The Rural Trust believes that strong communities are the best habitat for excellence in education. Everyone in the community should have a role in creating good schools where every student routinely demonstrates high academic achievement, informed civic engagement, and a commitment to service and justice through work directly connected to community needs and interests.

Learning standards and the assessment of student learning should be filtered through these expectations, while also reflecting the best of local wisdom, experience, and place. The Rural Trust’s Portfolio-Based Assessment System provides a mechanism for capturing more adequately than standardized tests alone the impact of place-based, project-based, and service ­­­learning on student achievement as well as contributions to community growth and sustainability.