Remote and online learning is surfacing existing inequities in schools and classrooms across the country and is raising critical questions about how we support students to develop the agency and autonomy required for learning.

This recorded session is the second in a series of online conversations, Perspectives on Formative Assessment, Student Agency, and Equity, that highlights both scholarly and practitioner perspectives on the intersections between student identity, classroom culture, and formative assessment as levers for promoting agency and equity.

Led by WestEd’s Nancy Gerzon and Barbara Jones, these conversations explore emerging ideas, practices, and research, and professional contributions to the study and promotion of student agency.

This archived session features Steve Holmes, Superintendent of the Sunnyside Unified School District (SUSD) in Tucson, Arizona. A champion for equity, his work focuses on urban education reform and bringing about deeper learning practices, coherence, and innovation to high poverty districts. Under his leadership, SUSD is now recognized as an industry leader in open educational resources, formative assessment, and design thinking. He is a staunch supporter of public education and a leading voice in support of English Learners. When his district shifted to online learning in the spring, his message to educators was, Let’s seize this opportunity to promote student agency.

View suggested readings and materials for this session.

View additional session recordings from this series.

Listen to the Audio Recording

Presented by Steve HolmesNancy GerzonBarbara Jones