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Envision Education is excited to share the culmination of its two-year research project, Pursuing Equity for Black & Latine Students with Learning Differences, which
documents and illustrates the systems, practices, cultures, and supports that are associated with the well being and success of Black and Latine students with learning differences – students with disabilities and multilingual students with disabilities.
In 2023, Envision Learning Partners (ELP) and Social Policy Research Associates (SPR) embarked on a research study to identify and learn from schools that demonstrated positive outcomes for Black and Latine students with learning differences (including students with disabilities and multilingual learners). After a review of data from secondary schools across the country, the study team identified two schools for a more in-depth study, which was conducted during the 2023–2024 school year.
The results of the research are shared through case studies of the two schools that were the focus of the research: 1) Crosstown High: Building a Culture of Inclusion; 2) Capital City: An Inclusive School Community Committed to Whole-Child Learning and Well Being; and 3) An Executive Summary/Synthesis of Findings.
In addition, we have authored four practice briefs based on the findings of the research that provide practical steps that schools can take to create more inclusive environments that support the success of Black and Latine students with learning differences.
This research was made possible through the generous support of New Profit, a venture philanthropic organization, and the Oak Foundation.
Insights, partner highlights, guest perspectives, and resources to support your work
Roanoke County Public Schools has been partnering with Envision Learning Partners for the past four years to develop and implement a comprehensive performance assessment system aligned with their Opportunity Ready Graduate Profile. This collaboration has fundamentally transformed how students demonstrate essential skills needed for future success in an increasingly complex world.
The journey began a decade ago when Roanoke County developed their C-Change Framework, which meticulously detailed the conditions needed for deeper learning to thrive within school communities. This framework addressed multiple dimensions, including school and classroom climate, professional growth, support services, and learning culture. It also emphasized finding balance between preparing students for standardized testing and developing the critical skills needed to navigate a rapidly changing world.
Working with diverse stakeholders, they articulated the Opportunity Ready Graduate Profile, which defines the skills and attributes necessary for students to successfully navigate evolving life and career pathways and seize opportunities that come their way. Despite this solid foundation, the district initially struggled to quantify these skills in ways that were both meaningful and conducive to growth.
This challenge led Roanoke County to form a strategic partnership with Envision Learning Partners. Over the past four years, they’ve evolved from conceptualizing what their assessment system could be to implementing a robust program across all 26 schools in the district. This systematic approach to performance assessment now forms a cornerstone of their educational philosophy.
At the heart of this work is the Opportunity Ready Portfolio Presentation, where students demonstrate mastery of three critical skills: Communication, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking. Using a structured process guided by clear rubrics and expectations, students select artifacts from their in-school and out-of-school learning experiences as evidence of their skill development.
Each student presentation is guided by the driving question: “How have I demonstrated and grown in my Opportunity Ready Skills as a Communicator, Collaborator, and Critical Thinker this school year, and how will I apply these Opportunity Ready skills to what’s next for me, including my future career?”
Trained panel members, including at least one member from the school’s design team, evaluate these presentations using standardized rubrics that assess specific performance outcomes for each skill area. The panels follow a structured protocol for scoring student work, ensuring consistency and fairness while providing constructive feedback.
“We learned that you don’t know what your students are capable of until you ask and give them a chance to respond,” shares one district leader. “We have been blown away by what our students are able to demonstrate through our performance assessment system.”
The impact of this work extends throughout the educational community:
For students, the process has revealed the power of reflection. Many students express surprise at how much they’ve grown until they take time to reflect on their learning journey. This metacognitive awareness strengthens their sense of personal growth and achievement.
Teachers, while initially cautious about the workload involved in preparing for conferences and defenses, become enthusiastic advocates after witnessing students’ presentations. As one administrator noted, “To a person, they are invigorated and excited to begin planning for the next year once they see it in action.”
For administrators and district leaders, the presentations have rekindled passion for educational transformation. “The impact the presentations have on the panel, parents, and staff has reignited our drive for this work,” reports a district representative.
The most compelling evidence comes from individual student experiences. One particularly moving example involved a student who had struggled significantly during middle school. During their senior defense, the student articulated their growth journey with such clarity and reflection that “there was not a dry eye in the room.” This transformative moment exemplifies how the process helps students recognize and celebrate their own development while preparing them for future challenges.
Through this ongoing partnership with Envision Learning Partners, Roanoke County Public Schools continues to refine and expand their performance assessment system. The district’s commitment to developing the whole student—not just academic knowledge but essential life skills—positions their graduates to thrive in whatever paths they choose after high school, whether in higher education, careers, or military service.
By creating authentic opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of critical skills, reflect on their growth, and connect their learning to future aspirations, Roanoke County Public Schools is preparing students not just for tests, but for life beyond graduation in a rapidly changing world.
Roanoke County Public Schools has been partnering with Envision Learning Partners for the past four years to develop and implement a comprehensive performance assessment system aligned with their Opportunity Ready Graduate Profile. This collaboration has fundamentally transformed how students demonstrate essential skills needed for future success in an increasingly complex world.
In this special Guest Blog Video Interview, hear from Alcine Mumby and Laureen Adams, interviewed by Niloy Gangopadhyay and Courtney Katen.
This interview was sparked by Alcine’s recent travel to the Ghana ASCD Educators’ Summit 2024 earlier this year.
Learn about Alcine and Laureen’s history- all starting in Oakland at Envision Academy, what Laureen took away and still carries with her as leader of the Tutu Institute in Ghana, why she believes so deeply in performance assessment, and what’s up next for her work continuing to support educators and systems.
In this special Guest Blog Video Interview, hear from Alcine Mumby and Laureen Adams, interviewed by Niloy Gangopadhyay and Courtney Katen.
Bullitt County Public Schools is a public school district in Shepherdsville, KY that serves students from pre-K through 12th grade. The district is committed to providing a world-class education that prepares students for success beyond high school.
Envision Learning Partners has worked with Bullitt County Public Schools since 2018, partnering on their Graduate Profile development and performance assessment system. Bullitt County’s Superintendent, Dr. Jesse Bacon, and Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Adrienne Usher, are also both alumni of ELP’s Deeper Learning Leadership Forum.
In this Partner Profile, we hear from Assistant Superintendent, Adrienne Usher.
How are you advancing your Performance Assessment System? Is there one story you can share that illustrates how this work is benefitting your school, students or teachers?
Advancing the Performance Assessment System in Bullitt County Public Schools involves the creation of Graduate Profile Performance outcomes for students in Grades K-2, 3-5, and 9-12. A notable story comes from a graduate of the district who, after completing postsecondary education, entered the workforce. This individual reflected on a high school assessment experience involving a presentation to a city council to solve a community problem, which proved invaluable when preparing for an engineering position interview. College courses, according to this graduate, did not fully address aspects of the interview process, including content, dispositions, and competencies. This example highlights the effectiveness of the performance assessment system in preparing students not only for specific occupations but also for broader workforce preparation.
What have you learnt during this process?
The process of transforming assessment has revealed the need to rethink its purpose and identify who truly owns it—students. While teachers play a critical role in this process, it is students who take ownership of their learning. Empowering students to demonstrate their learning fosters motivation and a deeper understanding of its larger purpose.
What is the impact you are seeing on students and their work?
The implementation of performance assessments and student ownership of learning is having a significant positive impact on students and their work. Students are more motivated as they recognize the relevance of their learning beyond the classroom. This approach is also fostering necessary dispositions and competencies, aligned to our Graduate Profile, preparing students for future challenges in higher education, the workforce, and beyond. By developing the skills to articulate their knowledge and connect it to meaningful purposes, students are not only achieving academic success but also growing into lifelong learners equipped for a dynamic and evolving world.
What is the impact you are seeing on teachers and their practice?
The gradual shift embedding performance assessments is creating meaningful changes in teachers and their practice. Teachers are rethinking the purpose of assessment on a continuum of traditional, transitional, and transformational methods that emphasize student ownership of learning combining academics and our Graduate Profile competencies. Teachers are becoming facilitators of learning, guiding students to take responsibility for their growth and encouraging reflection and self-assessment. This approach is also enhancing teachers’ instructional practices, as they integrate more student-centered strategies and focus on developing dispositions and competencies alongside content knowledge. The process is reinvigorating teachers’ sense of purpose and enthusiasm for a new school experience.
