Primary Years Programme Making the PYP happen - ITARI

Making the PYP happen
How will we know what we have learned
The learned curriculum
What is the PYP perspective on assessment
Assessment is integral to all teaching and learning. It is central to the PYP goal of thoughtfully and
effectively guiding students through the five essential elements of learning: the understanding of concepts,
the acquisition of knowledge, the mastering of skills, the development of attitudes and the decision to take
action.
Everyone concerned with assessment, including students, teachers, parents, administrators and board
members, must have a clear understanding of the reason for the assessment, what is being assessed, the
criteria for success and the method by which the assessment is made.
Both students and teachers should be actively engaged in assessing the students’ progress as part of the
development of their wider critical thinking and self-evaluation skills. Teachers should also be concerned
with evaluating the efficacy of the programme.
The PYP describes the taught curriculum as the written curriculum in action. Using the written curriculum,
and in collaboration with colleagues and students, the teacher generates questions which guide structured
inquiry in the classroom. Assessment focuses on the quality of student learning during the process of this
inquiry and the quality of student learning which is evident in the products of this inquiry. Assessment is,
therefore, integral to the taught curriculum. It is the means by which we analyse student learning and the
effectiveness of our teaching and acts as a foundation on which to base our future planning and practice. It
is central to our goal of guiding the student, from novice to expert, through the learning process.
What is assessment
Assessment:
Formative assessment:
Summative assessment:
Evaluation:
is the gathering and analysing of information about student
performance. It identifies what students know, understand, can do
and feel at different stages in the learning process.
is interwoven with the daily learning and helps teachers and
students find out what the students already know in order to plan
the next stage in learning. Formative assessment and teaching are
directly linked: neither can function effectively or purposefully
without the other.
happens at the end of the teaching and learning process and gives
the students opportunities to demonstrate what has been learned.
is the process of making a judgment about student progress or the
effectiveness of a programme based on sufficient assessment
information.
© IBO 2000 87