IB-MYP ASSESSMENT POLICY KING/ROBINSON INTER-DISTRICT MAGNET SCHOOL

IB-MYP ASSESSMENT POLICY KING/ROBINSON INTER-DISTRICT MAGNET SCHOOL

King/Robinson is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. Its philosophy is dedicated to developing the whole student, intellectually, socially, aesthetically, and culturally by providing a broad and balanced education. Effective assessment places our students at the center of their learning and allows teachers to monitor student progress and adjust instruction to improve achievement beginning with our 5 th Grade students. Assessment Principles: Internal and external assessment of curricular objectives using IB criteria and the Common Core State Standards provide evidence of assessing our students achievements. Assessment in the MYP aims to: support and encourage student learning by providing feedback on the learning process inform, enhance and improve the teaching process provide opportunity for students to exhibit transfer of skills across disciplines, such as in the Community Project and interdisciplinary unit assessments promote positive student attitudes towards learning promote a deep understanding of subject content by supporting students in their inquiries set in real-world contexts promote the development of critical- and creative-thinking skills reflect the international-mindedness of the programme by allowing assessments to be set in a variety of cultural and linguistic contexts support the holistic nature of the programme by including in its model principles that take account of the development of the whole student. Assessment tasks are an important part of the learning process and which aims to help the students understand what they know and understand at different stages of the learning process. It should: Be clear to both students and parents Support and encourage student learning by providing feedback Be integrated into a diverse array of continuous learning activities 1

Affirm student success and progress Where appropriate, respond to MYP unit statement of inquiry Promote the development of higher order thinking and questioning skills Support MYP s fundamental concepts of Communication, Holistic Learning and Intercultural Understanding. Provide opportunities for self-reflection (and self-assessment) in support of the Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills. MYP Criteria for All Subject Areas To determine a student s achievement level, teachers use a criterion related approach. This means that student performance is measured against pre specified assessment criteria (IB MYP) based on the aims and objectives of each subject area. Students must master all strands of specific criteria at lower achievement levels before they can be considered to have achieved the next level. Teachers must gather sufficient evidence from a range of assessment tasks to enable them to make a professional and informed judgment guided by criteria that are public and transparent to determine a student s achievement level. In order to do this, teachers analyze the recent scores on criterion tasks and determine the most consistent pattern of scores. Common Practices for Recording and Reporting Students are assessed using the Middle Years Programme Subject Criteria. Criteria from all eight required subjects are assessed multiple times during the school year. Reported MYP scores are based on more than one assessment task. Teachers employing standard based grading use MYP Criteria for all assessments during the year. Introductory teachers use year 1 rubric. Teachers use the Year I or III rubric appropriate to students year in the programme. Seventh grade teachers use the Year III rubric consistently. MYP scores are awarded according to how well the student has demonstrated mastery of the published criteria, using the subject area teacher s professional judgment along with student evidence. Final scores are not determined by averaging summative performance 2

scores over the year; using single pieces of work to determine final grades; or determining MYP grades by combining homework, class work, and test grades. Rubrics are designed by the IB and made task specific by the teacher (possibly collaboratively with students) as the evaluation tool for formative and summative assessments. They are created before the unit is taught (and possibly modified based on student input). Teachers provide students with the criteria before the assessment task is assigned and contain specific descriptors. Rubrics are intended to provide the learner with feedback when annotated by the teacher. In order to ensure that the assessment meets the needs of students at every age and stage, King/Robinson uses a balance of formative and summative assessment to provide us with a clear picture of student achievement. Assessment of student learning is ongoing and makes use of a variety of forms including: Quizzes Tests/Exams (Pre, Post) Portfolios/Notebooks/Journals Presentations Project-work Homework Class discussions Group work participation Essays Peer assessment Self-assessment Exit Slips State Assessment- (Pre and Post-SBAC, Math Fact Fluency for Fall, Winter and Spring) District Assessment-(Scholastic Reading Inventory for Fall, Winter and Spring) Unit Reflections LAS Links: Language Acquisition District Exams for Grades 7-8: Spanish and French Pre-Assessment: This form of assessment is administered to assist the teacher in planning learning activities for the unit. It is meant to activate prior knowledge and accesses what students want to learn. 3

