ASSESSMENT POLICY

Philosophy

Classroom teachers,  students, the school administration, and IB examiners work in partnership to ensure that students have ample opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.  Classroom teachers and students use multiple sources of assessment to guide the effectiveness of instruction and assess progress.  IB assessments about the quality of candidates work rests with worldwide examiners trained in criterion-referenced standards clearly communicated in each subject’s syllabus and led by chief examiners with international authority in their fields.

Responsibilities of Students

• Analyze both formal and informal assessment data to monitor their personal growth.

• Participate in student-led conferences and can explain their own work.

• Keep track of their own performance on learning goals.

• End instructional units with self-assessment relative to learning goals.

• Identify challenging goals for their own learning.

• Use data to test assumptions about own learning.

Responsibilities of Teachers

• Engage in self-reflection on their own practice in order to enhance their effectiveness.

• Analyze assessment data to identify patterns of student performance and needs.

• Teach students how to guide their own learning by providing ongoing feedback.

• Provide timely feedback to students and parents on in-class work and homework.

• Systemically recognize students who make observable progress on learning goals.

• End instructional units by providing students with clear feedback on the learning goals.

• Use assessments to inform and improve instruction.

• Use assessments that are meaningful and reliable.

• Are aware that assessment instruments can be culturally biased and use multiple assessment     strategies to more thoroughly evaluate student progress (e.g., projects, portfolios, etc.).

• Seek input from families on ways of developing informal assessment strategies.

Responsibilities of the School Administration

• Supports staff in using multiple assessment strategies.

• Provides all student-related data in a timely manner.

• Provides time for teachers to plan and reflect.

• Provides training on data interpretation and use.

• Provides common assessments that are used at least every 9 weeks and time to reflect on results

• Sets specific achievement goals for the school.

• Uses performance on school-wide and individual goals to plan for future years.

Authentic Education – Grant Wiggins and Associates, TA http

Supporting Research

Authentic Education – Grant Wiggins and Associates, TA http://www.grantwiggins.org

Fairtest: The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, Performance assessment annotated bibliography. http://www.fairtest.org/perfbib.html

North Central Regional Education Laboratory, Critical issue: Ensuring equity with alternative assessment. http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/

assment/as800.htm

Stiggins, R. (2004). New assessment beliefs for a new school mission. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(1), 22-27.

DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. Bloomington, Indiana:

National Educational Services.

Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum

Development.

Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., & Hyde, A. (2005). Best practice, third edition: Today’s standards for teaching & learning in America’s schools.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann.

Related Wisconsin Teacher Standards 2, 7,8,9

Wisconsin Administrator Standards 1,2,4

Grading Scale:

Milwaukee Public School Report Card grades are based on a letter scale of A (90-100), B (80-89), C (70-79), D (60-69) and U (0-59). 

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program grading scale is a numerical system from 7 (excellent) to 1 (minimal), with a 4 considered by most colleges and universities as a grade worthy of recognition.

Because of variables including attendance, timeliness and accuracy of completed homework, notebooks or special projects required, or performance on formative and summative tests in the classroom, students may perform better in one venue or the other (school grades vs. IB assessment).

IB Assessment

At various times throughout the two-year program, students are assessed both internally and externally in ways that measure individual performance against stated objectives for each subject.

Internal Assessment

In nearly all subjects at least some of the assessment is carried out internally by classroom teachers, who mark individual pieces of work produced as part of a course of study. Examples include oral exercises in language subjects, projects, student portfolios, class presentations, practical laboratory work, mathematical investigations and artistic performances.  Teachers are trained to use criterion referenced rubrics and their scoring is moderated externally to assure international parity.

 External assessment

Some assessment tasks are conducted and overseen by teachers without the restrictions of examination conditions, but are then marked externally by examiners. Examples include world literature assignments for language A1, essays for theory of knowledge and extended essays, and the annual May examinations.  Because of the greater degree of objectivity and reliability provided   by the standard examination environment, externally marked examinations form the greatest share of the assessment for each subject.

IB Diploma Attainment

The IBO uses criterion-referenced assessments to confer points leading to an IB Diploma.  Each of six examined subjects is graded on a scale of 1 to 7.  A student who scores a minimum of 24 points on 3 Higher Level and 3 Standard Level (or 4 HL and 2 SL) subjects, completes both the Theory of Knowledge class and the extended essay with at least a D grade, and accomplishes about 150 CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) hours can be awarded an IB Diploma provided none of the following failing conditions prevail:

·   A grade of 2 in any HL subject

·   Each grade 3 in an Hl subject not compensated by a grade 5 or above in another HL subject

·   A grade 1 in any SL subject

·   Two or more grade 2 in SL subjects

·   Two or more grade 3 in HL with a grade of 2 at SL

·   Four or more grade 3 subjects

Excellent performance in the 6 subject areas results in a grade 7 for each, or a total of 42 points.  The maximum diploma point score is 45.  Theory of Knowledge and the extended essay contribute to the overall score through a matrix system, which awards up to 3 bonus points based on the candidate’s combined performance.

Those students who do not satisfy the entire set of requirements for an IB Diploma or who elect to take fewer than six subjects are awarded a certificate for examinations completed.

Policy on Plagiarism

Any instance of plagiarism results in an automatic zero for the assignment and parent contact:  either a letter requiring parent signature, copied to the grade level administrator and the IB Coordinator for IB students, or a phone call  More than one offense may result in a referral with recommendation for suspension.