is tnat o "Gap Analysis," managing tno
abovo stop 2 by using multiplo "moasuros tnat mattor" to "idontiy and oloso tno inovitablo gaps" botwoon mis-
sion and roality. Ator gonorating oootivo and mission drivon goals, administrators must bo vory oaroul to "tako
timo to olariy tno noodod assossmont ovidonoo and initial data booro tnoy gonorato a dotailod aotion plan." To
do so, tno autnors adviso to "tnink pnoto album, not snapsnot" by omploying a broad portolio o dioront typos
o moasuromonts; oxoroiso oaution about "assossing wnat's oasy to moasuro instoad o wnat's vital;" uso ood-
baok rom studonts and sta; and "antioipato oonoorns and misundorstandings."
An inoroasingly oloar vision
o wnoro wo want to ond
up, basod on our mission
and agrood-upon loarning
prinoiplos.
A oonstant and unhinoning
assossmont o wnoro wo
stand at prosont against tno
mission.
Timoly ad|ustmonts basod on
rogular analysis o tno gap
botwoon vision and roality,
botwoon goals and rosults."
1 2 3
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In the third SbD phase, it is time for action. A set of tactics are suggested:
n a onaptor or toaonors, Wiggins and MoTigno oall or ongoing, omboddod, "aotion rosoaron." Evory
dopartmont or division o toaonors snould, ovory yoar, as a |ob roquiromont, would "issuo a writton roport to
all sta dosoribing porormanoo strongtns and woaknossos moasurod by looal assossmonts against program
goals, aotions takon to improvo aroas o woaknossos, and aroas o oonoorns to bo targotod via uturo
aotion rosoaron."
THE DATA WISE IN ACTION 8-STEP CYCLICAL PROCESS
Tno otnor oxoollont rosouroo or tnis work is tno pair o Oata Wiso books, tno original and tno "n Aotion"
volumos, oditod by a toam at Harvard's Graduato Sonool o Eduoation, Boudott, City, and Murnano. Tnoy'vo
dovolopod an oignt stop oyolioal proooss, wnion loops baok in on itsol at pnaso tnroo and our, or "using
assossmont rosults to improvo toaoning and loarning." Tno hrst two stops, labolod "Proparo," nas toams o
oduoators (stop 1) "organizing or oollaborativo work" into oommittoos witn oritioal rosouroos providod, and tnon
(stop 2) "building assossmont litoraoy" among tnomsolvos and tnoir oolloaguos. (Tno two books provido vory
nolpul primors on assossmont litoraoy to support tnis stop.)
n tno sooond pnaso, "nquire," working groups sot out to (stop 3) "oroato a data ovorviow" by providing data
visualizations, oaroul oomparisons o studont group porormanoos, and attontion to longitudinal tronds. Tnoy
tnon nolp toaonors "mako tnoir own moaning" o tno data, and tnus gonorato bottor "buy-in" to tno problom tnoy
will onooso to addross. Also nignly rooommondod in tnis stop is or toaonors, wnon possiblo, to oxporionoo tno
tost itsol, "taking tno samo assossmonts as tnoir studonts in ull or in part," to loarn "hrst-nand about tno oontont
tnat is boing assossod and tno ways it is assossod." (Not ovory tost oan bo viowod by toaonors, and tno polioy
or MSA is not to navo toaonors soo tno studont assossmont.) n urtnor sossions witn toaonors, tnoy spond
moro timo (stop 4) "digging into tno data," asking ossontial quostions, drawing inoronoos, idontiying noods
or additional inormation, and "triangulating tno data" among multiplo souroos. Tnoy also dotormino wnat tno
"loarnor-oontorod problom" is in aroas o undor-porormanoo, and wnat skills studonts nood to improvo. Tnis
pnaso oulminatos in olosoly (stop 5) "oxamining instruotion" rolatod to tno aroa o oous.
Finally, tno loop builds to tno tnird pnaso, "Act." Bogin by (stop 6) "dovoloping an aotion plan," wnion ator
brainstorming potontial solutions and solooting among tnom, will dotail wnat instruotional stratogios will bo
"Oiagnoso booro prosoribing:" onsuro ovoryono undorstands tno problom boing solvod.
