ASSESSMENT, EVALUATION AND REPORTINGtldsb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Assessement-Evaluation-Proc-ES... · ASSESSMENT, EVALUATION AND REPORTING ... report card, including the final

TRILLIUM LAKELANDS DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

Approval Date

2016 Replacing

All Previous procedures

Review Date

2021 Page

Page 1 of 42

Contact Person/Department

Superintendent of Learning Identification

ES-5003

ASSESSMENT, EVALUATION AND REPORTING 1.0 PURPOSE

Trillium Lakelands District School Board believes that effective assessment, evaluation and reporting are critical to the overall success of all of our students. The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. To that end, assessment is the process of gathering and interpreting information that accurately reflects the student’s demonstration of learning in relation to the knowledge and skills outlined in the overall expectations documenting a child’s growth in a reporting period.

2.0 REFERENCES AND RELATED DOCUMENTS

2.1 Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools,

Grades 1-12, 2010.

2.2 Growing Success – The Kindergarten Addendum: Assessment, Evaluation, and

Reporting in Ontario Schools, 2016

2.3 Learning for All,2013

2.4 Achieving Excellence

2.5 PPM 155: Diagnostic Assessment in Support of Student Learning

3.0 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

3.1 ACHIEVEMENT CHART

A provincial guide to be used by teachers to make professional judgments about student work based on clear performance standards.

3.2 PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENT

Judgement that is informed by professional knowledge of curriculum expectations, context, evidence of learning, methods of instruction and assessment, and the criteria and standards that indicate success in student learning. In professional practice, judgement involves a purposeful and systematic thinking process that evolves in terms of accuracy and insight with ongoing reflection and self-correction.

ASSESSMENT, EVALUATION 2 ES-5003 AND REPORTING _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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3.3 ASSESSMENT AS

The process of developing and supporting student metacognition. Students are

actively engaged in this assessment process: that is, they monitor their own

learning; use assessment feedback from teacher, self, and peers to determine next

steps; and set individual learning goals. Assessment as learning requires students

to have a clear understanding of the learning goals and the success criteria.

Assessment as learning focuses on the role of the student as the critical connector

between assessment and learning.

3.4 ASSESSMENT FOR

The ongoing process of gathering and interpreting evidence about student learning for the purpose of determining where students are in their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there. The information gathered is used by teachers to provide feedback and adjust instruction and by students to focus their learning. Assessment for learning is a high-yield instructional strategy that takes place while the student is still learning and serves to promote learning.

3.5 ASSESSMENT OF

The process of collecting and interpreting evidence for the purpose of summarizing

learning at a given point in time, to make judgements about the quality of student

learning on the basis of established criteria, and to assign a value to represent that

quality. The information gathered may be used to communicate the student’s

achievement to parents, other teachers, students themselves, and others. It occurs

at or near the end of a cycle of learning.

3.6 EVALUATION

The process of judging the quality of student learning on the basis of established

criteria and assigning a value to represent that quality. Evaluation is based on

assessments of learning that provide data on student achievement at strategic

times throughout the grade/subject/course, often at the end of a period of learning.

3.7 REPORTING

Refers to both the official and unofficial communication of a student’s performance.

This can be as a feature of the provincially identified periods during the school year

or the more informal process of communicating at touch points based on board

and school practices. In the case of students with special needs there are specific

reporting templates and guidelines to be followed (refer to appendices 5.2, 5.3 and

5.4).


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3.8 EVIDENCE OF LEARNING

Reflects a balance of observation, conversation and product that is used by the

teacher, in conjunction with the student, to establish the most consistent, most

current measure of a student’s learning.

3.9 ALTERNATIVE REPORT CARD

Report card in an alternative format to the Provincial Report Card for students

receiving an alternative curriculum.

3.10 MEANING/USE OF “R” ON REPORT CARDS

The code “R” represents achievement that falls below level and is used in the

evaluation and reporting of student achievement in Grades 1 to 8. This designation

signals that additional learning is required before the student begins to achieve

success in meeting the subject/grade or course expectations. It indicates the need

for development of strategies to address the student’s specific learning needs in

order to support his/her success in learning. When appropriate, parents will be

consulted in this process.