Formative Assessment: A wide range of purposeful, formal and informal assessments that are used to develop student s skills, knowledge and understanding, leading to the summative assessment tasks. These assessments are used by teachers to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student attainment. Effective formative assessment is part of the instructional process and provides the information needed to adjust instruction by providing students with immediate feedback during the learning process. Students in the MYP are involved in the process as they learn to self-assess, peer-assess, and set goals based on feedback from their teachers as well as on reflection on their own learning. Formative assessments are interwoven within daily learning and instruction allowing teachers to make necessary adjustments to teaching plans and methods. The assessments involve students as they reflect on their own Approaches to Learning. Summative Assessment: These formal assessments are performance based and take place at the end of each teaching and learning process to assess students knowledge and understanding usually against set standards. They are developed as part of IB units that are designed before the unit is taught and occurs at the conclusion of the unit. It provides students with opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned, addresses a variety of learning styles and assesses with reference to relevant MYP objectives. Assessment rubrics are developed and applied to all summative assessment tasks. The rubrics link the assessment criteria s level of achievement descriptors with task-specific clarifications. Rubrics are shared with students in the early stages of the unit to help students familiarize themselves with the expectations for the task, leading them to have a better understanding of the MYP assessment criteria. King/Robinson is committed to improving student performance, through documenting all assessment data: aligning the written and assessed curricula content with objectives, through Strategic Research Based Instruction (SRBI) and Effective Teaching Strategies (ETS). Literacy and Math Data Teams meet monthly on a rotating schedule to analyze, disaggregate classroom data, identify student growth and areas of need for each grade. Trends are identified, compared with other schools in the district, target areas of need are highlighted, and actions are developed with predicted outcomes to address the priorities. Overall grade level performance trends, patterns and strategies are then reviewed by the Building Level Data Team (BLDT), which meets monthly, to review Literacy, Math, Behavioral and International Baccalaureate data from each grade level. The BLDT, meets monthly, and shares data from the instructional teams with an 4

emphasis on the two strategic objective focus areas stated in the School Improvement Plan; (SIP) (1) Raise student achievement (2) Increase positive student behaviors. Assessment Strategies We use a list of strategies in conjunction with one another to provide a more balanced view of student achievement. Observation Teachers may observe all students regularly and often, focusing on the whole class or focusing on one student or one activity. Teachers can observe outside the task or observe when engaging in the task with the student. This is particularly useful when assessing some behaviors and skills. Selected response Tests and quizzes are the most familiar examples of this form of assessment. Selected responses allow the teacher to ask general or specific questions to elicit responses from students that will indicate understanding and, possibly, misunderstanding. This strategy is particularly useful during the course of a unit, in formative assessment, as it is usually quick and straightforward to administer and can provide instant feedback for students and teachers. Open-ended tasks This strategy allows teachers to present students with a stimulus and ask them to communicate an original response. The response could take many forms, such as a presentation, an essay, a diagram or a solution to a problem. Open-ended tasks may be combined with other strategies, such as performance assessments. Performance The MYP assessment model provides opportunities for teachers to devise assessment tasks that enable students to demonstrate the range of knowledge, skills, understandings and attitudes that they have developed in the classroom. Performance assessments can allow students to perform the learned skills and show their understanding in real-world contexts. Teacher-designed performances of understanding may take the form of a composition, a research report, a presentation or a proposed solution. Such performances serve two functions: they build student 5

Reporting We believe that parents, teachers, and students are partners in education. Open and consistent communication strengthens this partnership. Students and parents are kept informed in the following ways: Open House, Literacy Night, Math Night, Parent Workshops, Family Nights Communication of class specific information: Google Drive, Google Classroom, Class Dojo, School Website, Parent Link, and Social Media Assignment Notebooks PowerSchool Gradebook Naviance Teacher and/or Counselor e mails, phone calls, and meetings Progress Reports Parent/Teacher Conferences Report Cards MYP Reports of Progress School displays IEP: Individual Educational Plan for Special Education students Student -Teacher Conferences: These conferences or conferring meetings are designed to give students feedback so they can reflect on their work and further improve and develop their skills. Conferencing is used to drive instruction, keep track of student growth, and provide students feedback use. Teacher Parent Conferences: These are designed to give parents and families information concerning student progress, development, needs and strengths. Teachers take this opportunity to gather background information, answer parents questions, address concerns and solidify their role in the learning process. Teacher-parent meetings happen during report card conferences and throughout the year. All teachers record student progress (IB and NHPS requirements) in PowerSchool. Student progress is reported mid-quarter and a final report card issued at the end of each quarter to students and parents. 6

Student Portfolios Student Portfolios in the MYP show evidence of learning over time. They function as our method of collecting, storing and communicating information which is used to document student progress and achievement. They serve as a celebration of each student s progress and development over time. One piece of work is chosen at the end of each quarter in addition to student s goal setting, unit and community service reflections and self-assessment of approaches to learning skills as well as learner profile attitudes. Community Project The Community Project is a major activity for students to complete in Year Three (Grade 8) of the MYP program at King/Robinson. It focuses on community and service and gives students an opportunity to develop awareness of needs in various communities and address those needs through service learning. As a consolidation of learning, the Community Project engages students in a sustained, in-depth inquiry leading to service as action in the community. Through the process of completing the MYP Community Project, 8th Grade students should be able to Investigate, Plan, Take Action and Reflect. The project will be documented in a Process Journal maintained by the student and monitored by the mentor and or the IB Coordinator. Students are assessed using the IB Projects criteria rubrics. Grading Policy Each subject area s grading policy and curriculum materials are communicated to parents at the beginning of the school year. All IB MYP students will be assessed using the IB MYP assessment criteria for each subject and the NHPS grading policy. A progress report will be provided to parents five weeks into each marking period, reflecting progress in student s IB level of achievement and NHPS grade-level expectations which is accessible through PowerSchool. At the end of each marking period, students and their parents shall be informed using a report card depicting students grades and academic performance in each subject in grades 5-8. In addition, teacher comments address student conduct and behavior. Attendance, including absences and tardiness, is documented. 7