What is the impact of this work ON YOU as a practitioner?
The impact of this work I have experienced, as a practitioner, is related to understanding a larger purpose for school and its connection to the community and society. School can be viewed as a place to gain knowledge and get a high school diploma and it ends there. However, connecting school and assessment that impacts students in more comprehensive ways is about life preparation. In reality, the school experience, which includes teaching, learning, and assessment, is a reflection of what the greater community (students, parents, community members, industry partners, etc.) values. If communities want graduates to be more prepared and successful in the workforce and as citizens, collaboration that provides opportunities for learning and assessment which connects academics to real world problem solving is a future-focused necessity.
Learn more about the great work being done in Bullitt County in this EdWeek article.
Bullitt County Public Schools is a public school district in Shepherdsville, KY that serves students from pre-K through 12th grade. The district is committed to providing a world-class education that prepares students for success beyond high school.
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Roanoke County Public Schools has been partnering with Envision Learning Partners for the past four years to develop and implement a comprehensive performance assessment system aligned with their Opportunity Ready Graduate Profile. This collaboration has fundamentally transformed how students demonstrate essential skills needed for future success in an increasingly complex world.
The journey began a decade ago when Roanoke County developed their C-Change Framework, which meticulously detailed the conditions needed for deeper learning to thrive within school communities. This framework addressed multiple dimensions, including school and classroom climate, professional growth, support services, and learning culture. It also emphasized finding balance between preparing students for standardized testing and developing the critical skills needed to navigate a rapidly changing world.
Working with diverse stakeholders, they articulated the Opportunity Ready Graduate Profile, which defines the skills and attributes necessary for students to successfully navigate evolving life and career pathways and seize opportunities that come their way. Despite this solid foundation, the district initially struggled to quantify these skills in ways that were both meaningful and conducive to growth.
This challenge led Roanoke County to form a strategic partnership with Envision Learning Partners. Over the past four years, they’ve evolved from conceptualizing what their assessment system could be to implementing a robust program across all 26 schools in the district. This systematic approach to performance assessment now forms a cornerstone of their educational philosophy.
At the heart of this work is the Opportunity Ready Portfolio Presentation, where students demonstrate mastery of three critical skills: Communication, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking. Using a structured process guided by clear rubrics and expectations, students select artifacts from their in-school and out-of-school learning experiences as evidence of their skill development.
Each student presentation is guided by the driving question: “How have I demonstrated and grown in my Opportunity Ready Skills as a Communicator, Collaborator, and Critical Thinker this school year, and how will I apply these Opportunity Ready skills to what’s next for me, including my future career?”
Trained panel members, including at least one member from the school’s design team, evaluate these presentations using standardized rubrics that assess specific performance outcomes for each skill area. The panels follow a structured protocol for scoring student work, ensuring consistency and fairness while providing constructive feedback.
“We learned that you don’t know what your students are capable of until you ask and give them a chance to respond,” shares one district leader. “We have been blown away by what our students are able to demonstrate through our performance assessment system.”
The impact of this work extends throughout the educational community:
For students, the process has revealed the power of reflection. Many students express surprise at how much they’ve grown until they take time to reflect on their learning journey. This metacognitive awareness strengthens their sense of personal growth and achievement.
Teachers, while initially cautious about the workload involved in preparing for conferences and defenses, become enthusiastic advocates after witnessing students’ presentations. As one administrator noted, “To a person, they are invigorated and excited to begin planning for the next year once they see it in action.”
For administrators and district leaders, the presentations have rekindled passion for educational transformation. “The impact the presentations have on the panel, parents, and staff has reignited our drive for this work,” reports a district representative.
The most compelling evidence comes from individual student experiences. One particularly moving example involved a student who had struggled significantly during middle school. During their senior defense, the student articulated their growth journey with such clarity and reflection that “there was not a dry eye in the room.” This transformative moment exemplifies how the process helps students recognize and celebrate their own development while preparing them for future challenges.
Through this ongoing partnership with Envision Learning Partners, Roanoke County Public Schools continues to refine and expand their performance assessment system. The district’s commitment to developing the whole student—not just academic knowledge but essential life skills—positions their graduates to thrive in whatever paths they choose after high school, whether in higher education, careers, or military service.
