Measuring learning
Traditional schools attempt to measure learning through tests that are misguided, narrowly focused, and fail to acknowledge how learning happens. Learning is non-linear, and the greatest learning often happens in unexpected bursts. While Learners should have the freedom and the time to take in information, data, opinions, and experiences from the world around them so that they can process it to create bursts in learning, testing requires them to focus on performing well on assessments that measure compliance, memory, procedure, and lower order thinking.
The very process of testing or assessment changes the way a young person approaches learning. Testing narrows their conceptions of what learning can be, and shifts their focus from the greater objective of maximizing their potential and possibility. Ultimately, the practice of testing undermines the inborn desire of young people to understand the world around them.
At Abrome we believe a love of learning is essential to the health and welfare of young people, and we are unwilling to undermine it for the sake of providing parents with grade reports. We will never grade Learners or rank them against one another.
At the same time, we also understand that many parents may feel uneasy about allowing learning to happen while the broader society focuses on testing and rankings. We will reserve admission at Abrome for families who are ready to trust that their children want to learn, and that their children can do so without being coerced. We are looking for parents who have as much faith in their children as we do.