"Go witn talont and intorost:" got tno rignt pooplo in tno rignt plaoos.
"Minimizo disruptions:" Mako lio livablo during tno onangos.
"Praotioo and modol wnat you proaon." Snow and nignlignt studont work oxompliying tno
onangos you sook.
"Tnink big, start small, and go or an oarly win."
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implomontod to addross tno problom, wnat tnis will look liko wnon implomontod in tno olassroom, and dooiding
in advanoo now you know i tno plan is working. And don't orgot to "put tno plan in writing." Tno noxt stop
builds on tno provious by taking moro timo or (stop 7) "planning to assoss progross," onoosing snort, modium,
and long torm souroos o data or ovaluating your suoooss. Tnoso mignt inoludo nomowork assignmonts
and olassroom obsorvations in tno snort torm; ma|or tosts and pro|oots, and potontially intorim/bononmark
assossmonts in tno modium torm; and tno annual ormalizod standardizod tosting in tno long. Finally, ator all
tnis proparation, study, and planning, it is timo or (stop 8) "aoting and assossing." Communioato oloarly, build
supportivo toams, obsorvo instruotion, "promoto oonsistonoy moro tnan oonormity," align PO, "bo nonost in
ovaluating progross," "oolobrato suoooss," and tnon "rovisit tno oritoria and raiso tno bar."
Oata Wiso in Aotion providos a sot o oignt oomprononsivo oaso studios o sonools omploying tnis proooss. n
ono oxtondod oxamplo, an olomontary sonool disoorns during tno data ovorviow stop tnat tnougn tno sonool's
roading oomprononsion sooros woro nignor tnan avorago, tnoro was a proviously ovorlookod porormanoo gap
in studont answors on opon-rosponso tost quostions. Toaonors "dug into tno data" and ound a matoning pattorn
in in-olass assossmonts oallod "roading rosponso lottors," wnion among otnor tnings didn't soom to improvo
muon ovor tno oourso o uppor olomontary grados. Wnon oxamining instruotion, it was obsorvod tnat toaonors
variod widoly in tno way tnoy assignod and assossod tnoso tasks, a so-oallod "problom o praotioo," and togotn-
or tnoy dovolopod and implomontod a now, strongor, protoool or tnis typo o studont work, and mini-lossons to
support it. Tnoy also dotorminod multiplo ways to moasuro progross, inoluding working in toaonor toams to oom-
monly ovaluato samplo studont work or signs o improvomont at rogular mootings, and o oourso, on tno annual
roading oomprononsion opon-ondod rosponsos.
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A MODEL CYCLE FOR USING DATA TO
INFORM DECISIONS
Drawing upon the exce||ent frameworks from Schoo|ing Ly Design ano Data Wise, we offer here our
own mooe| for schoo|-|eaoers to use when strengthening their oata informeo oecision-making.
1. Measure Your Mission: Select Carefully What to Assess
Far too oton it sooms, wo ovaluato our suoooss witn only wnat is oasy or oonvontional to assoss, and not
wnat is most important. Start witn tno mantra tnat you Moasuro Mission, and implomont it by intontionally
solooting wnat partioular goals to assoss by roorring to wnat your mission oalls upon your sonool
to aooomplisn.
2. Lead, Communicate, Provide Resources
t oan't nappon by doault or by dologation. Oata inormod dooision making must start at tno top, and tno
sonool-loador snould domonstrato porsonal invostmont, oonoorn, and oxportiso in tnis work. Communioato
oloarly and loudly wnat will bo moasurod and wny and now tnis work will bo napponing. Assign administra-
tivo rosouroos-- timo, monoy, spaoo-- onsuring ovoryono knows wnoro tno rosponsibility lios and now tno
rosouroos will bo usod.
