|
Assessment and Reporting
Assessment
Assessment is integral to the learning
process and is thus an essential element in the success of the educational
programme. Assessment is the gathering of information about student
performance and is used as a tool to identify what students know, understand,
can do, and feel at different stages in their learning process. Assessment,
teaching and learning are interactive and interdependent, embedded in
engaging and authentic tasks that are part of the student’s real world.
Assessment tasks should be sufficiently
varied in scope to allow all types and levels of learners the opportunity to
demonstrate their understanding. Tasks should be interesting and challenging,
and at the same time must allow the very able students to demonstrate higher
order thinking and understanding.
Assessment tasks are
criterion-referenced and the levels of achievement are clearly articulated.
The process is transparent, and the assessment criteria are made clear to the
students in advance.
Reporting
The aim of reporting is to communicate
to the student, parent/guardian, other teachers and other institutions the
knowledge that the teacher has gained from his/her assessment of the
student’s learning. The report should provide honest, accurate and detailed
feedback on the student’s level of achievement according to the criteria of
each subject. It should also contain an interpretive comment on the student’s
performance and constructive advice on how to improve in the future.
At the mid-point of each semester, an
interim report is issued to outline progress in the student’s approaches to
learning skills. The approaches to learning descriptors are described below.
Approaches to Learning Descriptors
Approaches to Learning (ATL)
|
Organization
|
Is organized for class and completes homework and class work
carefully and on time
|
|
Participation and Collaboration
|
Participates positively in class, respects
the ideas of others, and takes a positive role in group work
|
|
Oral Communication
|
Communicates effectively through oral
language and presentation skills
|
|
Written Communication
|
Communicates effectively through
written forms, including pictures, diagrams and graphs
|
|
Information
|
Researches information independently,
and selects and organizes it appropriately
|
|
Reflection
|
Reflects meaningfully on learning,
and takes action in order to improve
|
|
Thinking
|
Generates ideas, develops questions,
identifies problems and creates solutions
|
Additionally, face-to-face Learning
Reviews take place at this time. These meetings involve the parent/guardian,
student and teacher.
At the end of each semester, students
receive a full anecdotal report which includes feedback on their approaches
to learning skills and a level of achievement. The 7-1 grading scale is
described below:
IBMYP Achievement Grade Descriptor
|
7
|
Always
produces work of an excellent quality by fully meeting specific subject
criteria.
A consistent and thorough understanding of the required
knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them almost faultlessly in a
wide variety of situations. Consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and
evaluation where appropriate. The student consistently demonstrates
originality and insight and always produces work of high quality.
|
|
6
|
Always
produces work of high quality and meets subject specific criteria.
A consistent and thorough understanding of the required
knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a wide variety of
situations. Consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where
appropriate. The student generally demonstrates originality and insight.
|
|
5
|
Usually
produces work of a high quality and meets most specific subject criteria.
A consistent and thorough understanding of the required
knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a variety of situations.
The student generally shows evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation
where appropriate and occasionally demonstrates originality and insight.
|
|
4
|
Usually
produces work of a satisfactory quality and meets some of the specific
subject criteria.
A good general understanding of the required knowledge
and skills, and the ability to apply them effectively in normal situations.
there is occasional evidence of the skills of analysis, synthesis and
evaluation.
|
|
3
|
Produces
work of an inconsistent quality but there is some attempt at meeting
specific subject criteria.
Limited achievement against most of the objectives, or
clear difficulties in some areas. The student demonstrates a limited
understanding of the required knowledge and skills and is only able to
apply them fully in normal situations with support.
|
|
2
|
Generally
produces work of poor quality and does not meet specific subject criteria.
Very limited achievement against objectives. The student
has difficulty in understanding the required knowledge and skills, and is
unable to apply them fully in normal situations, even with support.
|
|
1
|
None
of the standards above has been reached
|
Examinations
Internal examinations are designed by
the subject teachers and overseen by the department heads to test the
students’ knowledge, understanding and skills. These examinations form part
of the overall assessment process. The content of the examinations is based
upon selected topics covered during the year. The examinations are also
designed to give the students experience of preparing for and taking
examinations. External examinations are sat by Year 11 (IGCSE examinations)
and Year 13 (IBDP examinations).
Year 10 sit
internal examinations at the end of the school year.
Year 11 sit
their “mock” internal IGCSE examinations in January and their final IGCSE
examinations in May (2008 is the last year of IGCSE examinations)
Year 12 sit
internal examinations in January and at the end of the school year.
Year 13 sit
their “mock” internal IBDP examinations in January and their final IBDP
examinations in May.
|