Assessment

Grading for Learning 

“The primary purpose for grading should be to communicate with students and parents about the student’s achievement of learning goals.”  

Ken O’Connor

At Panyaden, we believe that grades should reflect the level of understanding and achievement towards determined standards and that student attitudes and aptitudes (effort, participation, adherence to class agreements, and other skills leading to improved achievement) should be identified separately. Therefore, the Panyaden grade will consist of two separate grading categories.

Assessment for Improving Learning:

“Assessment in education must, first and foremost, serve the purpose of supporting learning”  

Blake and William

Assessment for improving learning involves teachers and learners becoming partners in learning, helping teachers further develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding of their learners. Formative assessment should take place regularly to allow for instructional adaptations, revised goal-setting, feedback, or even curriculum compacting. One of the greatest benefits of assessment for improving learning is that it helps to develop metacognitive strategies that enable students to become more independent and committed learners. As a result of ongoing dialogue and feedback, students become more involved in their learning, and they can think more actively about where they are now, where they are going and how they're going to get there. They are then able to close the gap between the current situation and where they aspire to be in their learning and achievement.

Achievement Grades: An achievement grade is reported to students and parents by combining the grades received in three achievement categories: Knowledge, Skills, and Understanding.

Knowledge, Skills, and Understanding are sufficiently different to be taught, learned, and assessed differently.

• Knowledge assessment should be carried out through a variety of formats. These may include multiple-choice questions, beginning and end of unit quizzes, verbal questioning, and knowledge-based activities – e.g., matching, ordering, sorting, and vocabulary checks. 

• Skills are ideally assessed through observing learners engaged in performing the skill. However, this can be supported by assessment of the product of the skill.

• Understanding is assessed through multiple opportunities for learners to demonstrate their understanding and explain how this is influenced by personal experience. Learners should be given opportunities to transfer their understanding, and to demonstrate, develop and deepen understanding through explanation, application, self-reflection, interpretation, and empathising with multiple viewpoints.

Learning Habits: Three learning habit categories are assessed and reported on separately from the achievement grade. The three categories are Organisation, Engagement, and Collaboration.

Principles of Assessment

Effective Assessment: 

• Improves student learning. Assessment is an integral part of the instructional process and crucial for helping students learn. 

• Recognizes learning differences. Learning is a complex process that is multi‐dimensional, integrated and revealed in student performance over time. Students learn differently and at different paces and are assessed in ways that show their learning in the best light).

• Measures what is truly valued. Assessment is based on a vision of the kinds of learning we value most and how students might best achieve these. 

• Is valid. Assessment tools and processes are aligned to standards and directly measure what they are intended to measure.

• Is fair and ethical. Assessment is based on clear statements of purpose, standards and criteria against which success will be measured. Students have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Assessments are non‐discriminatory, culturally appropriate and allow for diversity in learning styles.

• Is efficient and feasible. Assessment tasks are clear, appropriate and well-structured. They are achievable in a reasonable time frame, mainly within the classroom. They are designed to allow teachers to give timely feedback to students. Promotes learner self‐reliance. Student involvement in the nature and timing of assessment tasks

• Promotes self‐reliance. There are ample opportunities for students to monitor their learning through self‐assessment.

• Is authentic and contextual. Assessments encourage students to engage in the thoughtful application of knowledge and skills to real issues and problems.

Purposes of Assessment: 

The primary purpose of assessment is to improve student learning by

• Giving students the opportunity to demonstrate their learning, experience success and increase self‐reliance by understanding their own progress, setting realistic goals and planning the next stages of their learning.

• Enabling teachers to: determine degrees of prior knowledge before starting new learning; ascertain degrees of understanding at various stages of the learning process; identify and support learning differences and learning styles and monitor and modify teaching strategies and content.

• Providing families with the opportunity to be partners in the learning process and information for them to assist their child in planning for the future, both immediate and long term.

• Providing curriculum leaders with the data necessary for effective curriculum evaluation and revision.

• Providing other learning institutions with the data necessary for admissions and grade/year placement decisions and accurate information on what the child knows and is able to do, including strengths and areas needing support.

IBDP Subject Specific Criteria: IBDP classes will use the specific assessment objectives identified for their subject by the IBO in order to determine their criteria.

Approaches to Learning (ATLS): Specific skills within the five approaches to learning skill categories listed below will be assessed and reported on separately from the achievement grade using a likert scale. A fuller explanation of the ATLs can be found here.

• Thinking Skills

• Communication Skills

• Social Skills

• Self-management Skills

• Research Skills

The 1-7 Scale: Teachers at Panyaden in Years 10-13 will use a 1-7 scale for reporting achievement. While determination of grades will differ in each subject, general grade descriptors for a 1-7 scale can be found below: