Assessment Policy - The International School of Azerbaijan

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The International School of Azerbaijan The PYP aim to thoughtfully and effectively guide children through five essential elements of learning: the understanding of concepts the acquisition of knowledge the mastering of skills the development of positive attitudes the decision to take responsible action. Because we consider these elements essential to our programme, we need to assess student progress in each of these elements in all subject areas. What do we assess in the MYP? Assessment is a continuous process and is designed to address the MYP objectives in each of the eight subject groups and the personal project, according to a criterion referenced approach. The assessment focuses on process as well as product. The MYP approach to assessment recognizes the importance of assessing the processes of learning as well as the products of learning, and aims to integrate and support both. What do we assess in the Post-16 Programme? A wide variety of approaches to assessment are used to support curricular goals and encourage appropriate student learning. These assessment approaches provide students with suitable contexts in which to demonstrate their capabilities. Student learning is regularly assessed against the objectives and assessment criteria specific to each subject within the Diploma, Certificate or TISA Graduation track of the Post-16 Programme. Who assesses in the PYP? Throughout the learning process, both students and teachers should be actively involved in assessing student progress. Students will regularly be asked to assess their own work and to reflect on their learning process. Teachers will support students in assessing their own work by providing assessment criteria and by modelling the assessment process. Assessment criteria as phrased in performance lists or in rubrics should preferably be established in collaboration with the students and should guide both feedback sessions between the teacher and the student and student self assessment. The assessment criteria should be accessible for the students while they are working towards a product. Who assesses in the MYP? As in the PYP, both students and teachers are actively involved in the assessment of student work. Reflection is a crucial component of the MYP and learning in all subject areas involves the students in both peer and self-assessment. Where more than one teacher is delivering the same subject, the process of internal standardization takes place before final levels of achievement are awarded. In M5 student work is sent to the IB for external moderation to ensure that programme standards are maintained. The Personal Project is completed during M5 and is a significant piece of work produced over an extended period, and is a direct application of skills acquired over the course of the programme through Approaches to Learning. The process of completing the Personal Project is led by the student, with supervision and guidance by a teacher. The assessment of the personal project is a form of summative assessment of students‟ ability to conduct independent work using the Areas of Interaction as contexts for their inquiries. 2
The International School of Azerbaijan Who assesses in the Post-16 Programme? Methods of formative assessment, particularly those involving direct interaction between teacher and student, provide both with detailed feedback on the nature of the student‟s strengths and weaknesses, and help to develop the student‟s capabilities. Teachers plan for learning activities that involve students in peer- and self-assessment. Teachers carry out summative assessment in order to measure the level of student achievement at any one time. Formal assessment of students following the Diploma and Certificate tracks will contribute to their final qualifications awarded by the IB. All courses except Creativity, Action and Service are formally assessed by external examiners and all include significant components that are internally assessed by subject teachers. Some subjects also include components that are completed by students under the supervision of their teachers and which are assessed by external examiners. When do we assess in the PYP? Pre-Assessment At the beginning of each Unit of Inquiry, teachers will assess children‟s prior knowledge and experience before embarking on new learning experiences. Formative Assessment Ongoing and regular assessment will be used during the teaching and learning process to inform teachers and children about how the learning is developing. Formative assessment and teaching are directly linked. A variety of methods will be used. Summative assessment Summative assessment happens at the end of the teaching and learning process and is planned for in advance. The assessment is designed so that students can show their understanding in authentic contexts and apply it in new and flexible ways. We believe that assessment is most effective when it is integrated in and generated from the ongoing teaching activities that take place in the class. When do we assess in the MYP? Assessment in the MYP is continuous and viewed as a necessary and important part of the learning process. By assessing students as they engage with subject content, teachers identify student learning needs in order to better inform the learning process. As well as formative and summative assessment strategies including unit tests and quizzes, formal exams are held in January and June for M4 and M5 students. The grades from these exams are used as one of the assessment tools in providing levels at the end of the term. Levels that are reported at the end of each term are based on the skill level that has been attained throughout that term. When do we assess in the Post-16 Programme? The levels of students‟ current knowledge and experience are assessed before embarking on new learning. Over the course of the Post-16 Programme, teachers must engage in assessment for learning, involving formative assessment structures and practices. Summative assessment is frequently conducted at the end of topics, options, or other sections of the curriculum. Summative assessment contributes to reported student achievement levels and predicted grades for college applications. Formal assessment of Diploma and Certificate track students is designed 3
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Assessment Policy - The International School of Azerbaijan

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