Assessment Policy

Assessment is integral to providing quality teaching and learning. It provides both the student and the teacher with valuable feedback to determine and improve learning. Using assessment instruments allows all stakeholders to gauge where students are, recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and provide instructional support to help them grow. 

“Assessment for learning is any assessment for which the first priority in its design and practice is to serve the purpose of promoting pupils’ learning… An assessment activity can help learning if it provides information to be used as feedback, by teachers, and by their pupils in assessing themselves and each other, to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged.”  (Black et. al., 2004)

To receive course credit in an IB class, students are assessed on their abilities to analyze and present information, evaluate and construct arguments, and creatively solve problems.  Students are expected to display basic academic skills of retaining information and applying concepts; additionally, a more holistic and intercultural outlook is expected. Students’ grades and performance in all IB courses will be determined using a number of formative and summative assessments clearly aligned to the IB curriculum.  IB teachers must use their professional judgment and IB training to assess the coursework.

For assessments to be effective, they should: 

1. Reflect the holistic and international-mindedness of the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme by ensuring assessments are balanced and free of cultural bias.

2. Provide students with clear learning targets that enable students to monitor their progress throughout the course.

3. Provide opportunities for stakeholders (teachers, learners, and parents) to reflect and be provided with feedback based on performance. 

4. Be balanced in the content and standards being assessed and the depths of questions.

5. Place students at the center of learning. 

6. Demonstrate a variety of assessment types (both formative and summative) that demonstrate a mastery of skills and content knowledge that focus on both abstract and concrete concepts and ideas.

Students are responsible for self-advocating and determining when additional assistance or instruction on a topic is needed prior to any assessment given. Students should engage in self-assessment and peer-assessment to help promote a reflective and collaborative learning environment. Collaboration is essential to students gaining a full understanding and holistic view of the IB content. Students should use resources given to them during advisement and from their course teachers to help create a time management plan to help them manage the coursework for the IB program along with their other responsibilities. Assessments will help students develop attributes of the learner profile as they cultivate effective study and work habits.

Parents should support students and the school by promoting the IB learner profile, holistic thinking, and higher-level thinking needed in IB courses. Parents should understand that assessments, both formative and summative, serve as an opportunity to increase knowledge and learning.  Assessments serve as a chance for the student to grow and reflect. Parents are expected to attend informational meetings to gain an understanding of the IB structure and expectations. Additionally, parents will sign a parent agreement that outlines the expectations for students and parents upon their students’ admittance into the Diploma Program.

Teachers should facilitate learning through providing clear guidelines and rubrics for students to use throughout the course. These should be consistent and applicable to the courses in which they are used. Teachers should continually assess students using both formative and summative assessments and should share timely and detailed feedback with students. Teachers should use assessments to aid students in gaining the required understanding of the course as well as connecting their content to the other areas of IB. Teachers should collaborate with other teachers, students, parents, and administrators to ensure that their rigor and coursework is consistent with the IB philosophy. Teachers should demonstrate to students time management strategies through planning the course and by keeping students on track to complete their assignments in a timely manner.

Administrators should reinforce the procedures for assessing IB students in a fair manner. They should do this through open communication and support of the students, teachers, and parents. They encourage the implementation of IB principles, such as those outlined in the assessment policy, across the whole school through ongoing professional learning. 

Formative Assessments (30%)

The purpose of formative assessments is to provide timely feedback on students’ growth and to support, motivate, and encourage students to take risks as they develop new skills and challenge themselves in the learning process.  Teachers will use formative assessments such as self-reflections, visual presentations, oral presentations, short constructed responses, performances, quizzes, questioning, discussion, self-evaluations, Socratic seminars, and exit tickets.

Summative Assessments (60%)

To determine mastery of skills and demonstrate growth, teachers will use a variety of assessment strategies that allow students to apply their academic skills and concepts  in new ways such as exams, essays, presentations, projects, portfolios, performance-based tasks, etc.  Grades on such assignments will be based on IB teachers’ professional judgment using rubrics aligned to IB standards and expectations.

IB exams include internal and external assessment components completed in class and scored by the instructor. These assessments will count as test grades in students’ course averages. If a student fails to complete one of these assessments in the first year of the course, the student may be prevented from continuing to the second year of the course. 

Final Exams (10%)

All IB courses include a cumulative final exam based on one or more of the IB exam papers. Seniors may exempt the final exam according to JCHS school policy. 