There are two mandatory parent-teacher conferences set by the NHPS to allow parents to discuss their child s progress with individual teachers. End of Marking Period Reporting A quarterly summative score is given for each criterion within each subject area and reflects the student's level of demonstrated mastery. Scores for each criterion are reported as whole numbers, using the 1 7 scale. Assessment Requirements: Teachers must assess each of the International Baccalaureates grading criteria for each subject area at least twice per school year. Teachers will use MYP criteria to assess summative tasks (and formative tasks as deemed necessary). Students and parents will be given notification, in writing, a quarterly course syllabus which will include: Task content and conceptual understanding/inquiry questions Due dates and deadlines Form of task, e.g. essay, report, technology, oral presentation etc. MYP Criteria to be assessed An assessment rubric, including generic descriptors and task-specific clarifications 8

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IB MYP GRADES & INTERPRETATIONS OF ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS Level of Achievement Defined as Descriptor 7/8 Excellent A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them almost faultlessly in a wide variety of situations. There is consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where appropriate. The student consistently demonstrates originality and insight and always produces work of high quality. 6 Very good A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a wide variety of situations. There is consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where appropriate. The student generally demonstrates originality and insight. 5 Good A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a variety of situations. The student generally shows evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where appropriate and occasionally demonstrates originality and insight. 4 Satisfactory A good general understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them effectively in normal situations. There is occasional evidence of the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. 3 Unsatisfactory Limited achievement against most of the objectives, or clear difficulties in some areas. The student demonstrates a limited understanding of the required knowledge and skills and is only able to apply them fully in normal situations with support. 2 Poor Very limited achievement against all the objectives. The student has difficulty in understanding the required knowledge and skills and is unable to apply them fully in normal situations, even with support. 1 Very poor Minimal achievement in terms of the objectives. 0-10

NHPS Grading & Interpretation of letter grades 97-100 A+ Excellent 93-96 A 90-92 A- 87-89 B+ 83-86 B Good 80-82 B- 77-79 C+ 73-76 C Satisfactory 70-72 C- 67-69 D+ 63-66 D Needs Improvement 60-62 D- 0-59 F Failing I Incomplete 11

Academic Honesty Policy: At King/Robinson, we believe that academic honesty and personal integrity are fundamental components of a student s education and character development. When it comes to assessment of any sort in the learning process, we strive to develop students who have a solid sense of integrity for themselves, their school, and their global community. Students are expected to: Respect others intellectual property Cite sources when using the work of others Submit work that is of their own creation Independently use Approaches to Learning Skills to conduct research Special Needs Policy: King/Robinson recognizes that students come from a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and have a range of academic, physical and other needs. We provide an inclusive curriculum through the differentiation of instruction to students with multiple strengths, abilities and with various learning styles. In order to appropriately service each child, teachers differentiate based on the individual needs of each student. Students who are struggling and students who are in need of a challenge are given work to help reinforce and practice skills based on needs. Students who are in TAG are serviced by an outside teacher from the district on a weekly basis. Students in the middle school are given weekly menus to choose activities to help practice vocabulary. This allows for each student to choose an activity that is appropriate for their learning level and get the practice using the vocabulary that they will be using in class, on the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC), within the Common Core State Standards. We promote for student choice and student input in learning activities and projects. This allows for activities to easily address the needs of students with differing abilities. Teachers and tutors are consistently using different questioning strategies throughout lessons to challenge those who need to be pushed and help those students who may be struggling to grasp the concepts. 12

Language Policy: The language of instruction at King/Robinson is English because ninetyfive percent of our students speak English as their mother tongue. Five percent of our population who are identified as English Language Learners (ELLs) receive English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction on a push-in or pull-out basis. Students are enrolled in the regular school program. Coordinating services with the regular classroom teacher, the English as a Second Language teacher or tutor provide supplemental instruction in comprehending, listening, speaking, reading, and writing the English language across all grade levels. They also provide support in reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. King/Robinson also offers intervention courses including literacy blocks, Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI), Lexia, Read 180, and Math 180, Achieve 3000, to give additional literacy and math support to students. Committee: Sue Levy- Language & Literature Melissa Sayers- Mathematics Tiffany Barrett-Individuals & Societies Coleen Connolly-Science Maxine Phillips-Mathematics Intervention Megan O Neill-Language & Literature Kimberly Celotto-Reading Intervention Shaun Liebskind-French Andrew Hull-Science Jonathan Hill-Mathematics Zania Collier-Individuals & Societies Chad Davis- Special Education Latoya Miller-Hamm-Special Education Elyse Puglia- Reading Intervention Hannah Sam- MYP Coordinator 13