3.11 MEANING/USE OF “I” ON REPORT CARDS

For grades 1 to 10, the code “I” may be used in a mark book and/or on a student’s

report card, including the final report card, to indicate that insufficient evidence is

available to determine a letter grade or percentage mark. For the report card,

teachers will use their professional judgement to determine when the use of “I” is

appropriate and in the best interest of the student. In Grades 9 and 10, a student

who receives an “I” on the final report card to indicate insufficient evidence will not

receive a credit for the course. However, there may be instances where students

in Grades 9 and 10 who receive an “I” on their final report card may be considered

for credit recovery. There are cases where, in the professional judgement of the

teacher, evidence of achievement is available for at least a few overall

expectations, on the basis of which it is possible to identify the remaining

expectations that must be addressed and to design a credit recovery program. It

is understood that such cases are exceptionally rare and that there are a number

of resources and strategies that the teacher and the school have at their disposal

prior to and instead of assigning an “I”.


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4.0 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

4.1 The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. In order to ensure that evaluation and reporting is based on valid and reliable data all schools will practice assessment and evaluation policies that are fair, transparent and equitable for all students. In order to do this, evidence of learning must be collected over time and from a variety of sources using all three areas of the assessment triangle (observation, conversation, product). Furthermore, students need to be an active participant in this process. As such, teachers need to know their students. More precisely, the conditions for learning listed below must be in place in order for students to be successful: Students must be able to connect themselves to what they are learning; Learning needs to be connected to the real world; Clear goals must be articulated and regularly revisited for understanding A sense of purpose needs to exist; There must be opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning in

different ways; Promotion of the whole child - healthy, engaged, safe, supported and

challenged; Promotion of well-being, equity, achieving excellence; A focus on meaningful modern competencies – Critical Thinking and

Problem Solving; Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship; Learning to Learn/Self-Aware and Self-Directed Learning; Collaboration; Communication; Global Citizenship.

4.2 LEARNING SKILLS AND WORK HABITS

4.2.1 The development of learning skills and work habits is an integral part of a student's learning. Teachers will work with students to help them develop the following learning skills and work habits: responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative, and self-regulation.

4.2.2 The evaluation of learning skills and work habits, should not be

considered in the determination of a student’s grades, apart from any that may be included as part of a curriculum expectation in a subject or course.

4.3 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS – THE ACHIEVEMENT

4.3.1 The Ontario curriculum for Grades K to 12 is comprised of content and performance standards. Assessment and evaluation will be based on both the content standards and the performance standards. The four categories (grades 1 - 12) should be considered as interrelated, reflecting the wholeness and interconnectedness of learning. This is also true for the four frames present in the Growing Success Kindergarten Addendum.


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4.3.2 The purpose(s) of the achievement chart and the four frames of kindergarten is to:

provide a common framework that encompasses all curriculum expectations for all subjects/courses across grades;

guide the development of high-quality assessment tasks and tools (including rubrics);

help teachers to plan instruction for learning;

provide a basis for consistent and meaningful feedback to students in relation to provincial content and performance standards;

establish categories and criteria with which to assess and evaluate students' learning.

4.3.3 The achievement chart identifies four categories of knowledge and skills

that are common to all panels and to all subject areas and disciplines. The categories help teachers to focus not only on students' acquisition of knowledge but also on their development of the skills of thinking, communication, and application.

The categories of knowledge and skills are as follows:

Knowledge and Understanding: Subject-specific content acquired in each grade/course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding);

Thinking: The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes;

Communication: The conveying of meaning through various forms;

Application: The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts.

4.3.4 In all subjects and courses, students should be given numerous and

varied opportunities to demonstrate the full extent of their achievement of the curriculum expectations (content standards) across all four categories of knowledge and skills.

