Using Student Choice to Create Assessment Options

Explore ways to use student choice in assessment to boost engagement, authenticity, and ownership of learning.

This workshop explores how incorporating student choice into assessment practices can enhance authenticity, engagement, and ownership of learning. Participants examine the what, why, and how of student choice assessments, considering key factors in designing and implementing them effectively. The session introduces practical tools such as choice boards, grading options for choice-based work, portfolios, and alternatives to traditional assessments. By the end, educators will understand how to create varied opportunities for student choice and how to embed these practices into lessons and units.

Core Needs Addressed

  • Overreliance on one-size-fits-all assessments that fail to reflect diverse student strengths.

  • Limited student engagement in traditional assessments due to lack of autonomy or voice.

  • Insufficient teacher strategies for managing and grading varied assessment options fairly and effectively.

Key Learnings

  1. Designing Student Choice Assessments
    Participants will learn how to design assessments that provide students with authentic choices—such as projects, portfolios, and choice boards—while maintaining rigor and alignment to learning goals.

  2. Managing and Grading Student Choice
    Educators will explore grading options and tools for choice-based assessments, including strategies to ensure fairness, clarity, and consistency when evaluating varied student work.

  3. Implementing Student Choice Across Lessons and Units
    Teachers will leave with strategies for embedding student choice in assessments throughout instructional units, fostering greater student ownership, motivation, and accountability in their learning.

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Using Student Choice to Create Assessment Options

Explore ways to use student choice in assessment to boost engagement, authenticity, and ownership of learning.

Led by our team of Instructional Strategists

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Last Updated

Apr 15, 2026 2:51 PM

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Designed for School Leaders asking...

How can we incorporate student choice in assessment to produce measurable gains in engagement, ownership, and academic performance?

What systems will ensure assessment practices remain rigorous while offering meaningful options that reflect diverse student strengths?

How do we build teacher capacity to design and implement choice-based assessments that improve authenticity and student outcomes?

This workshop helped me better understand the challenges families face and gave me practical strategies to strengthen communication and engagement. I now feel more confident in building supportive partnerships with families to improve student success.

Jen Soloman

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Delivering Powerful Learning Experiences

As a result of this work

As a result of this work, educators will strengthen their ability to design and implement student choice assessments that promote authenticity, engagement, and ownership of learning. Teachers will leave with practical strategies, choice board structures, portfolio approaches, and assessment design tools that support differentiated, student-centered evaluation practices.

Workshop Description

This workshop explores how incorporating student choice into assessment practices can enhance authenticity, engagement, and ownership of learning. Participants examine the what, why, and how of student choice assessments, considering key factors in designing and implementing them effectively. The session introduces practical tools such as choice boards, grading options for choice-based work, portfolios, and alternatives to traditional assessments. By the end, educators will understand how to create varied opportunities for student choice and how to embed these practices into lessons and units.

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Designed for Today's Schools

Customized
Expert-led
In-person, virtual, or asynchronous
Standards Aligned
Research-Based
Nationwide

Educators will confidently

Educators will use student choice assessments to make assessments more authentic, engaging, and meaningful. This work strengthens assessment practices and helps accelerate student growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes your workshops different from traditional professional development or other providers?

Our approach goes beyond one-size-fits-all professional development. We hold ourselves to rigorous standards of quality and delivery in every client interaction, ensuring that each experience is meaningful, relevant, and impactful. We don’t just deliver workshops—we build long-term partnerships with schools and districts, working alongside educators to improve instructional practices and student outcomes over time.

We actively listen to educators’ unique contexts and experiences, using that insight to collaboratively design tailored solutions rather than pre-packaged sessions. Our team asks thoughtful questions, challenges assumptions, and continuously learns so we can help redefine what’s possible in teaching and learning.

Above all, we communicate authentically, foster positive and productive relationships, and bring a deep passion and commitment to education. The result is professional learning that feels purposeful, personalized, and truly transformative.

Who are your workshops designed for?

Our workshops are designed for educators and school leaders, including teachers, instructional coaches, school administrators, and district teams. Each session is tailored to the specific audience to ensure content is relevant, practical, and immediately applicable.

What does a typical workshop look like?

Our workshops are interactive, engaging, and grounded in real classroom practice. Each experience is intentionally designed using the principles of andragogy, sound instructional design, and the core constructs of effective professional development to ensure relevance, coherence, and impact. Participants engage in discussion, reflection, planning, and application activities — not just passive listening. Educators leave with concrete strategies and next steps they can implement right away.

How long are your workshops?

We offer flexible formats, including half-day, full-day, and multi-session series. We can also design ongoing professional learning experiences to support sustained implementation over time.

What delivery methods are available for your workshops?

We offer flexible delivery options to meet the needs of schools and districts, including in-person sessions, live virtual workshops, and asynchronous learning through our applied learning platform. Regardless of format, all experiences are designed to be interactive, engaging, and collaborative, with structures that promote meaningful participation and application of learning.

What kind of follow-up support is available?

We believe professional learning is most effective when it’s sustained. In addition to workshops, we offer instructional coaching, implementation planning, and follow-up sessions to help teams translate learning into practice and drive meaningful results.

Who facilitates the workshops?

Inspired Instruction’s workshops are facilitated by a nationwide team of expert Instructional Strategists.  Our facilitators bring diverse experience as classroom educators, instructional coaches, principals, directors, and superintendents, spanning all content areas. We thoughtfully match your specific needs with a facilitator whose expertise aligns to ensure the learning experience is relevant, practical, and impactful for your staff.

How much does it cost to bring a workshop to my school or district?

We offer a range of pricing options designed to meet the needs of different schools and districts. Our Client Directors work closely with you to understand your goals, scope, and budget, and will partner with you to design a high-quality professional learning experience that fits within your financial framework.

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