AST Assessment Policy
Complying with the policy and philosophical requirements of the International Baccalaureate program and renowned educational authors on assessment (Doug Reeves, Myron Dueck, and Ken O’Connor), the American School of Tegucigalpa has devised an Assessment Policy. The policy is true to best practices, research, and the pedagogical climate of the building. In short, the American School of Tegucigalpa has the following shared view of assessment:
● Assessment is feedback. The purpose of assessment is to provide feedback on student performance. Therefore, teachers should provide feedback to students after every assessment is administered.
● Feedback should be timely. Feedback should be given to students often and while the learning is taking place. The value of feedback is closely linked to when it is provided to the learner.
● The key design principle when designing assessments is alignment - not variety. A varied assessment mix is not an indicator of quality assessment; alignment to the standards is.
● Assessments should be authentic and meaningful. Students should understand the purpose of assessment and should be presented with tasks that are meaningful and in authentic contexts.
● Assessments should be engaging and empowering. Students should have a sense of ownership of their own assessments. They should be involved in the project topic selection whenever possible.
● Students should have the opportunity to self-assess their work and the work of others. Therefore, students should be given the opportunity to practice rating their performance and that of their peers in accordance to clear, identified criteria. A rubric should be provided and discussed by the teacher for this purpose.
● People learn at different rates. Therefore, making mistakes is a valuable part of the learning journey. Teachers should encourage students to take risks in the learning process. Students should not be penalized for taking risks or thinking creatively.
The Full Assessment Policy (32 pages) may be viewed separately.