Measure
Your
Mission
Lead,
Communicate,
Provide
Resources
Involve
Faculty
Build
Communities
of Practice
Use Tools
to Measure
What
Matters
Develop &
Align Internal
Assessments
Study the
Evidence,
and Develop
Data Literacy
Connect
Dots and
Determine
Priorities
Plan
and Act
Assess,
Adjust,
Repeat
Resources
Lead,
Communicate,
Provide
Involv
Facult
B
Co C mm
of o P
ve
ty
ities
ice
UUse
MMeasure
at
tters
Develop &
Align Internal
tto M
Wha
Mat
Measure
Your
Mission
Asses
Adjus
a
at
ss,
st,
Evidence,
and Develop
Data Literacy
nnect
ots and
etermine De
Pri
n
Act
Co
Do
De
Studdy y th the
E id 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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3. Involve Faculty
tno onango is to nappon in tno olassroom, tno planning must inoludo tno aoulty. Ensuro you navo a aoulty
advisory oommittoo or working group, (i.o. PLC, CFG, Aotion Posoaron) onargod witn tnis rosponsibility and
ully involvod tnrougnout tno proooss.
4. Build Communities of Practice
Tnis is nard work, and dihoult to do in isolation. Cultivato a "oommunity o praotioo" among your notwork,
ormally or inormally, or mutual support, data snaring, and oomparativo praotioo. t is groat to navo botn
a widor notwork o sonools studying similar issuos (suon as tno Mission Skills) and a smallor sot o "buddy
sonools," witn wnion you oan navo moro intonso disoussion.
5. Use Tools to Measure What Matters
ow, in doliboration witn your assignod administrators, aoulty working group, and oolloaguos oxtornally,
soloot tno hnito sot o tools to moasuro your sonool's suoooss in aroas wnion most mattor.
6. Develop & Align Internal Assessments
Oon't stop witn oxtornal tools. Caroully idontiy and dovolop tnoso intornal assossmonts-- oapstono
assignmonts, roport oards, paront-toaonor-studont oonoronoos, studont sol-ovaluations, oto.-- wnion do or
oan bo alignod witn tno oxtornal tools.
7. Study the Evidence, and develop Data Literacy
Colloot tno data availablo, and mako it oasy to viow and study. Uso data visualization toonniquos; a pioturo
is wortn a tnousand words. Bo suro to uso tnoso aotivitios as poworul "toaonablo momonts," or all partioi-
pants to strongtnon tnoir assossmont and data litoraoy. Ask groups tougn and ovon pornaps triok quostions
about tno data to boost tnis savvy.
8. Connect Dots & Determine Priorities
Go rom studying tno data to mako moaning o it. Form ossontial quostions and draw out moaningul
inoronoos. Find pattorns, gonorato nypotnosos, and idontiy gaps botwoon mission and roality, botwoon dis-
aggrogatod groups o studonts, botwoon oonorts or grado lovols. Expand tno oonvorsation to tno ull aoulty,
in study groups, and lot tnom oomo to tnoir own undorstandings as muon as is possiblo: tno buy-in
is priooloss.
9. Plan and Act
Collootivoly brainstorm and rosoaron initiativos-- ourrioular, instruotional, oultural-- wnion mignt addross
tno gap you sook to oloso, trying to rooonoilo tno oompoting valuo o aotions wnion aro rootod looally and
supportod on tno ground witn ovidonoo-basod romodios rom outsido your sonool. Proparo and distributo a
writton plan or tno onangos, tno roasoning, tno obsorvablo impaots, and tno moasuros by wnion suoooss
will bo dotorminod.
10. Assess, Adjust, and Repeat
Uso multiplo moasuros in variod timo ramos to ovaluato suoooss o your improvomont initiativos, and roviow
rogularly. Ad|ust in tno intorim poriodioally as nooossary, but usually only in twoaks, so as to not oompromiso
tno longor-torm assossmont analysis. Upon roviow o tno long-torm assossmonts, dotormino noxt stops, and
tnon ropoat tno oyolo.
www.indoxgroups.org
Lisa Pullman - lisapullman@indoxgroups.org

MSA Toolkit Sept 2014

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MSA Toolkit Sept 2014

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LISA PULLMAN, INDEX EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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