By creating authentic opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of critical skills, reflect on their growth, and connect their learning to future aspirations, Roanoke County Public Schools is preparing students not just for tests, but for life beyond graduation in a rapidly changing world.
In this special Guest Blog Video Interview, hear from Alcine Mumby and Laureen Adams, interviewed by Niloy Gangopadhyay and Courtney Katen.
This interview was sparked by Alcine’s recent travel to the Ghana ASCD Educators’ Summit 2024 earlier this year.
Learn about Alcine and Laureen’s history- all starting in Oakland at Envision Academy, what Laureen took away and still carries with her as leader of the Tutu Institute in Ghana, why she believes so deeply in performance assessment, and what’s up next for her work continuing to support educators and systems.
Bullitt County Public Schools is a public school district in Shepherdsville, KY that serves students from pre-K through 12th grade. The district is committed to providing a world-class education that prepares students for success beyond high school.
Envision Learning Partners has worked with Bullitt County Public Schools since 2018, partnering on their Graduate Profile development and performance assessment system. Bullitt County’s Superintendent, Dr. Jesse Bacon, and Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Adrienne Usher, are also both alumni of ELP’s Deeper Learning Leadership Forum.
In this Partner Profile, we hear from Assistant Superintendent, Adrienne Usher.
How are you advancing your Performance Assessment System? Is there one story you can share that illustrates how this work is benefitting your school, students or teachers?
Advancing the Performance Assessment System in Bullitt County Public Schools involves the creation of Graduate Profile Performance outcomes for students in Grades K-2, 3-5, and 9-12. A notable story comes from a graduate of the district who, after completing postsecondary education, entered the workforce. This individual reflected on a high school assessment experience involving a presentation to a city council to solve a community problem, which proved invaluable when preparing for an engineering position interview. College courses, according to this graduate, did not fully address aspects of the interview process, including content, dispositions, and competencies. This example highlights the effectiveness of the performance assessment system in preparing students not only for specific occupations but also for broader workforce preparation.
What have you learnt during this process?
The process of transforming assessment has revealed the need to rethink its purpose and identify who truly owns it—students. While teachers play a critical role in this process, it is students who take ownership of their learning. Empowering students to demonstrate their learning fosters motivation and a deeper understanding of its larger purpose.
What is the impact you are seeing on students and their work?
The implementation of performance assessments and student ownership of learning is having a significant positive impact on students and their work. Students are more motivated as they recognize the relevance of their learning beyond the classroom. This approach is also fostering necessary dispositions and competencies, aligned to our Graduate Profile, preparing students for future challenges in higher education, the workforce, and beyond. By developing the skills to articulate their knowledge and connect it to meaningful purposes, students are not only achieving academic success but also growing into lifelong learners equipped for a dynamic and evolving world.
What is the impact you are seeing on teachers and their practice?
The gradual shift embedding performance assessments is creating meaningful changes in teachers and their practice. Teachers are rethinking the purpose of assessment on a continuum of traditional, transitional, and transformational methods that emphasize student ownership of learning combining academics and our Graduate Profile competencies. Teachers are becoming facilitators of learning, guiding students to take responsibility for their growth and encouraging reflection and self-assessment. This approach is also enhancing teachers’ instructional practices, as they integrate more student-centered strategies and focus on developing dispositions and competencies alongside content knowledge. The process is reinvigorating teachers’ sense of purpose and enthusiasm for a new school experience.
What is the impact of this work ON YOU as a practitioner?
The impact of this work I have experienced, as a practitioner, is related to understanding a larger purpose for school and its connection to the community and society. School can be viewed as a place to gain knowledge and get a high school diploma and it ends there. However, connecting school and assessment that impacts students in more comprehensive ways is about life preparation. In reality, the school experience, which includes teaching, learning, and assessment, is a reflection of what the greater community (students, parents, community members, industry partners, etc.) values. If communities want graduates to be more prepared and successful in the workforce and as citizens, collaboration that provides opportunities for learning and assessment which connects academics to real world problem solving is a future-focused necessity.
Learn more about the great work being done in Bullitt County in this EdWeek article.
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