Keheewin School Assessment Plan
1 Assessment Practices at Keheewin School
The purpose of
assessment is to gather information about student progress in order to
improve teaching and learning. Information related to assessment will be
communicated in a clear manner to students and parents.
Assessment provides
students, parents and teachers with an accurate picture of student
performance in relation to the goals and objectives of the Alberta
Program of Studies. It supports and reflects curriculum goals and
objectives and takes into account the individual student’s learning
needs. Teachers make professional decisions involving assessment using
individual student needs and class dynamics as factors.
Based on meaningful
and clear assessment practices, Keheewin students are:
- engaged and empowered in
their learning process.
- actively participating in
the assessment of their work. Assessment tasks provide them with
information that they can use for self-reflection and self-evaluation.
For students to progress, they must take ownership for their learning.
- developing into life-long
learners.
2 Standards Based Grading
Teachers at
Keheewin School will use a variety of strategies to assess students. The
two primary methods of assessment are formative assessment (Assessment
for Learning) activities, and summative assessment (Assessment of
Learning) activities.
Students are graded
on standard based outcomes. Attitude, behaviour, effort, attendance and
participation are contributing factors to how well students achieve
curricular outcomes.
3 Formative Assessment (“It’s ok to make mistakes”) refers to those learning
activities that result in information about student progress during the
learning process.
Responsibilities of
the teacher
- Coach and facilitator.
- Design, implement and
interpret formative assessments that may include practice exams,
pretests, quizzes, projects, homework assignments, or in-class
activities.
- Align assessment with
curriculum
- Document assessment FOR
learning separately from assessment OF learning (e.g. checklists,
anecdotal notes, etc.).
- Share Best Assessment
Practices such as “I can” statements, Exit Slips, and Thinking Maps.
- Use three general sources
of assessment to triangulate evidence gathered in the classroom:
observations of learning, products students create, and
conversations with students.
Responsibilities of the student
- Risk taker and engaged
learner.
- Takes ownership of their
learning (eg. reviews tests and assignments)
- Assesses self and peers
- Communicates needs and
learning (“self-advocacy”)
Responsibilities of the parent
- Role model and supporter
- Maintains open
communication with children and teachers
- Encourages learning from
mistakes
4 Summative Assessment (“Take a look at me now”)
refers to those learning
activities that collect information about student progress at the end of
a period of instruction for grading purposes.
Responsibilities of the Teacher.
- Judge and
evaluator
- Design,
implement and interpret summative assessment that may include
performance tasks, quizzes, exams, selected assignments, and final
exams.
- Grading is
based on individual achievement of stated learning outcomes
- Students are
assessed on their achievement of curricular outcomes, not in
comparison to other students.
- Assist
students to engage in goal setting
Responsibilities of
the Student
- Engages in
goal setting
- Reviews tests
and assignments
Responsibilities of
the Parent
- Engages in
goal setting
- Reviews tests
and assignments
5 Reporting Learning Activities (“How did I do?”)
Reporting provides
students and parents with an evaluation of student performance in
relation to the goals and objectives of the Alberta Program of Studies.
- There will be
three regular reporting periods: November, March and June.
- End of year
report card will reflect cumulative marks.
- Assessment
activities will be based on and reported according to the following
standards:
Subject Areas:
Standard of Excellence
Exceeds Acceptable Standard
Meets Acceptable Standard
Does Not Meet Acceptable Standard
- Indicators
based on the Program of Studies are used in subject areas
6 Parent/Teacher /Student /Conferences (“What can we do now?”)
- Term One:
Celebrations for learning / goal setting and/or
parent/teacher/student conference.
- Term Two:
Celebrations for Learning / goal setting and/or
parent/teacher/student conference.
- Ongoing
communication between home and school may include class newsletters,
telephone calls, emails, interviews and student led conferences.
7 Students with Adapted Programs (“We’re all individuals”)
- On each report
card, a comment is provided to communicate if there are any changes
to the assessment or programming of any student.
Example Comment:
Name is not reading/writing/working at
grade level and his/her program and assessment have been adapted to meet
his/her needs.
- A final mark
in each course must be assigned, but grade level may be adjusted
depending on student performance.
8 Re-writes (“Can I have another chance?”)
- An opportunity
for rewrites will occur if the teacher determines it is to
the educational benefit of the student. In the event that a
student’s performance on an assessment task is inconsistent with
his/her performance in the unit of study, the teacher may allow the
student to re-write the test or re-do the assignment.
- Students will not normally
have the opportunity to re-write major tests or re-do major assignments
as these summative assessments are a measure of student learning over a
period of time.
- Teachers
determine what will happen with the marks achieved prior to and on a
rewrite.
9 Work Not Handed In / Incomplete Work
- Teachers will
assign clear deadlines and expectations for assignments and other
learning activities. Students will be responsible for these
deadlines and will organize their time appropriately for the
completion of these tasks.
- Teachers may
arrange for students to come in at noon or after school to complete
work with them as negotiated by the teacher.
- Teachers will
contact parents if student does not follow through with these
arrangements
10 Incomplete Work Due to Absences (“What if I’m away?”)
- The teacher has the
prerogative to accommodate a student who missed a test, presentation or
assignment if it is to the educational benefit of the child.
11 Difficult Assessment Issues
- It is possible
to TRIANGULATE assessments by considering work done in class, any
work previously completed, and conversations with the student.
- For Terms 1
and 2, a comment of INSUFFICIENT WORK TO ASSESS THIS TERM/
PERFORMANCE MARK UNDETERMINED may be given if students have been
absent for extended periods over the term.
Updated: April 2009
| 
