GIS Language Policy 2022-2023

Gateway International School

Assessment Policy

PURPOSE (WHY)

Why do we assess the way we do at Gateway International School?

ACTIONS (WHAT)

What assessment actions do we take because of our purpose?

EXAMPLES (HOW)

How does assessment look at our school specifically?

The main purpose of assessment is to support and enhance student learning.

Assessment is frequent, ongoing, and differentiated.

These assessments can include, but are not limited to:

  • Exit tickets

  • Benchmarks

  • Observations/discussions

  • Open-ended tasks

  • Performance tasks

  • Selected response (quizzes and tests)

Pre-assessment is an integral part of the learning cycle. We believe that it is vital to account for what a student knows and can do in an effort to ensure that each student’s needs are being met.

Before instruction, students are assessed to establish their prior knowledge.

Students are assessed at the beginning of the school year using the following assessment tools:

  • iReady (Reading and Math)

  • Fluency

  • Quick Phonics Screening

  • Writing Task

  • Letter and Sound Recognition (K-1st grade)

Beginning of unit assessments may include:

  • Anecdotal records

  • Pre-assessments

  • Observations

Each student enters our school with varying abilities and skills. With students’ varied abilities and skills, differentiated assessment is a necessity.

A multitude of assessments are used to evaluate student learning in a timely manner.


These assessments can include, but are not limited to:

  • Formal/Informal

  • Written/Oral

  • Standardized/Non-Standardized

Teachers modify assessments based on student IEPs.

Parents are one of our biggest assets as educators. They can offer valuable insight to help us ensure an optimal learning experience for their child.

We give parents many opportunities to play an active role in their student’s IB education.

Parents are invited to attend an IB Night at our campus in the fall semester.


At the end of each IB unit, parents have an opportunity to share evidence of their student taking action outside of the classroom.

Horizontal and vertical collaboration is essential to creating a balanced IB program.

Teachers collaborate within their grade levels, as well as with their colleagues in other grades. During coherence, grade level teams meet with both the grade above and below for vertical and horizontal alignment.

Teachers share their assessment strategies during designated IB Articulation days, which correspond to each IB unit.


Teachers meet frequently to refine assessments for each IB unit during IB Collaboration days.

In order to become life-long learners, students must be able to effectively self-assess. Self-assessment skills promote reflection, growth, and change in their daily lives.

We provide students with the necessary strategies and tools to become competent in terms of self-assessment in both academic and behavioral areas.


Students select at least one assignment from each IB unit and reflect on how that piece of work demonstrates their understanding of the central idea.


At the end of every unit, students write a reflection related to their learning.


Students are given a grade-appropriate reflection to assess their growth in the Learner Profile attributes as well as the Approaches to Learning skills.

Assessments are more valuable when they present authentic examples of what students will encounter in the real world.

We actively teach students about the importance of service learning and helping others in our school, homes, and community.

The school participates in service learning throughout the year in various ways.


PYP students add their knowledge to the action cycles and reflect on actions that relate to the unit.


Every MYP unit has a service as action component. All Year 1 and Year 2 students complete 5-10 hours of service learning per year. Year 3 students complete the community project.


Students reflect on their involvement in the service learning project using an appropriate grade level reflection.

Assessment data is important to everyone, not just the classroom teachers.

GIS maintains consistent communication between students, teachers, parents/guardians, and support staff regarding assessment data.

We communicate our assessment data in several ways:


  • Teacher/Student Conferences

  • Student-Led Conferences

  • IB Collaboration Days

  • IB Night

  • Progress reports

  • Data discussions

  • Individual Student Portfolios

Portfolios provide students, teachers, and parents with insight into the growth and development of the whole child.

We provide students with all necessary materials to maintain an organized, reflective, and robust IB portfolio.

Every PYP student that enters our school creates a portfolio to track progress across their entire experience. At the end of each IB unit, students contribute work from that unit to their portfolios. *See Guidelines below.


MYP students add to their portfolios digitally.

Exhibition is a requirement in fifth grade of the IB PYP program that allows students to engage in a self-made inquiry project to raise awareness about a need in the community.

We participate in IB PYP training to familiarize ourselves with the guidelines and requirements for successful completion of the exhibition.

Teachers evaluate the exhibition through a calibration process based on pre-established rubrics.

The Community Project is a requirement in year 3 of the IB MYP program that allows students to take action in their community.

Year 3 Design teachers, school counselor, and CP Coordinator are trained in the project to become familiar with the requirements for successful completion of the Community Project.

Supervisors evaluate assigned groups during the community project showcase. Then, they collaborate to norm overall assessments to give a final score for each group in alignment with the IB rubric for the Community Project.


*Gateway International School Guidelines for Student Portfolios

PYP

Each student portfolio should contain the following:

  • A student-generated reflection or response to a piece of work from the unit of inquiry

  • PYP Learner Profile Reflections

Each student portfolio should be organized in the following way:

  • 1 ½” binder separated by six tabs

  • Each tab will be labeled with a different transdisciplinary theme

  • Clear plastic dividers (at least six) will be placed behind each labeled tab to hold student work and reflections

  • A balance of teacher-selected and student-selected work should be placed in the binder (depending on the developmental stage of the student)

MYP

  • Each students has a digital portfolio where they record their reflections and upload their work

  • Students are required to keep a portfolio in Design and VAPA

Arts Process Journal

  • The arts process journal can be written, visual, audio or a combination of these; can be paper and electronic

  • Format is decided by the VAPA teacher

Design

  • A design folder must be kept either digitally or physically to document the design project, where all four criteria are assessed

  • The folder must be divided into four sections: one per criterion

Community Project

  • Students must keep a record of their process in the form of a journal