Some courses may include an End-of-Course (EOC) exam required by the Georgia Department of Education. As of 2023, students can exempt the US History EOC by passing the IB History of the Americas class, but students who have not previously taken an EOC for American Literature or Biology must take those EOC as a part of their IB courses.

Homework

Homework guidelines vary by content area; it can be considered formative or summative. Teacher autonomy is allowed per subject area. Teachers may use homework to assess students’ progress towards the development and acquisition of key skills as well as to provide meaningful feedback to students before the summative assessment.  Homework will allow teachers to support student mastery of content and to inform instruction.  Homework can provide opportunities for students to collaborate with their peers and teachers, as well as engage in self-assessment and peer assessment.

Assessment Calendar

IB teachers will plan horizontally to help monitor assessment expectations in order to provide students a balance with time management and extracurricular activities in support of our goal to help develop well-rounded individuals.  In order to aid students in time management, internal assessment dates must be approved by the IB Coordinator and shared on the IB assessment calendar.

Late Work

IB students must follow the JCHS Late Work Procedure: Assignments that are not submitted on time will be marked as missing, which is calculated as a "0". Missing assignments may be submitted up until one week after the next summative assessment, at which time the student will receive a “0” for the assignment.  

Some IB assignments and assessments may not be turned in late, and each course facilitator will clearly communicate the assignment deadlines. IB exams include assessment components completed in class and scored by the instructor. Because of the uploading deadlines the school must meet, if students miss school deadlines for these assessments, it may lead to the cancellation of a student’s IB exam (without refund). Deadlines for IAs and other critical assessments may not be adjusted.

Make-up Work

IB students must follow the JCHS Make-up Work Procedure:  It is your responsibility to find and complete makeup work whenever absences occur.  When absent, you will be given one school day for each day missed to complete make-up work for the class unless otherwise approved by the teacher and/or administration. See Canvas for assignment and assessment information; confirm with your teacher. 

Grade Reporting

Grades are recorded and reported to students and parents through Infinite Campus.  Parents have access to students’ grades at all times with the Parent Portal application, and Printed Progress reports are sent home every six weeks, with Report Cards going home after the final grading period.

Two-Year Course Credits

 Most IB courses are designed to be taken over two semesters during a student’s junior and senior years. Students will receive two credits, one at the end of each semester. It is the expectation that students who register for the first part of the course will remain in the course for both semesters.

Exam Registration and Fees

It is the expectation that all students take the exams for each of their AP/IB courses. This applies to full diploma program candidates as well as course candidates taking individual IB courses. Families are responsible for the IB exam fee of $124, which must be paid via Total Registration by October. Please contact the IB coordinator for information about financial assistance as soon as possible.

Internal Assessments (IAs)

During their coursework, students will complete Internal Assessments, which are part of their IB Exams. These assessments are marked by the teacher but submitted to the IB for moderation. The IA score contributes to the student’s overall score (out of 7) in the course. Marking for IA exams varies from course to course. Subject teachers will share IA marking and syllabi with students, and any practice IAs will follow the guidelines set forth by the IB. Teachers will work with the IB Coordinator to create an appropriate grade conversion to change the IB Marking Scores into grade percentages to be entered into Infinite Campus. 

External Assessments (EAs)

IB Exams, along with AP Exams, EOC Milestones, and final exams, will be administered within prescribed testing windows. The IB exam schedule, set by the IBO, will be prioritized over other assessments in the event of a scheduling conflict. 

Some courses have External Assessments that take place during coursework, similar to IAs, but are scored by the IB rather than JCHS teachers.

Exam Scores

Candidates receive a score out of 7 points based on internal and external assessment components. Typically, a score of 4 out of 7 is considered passing. 

Diploma Requirements

Diploma candidates need a total score of 24 points to receive an IB Diploma.

• 45 points possible

• Up to 7 points for each course

• Up to 3 points for TOK + EE

In addition to the minimum score, candidates must:

• Complete all exam components

• Complete CAS

• Pass TOK and EE

• No more than two 2s

• No more than three 3s

• 12 points from 3 highest HL scores

• 9 points from 3 SL scores, or 5 points if candidate only has 2 SL 

• No academic integrity issues

Enquiry Upon Results

Students who would like to request a remark must submit the IB coordinator by September 1st. Requests for remarks that do not result in changed grades will incur a $124 charge. Students will be responsible for this charge.

College Credit

Students enrolled in AP/IB courses have the opportunity to earn college credit based on their exam scores. Please look at the particular policies of any college you wish to attend for the most accurate information about earning credits.