Why do we have SSAs and SSRs?

At the end of every term, students are instructed to write an Student Self-Assessment (SSA) or a Student Self-Reflection (SSR). SSA’s are written in Quarters 1 and 3 as a one paragraph response to their performance for each class. SSR’s are one 200-250 word paragraph reflecting on a student’s academic performance throughout an entire semester. The goal of SSAs and SSRs is to help a student review their academic work for a quarter or semester. However, it seems as though it is has been more of a burden than a benefit.

At the High School Division, the school tells both students and parents that if their self assessments are not complete, then the report cards will not be sent out. However, it has recently come to light from a department head that as many as 50% of report cards are sent without complete student writeups. Mr. Brown, Dean of the Class of 2017, says that he does not believe it is the case that report cards are sent out without the writeup from each student.

Students have expressed frustration with the self assessments and reflections. Students are told, during the final week of either each term, that, in addition, to the academic work they have, they also have to spend their time completing this task.

Many students, in fact, do not write new responses, but rather they copy and paste the same information from the prior year, semester, or quarter. They change the name of the class and keep roughly the same information. So why do we keep filling out these assessments if they are, in effect, insignificant?  

According to one student, there has been at least one case in which an advisor did the writeup for a student to get it done. This action completely takes away from the productive nature that the SSAs and SSRs are meant to provide.

Instead of copying and pasting the same information without having to think, or sending report cards out without them, there should be a different system in which students were able to review their work in a more constructive fashion.

A possible solution to this issue would be a five minute meeting with your advisor prior to your family conference to think about your classes and recognize your strengths and weaknesses.  A conversation would potentially be more effective and valuable than the writeup. This would allow for the opportunity for each student to improve in their classes. It would also take away the problematic nature in which the school tells the community something and they do not follow through with it.

For those who say that there is no time for this, I would argue that this is one of the most critically important functions that an advisor could play, and it would be worth changing advisory time to accomplish this goal.