Learning & Leading With Habits of Mind

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Assessing Habits of Mind

Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick

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What gets measured gets done. Measurement is the heart of any

improvement process. It must begin at the outset of the program,

be visible, and done by the natural work group itself.

—Tom Peters

When educators are serious about helping students develop the Habits of
Mind, they find ways to make those habits integral to instruction, assess-
ment, and feedback. There is a distinction between assessments of learn-
ing and assessments for learning (Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis, & Chappuis,
2004). On one hand, an assessment oflearning is a summative assess-
ment. The results are provided, and students move on to the next topic for
learning. Typical assessments of learning include final exams, benchmark
tests, and state tests. Their purpose is to judge learning, and the audience
for the results includes individuals other than the students. On the other
hand, assessments for learning are used to guide feedback and coaching
for students. Often referred to as formative assessments, they are designed
for students to know how they are maturing and developing toward a
higher and more skillful level of performance and excellence (Armstrong,
2006). The feedback and coaching are valued as a significant part of class-
room instruction, providing the indicators and evidence on which more