Originally published on IdahoEdNews.org on 05/28/2019
Written by
Alan Gottlieb
When Elise Malterre decided to attend One Stone, a break-the-mold, tuition-free independent high school in downtown Boise, she and her mother had one long-term worry nibbling at the back of their minds: what about college admissions?
The school, which serves 105 students in grades 10-12, doesn’t evaluate them in any traditional way. No tests. No grades. Instead, it uses a detailed, arguably more meaningful instrument called a growth transcript, which measures students’ growth as they work toward becoming fully developed human beings. It follows their academic progress, to be sure, but also their growth in mindset, creativity, empathy, and skills ranging from goal-setting to critical thinking.
Students have come to appreciate it. Educators love it, and parents say it gives them insights into their children no report card could ever match.
“The growth transcript is truly revolutionary,” said Teresa Poppen, One Stone’s founder. “No other school is doing this. It’s pioneering work.”
But what about colleges? Would the ever-more-intense and competitive admissions process leave One Stone students marginalized?
