Assessment and Evaluation School Policy

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION PROCESSES

Assessment and evaluation are based on the provincial curriculum expectations, known as content standards, and the achievement levels, known as performance standards. Marks/grades should reflect only a student’s achievement relative to the curriculum expectations.

Successful assessment and evaluation policies and practices are contingent on a “partnership among and the shared responsibility” of the school, students, and the parent(s)/guardians. Parent(s)/guardians will receive feedback regarding school, board wide and provincial student achievement, and the methods of assessment, evaluation and reporting.

The Assessment / Evaluation for Grade 9-12 students is subject to change at any time, based on directions from the Ministry of Education or the DDSB.

ABSENCE FROM A TEST

The school requires a note from the parent/guardian indicating the reason for the absence and the acknowledgement of the fact that the test was missed. Students who skip a test or fail to provide the required note at the next class may be given a zero. (See course syllabus for more details.)

ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR TESTS

Students who will be absent from tests due to a school-sponsored activity or prearranged medical/dental appointment may take a test at an alternate time with the subject teacher's approval.

FULL DISCLOSURE

All students taking grade 11 and 12 courses will be subject to a Full Disclosure policy. If a student is in a course five school days after the midterm-reporting period the course will appear on the transcript, even if it is dropped. Colleges and Universities use this information for making admission and scholarship decisions.

LEARNING SKILLS AND WORK HABITS

In addition to course expectations, students are to demonstrate learning skills and work habits in each of their courses. Teachers assess student progress in six learning skills and work habits: Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self-Regulation. Learning skills and Work Habits are not part of the student’s marks, except in specific cases where they are embedded as a curriculum expectation. Learning skills and Work Habits are reported on the Provincial Report Card separately from the achievement of course expectations.

In this way, students and parent(s)/guardians can gain a better understanding of students’ learning skills and work habits, and students’ learning goals can be clarified and understood by all. Such communication will help establish a culture of learning and improve students’ opportunities for achieving success.

COMMUNICATION

Teachers will provide students with a course outline early in the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to share this information with parent(s)/guardians. The course outline will include information on assessment and evaluation. Teachers report student achievement through a variety of reporting methods such as, the Provincial Report Card, interviews, conferences, phone calls, mark updates and letters to parent(s)/guardians. The school will host a formal parent-teachers’ conference session each semester.

LATE AND MISSED ASSIGNMENTS

The Durham District School Board has set out regulations on late and missed assignments for implementation at the school level.

It is the teacher's responsibility to post assignments and due dates. It is the responsibility of the student to seek assistance from the subject teacher when he/she is unable to complete the assignment(s) on time. Where possible this should be done in advance.

Deadlines are critical to the learning process as they: impact on the student’s ability to absorb new classroom material and/or understand course expectations (ultimately affecting the student’s credit); are part of normal workplace life; are a reasonable workload management strategy for students and teachers; bring closure to the unit of work; and allow the class to move forward in the curriculum and address other expectations.

Students are responsible not only for their behaviour in the classroom and the school but also for providing evidence of their achievement of the overall expectations within the timeframe specified by the teacher, and in a form approved by the teacher. Students must understand that there will be consequences for not completing assignments for evaluation or for submitting those assignments late. Students must negotiate with their teacher when submitting late and missed assignments.

Where in the teacher’s professional judgment it is appropriate to do so, a number of strategies may be used to help prevent and/or address late and missed assignments. These progressive strategies include:

• asking the student to clarify the reason for not completing the assignment;

• helping students develop better time-management skills;

• planning for major assignments to be completed in stages, so that students are less likely to be faced with an all-or-nothing situation at the last minute;

• maintaining ongoing communication with students and/or parent(s)/guardians about due dates and late assignments, and scheduling conferences with parent(s)/guardians if the problem persists;

• referring the student to the Student Success team or teacher;

• taking into consideration legitimate reasons for missed deadlines;

• setting up a student contract;

• using counseling or peer tutoring to try to deal positively with problems;

• holding teacher-student conferences;

• reviewing the need for extra support for English language learners;

• reviewing whether students require special education services;

• requiring the student to work with a school team to complete the assignment;

• providing alternative assignments or tests/exams where, in the teacher’s professional judgment, it is reasonable and appropriate to do so;

• deducting marks for late assignments.

It is expected that teachers and school teams will use a variety of strategies, as described above, to ensure that students submit their assignments for evaluation and meet timelines. Late and missed assignments for evaluation will also be noted on the report card as part of the evaluation of a student’s learning skills and work habits. When appropriate, a student’s tendency to be late in submitting, or to fail to submit, other assignments (including homework) may also be noted on the report card as part of the evaluation of the student’s learning skills and work habits.

Some deadlines are negotiated; some are absolute. A parental note may be requested as part of the negotiation process. If a student chooses not to submit/complete work either on a negotiated or absolute deadline then that work may not be assessed or evaluated. In those cases, the student may receive a mark of zero or it may be deemed incomplete.

For Grades 9 and 10, the code “I” (incomplete) may be given as a mark to indicate that insufficient evidence is available to determine a percentage mark and the credit may be in jeopardy.

EQAO- LITERACY AND MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENTS

Every year, the Ministry of Education administers, through the schools, province wide assessments in both Literacy and mathematics. All students are required to write these assessments in their respective grades or while taking the related course. Attendance for both assessments is mandatory and a ministry requirement. The passing of the Grade 10 OSSLT is a diploma requirement.

MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENT (GRADE 9)

The Provincial Assessment of Mathematics takes place each year in Grade 9. all students enrolled in a Grade 9 math course are required to take the test. More details to follow as we receive them from the Ministry.

ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL LITERACY TEST (OSSLT)

All students are required to successfully complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) as part of their graduation requirements. Courses at O’Neill contain components that support students in their preparation to write the Literacy Test. Students who are unsuccessful can complete the Literacy Course (OLC4O1) to satisfy the graduation requirements.