4.3.5 Using professional judgement, teachers will ensure that student learning

is assessed and evaluated in a balanced manner with respect to the four categories, and that achievement of particular expectations is considered within the appropriate categories. The emphasis on "balance" reflects the fact that all categories of the achievement chart are important and need to be a part of the process of instruction, learning, assessment, and evaluation in all subjects and courses. However, it also indicates that for different subjects and courses, the weighting of each of the categories may vary. The importance accorded to each of the four categories in assessment and evaluation should reflect the emphasis accorded to them in the curriculum expectations for the subject or course, and in instructional practice.


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4.3.6 As essential steps in assessment for learning, teachers need to:

plan assessment concurrently and integrate it seamlessly with

instruction for all (including accommodations and modifications);

and as learning, teachers need to use professional judgement;

gather information about student learning before, during, and at or

near the end of a period of instruction, using a variety of assessment

strategies and tools that include observation, conversation and

product;

share learning goals and success criteria with students at the outset

of learning to ensure that students and teachers have a common and

shared understanding of these goals and criteria as learning

progresses;

use assessment to inform instruction, guide next steps;

analyze and interpret evidence of learning;

give and receive specific and timely descriptive feedback about

student learning;

help students to develop skills of peer and self-assessment;

help all students monitor their progress towards achieving their

individual learning goals, as outlined in the IEP where applicable.

4.4 MINIMUM MARK IN GRADES 7-12

4.4.1 The lowest possible mark that a teacher may record on a report card for students in grades 7 – 12 is 30.

4.5 CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM 4.5.1 Students must understand that the tests/exams they complete and the

assignments they submit for evaluation must be their own work and that cheating and plagiarism will not be condoned.

4.5.2 Both section 4.5 and 4.6 are predicated on the understanding that in

schools and classrooms preventative practices and success interventions must be in use if tiered consequences are to be considered.

4.5.3 Plagiarism is defined as the use of the thoughts or ideas of someone else

by a student without crediting the source. Use of part or all of any other person’s book, essay, magazine article, chart, drawing, diagram or any other piece of work in an assignment without proper acknowledgement is plagiarising. Submitting an assignment written by anyone else or presenting information taken from the internet as one’s own is plagiarising.

4.5.4 Schools must provide students with information about what constitutes

plagiarism and practice instructional strategies to prevent the incidence of plagiarism. These strategies include, but are not limited to:


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explicit teaching focusing on forms of plagiarism, copyright, note taking and proper methods of citing sources;

chunking of assignments with multiple review due dates;

teacher conferencing during the process of assignment completion;

use of class time for the writing process;

use of exemplars which are assignment-specific to help guide students;

posted anchor charts which illustrate proper citation;

student success intervention upon missed checkpoints;

varying assessments from year to year;

providing information and consequences related to plagiarism in student agendas;

assessing student’s understanding of plagiarism;

mitigating factors of students with special needs.

4.5.5 Schools must, in order to impart the gravity of such behaviour implement a process that reflects a continuum of behavioural and academic responses and consequences related to plagiarism and cheating based on the following:

the grade level of the student;

the maturity of the student;

the number and frequency of incidents;

the individual circumstances of the student.

4.5.6 The response to the occurrence of plagiarism is to be clearly outlined and should reflect a process and may include:

resubmission of the assignment using their own words and proper citation;

resubmission of an alternate assignment of equal rigor;

participation in a lesson or workshop focusing on proper note-taking skills and citation of sources;

review of the components of the research process.

4.5.7 Mark deduction due to plagiarism is to be considered only as a final stage of the process. Supporting students by helping them develop skills and habits necessary to demonstrate their achievement is the goal rather than using punitive measures.

4.5.8 In circumstances where in the professional judgement of the teacher, a

repeated, deliberate act of cheating or plagiarism has occurred, the teacher in consultation with the Principal may assign a zero. Consultation with the Head of Special Education is essential when students with special needs engage in plagiarism.


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4.6 LATE AND MISSED ASSIGNMENTS

4.6.1 While students must understand that there will be consequences for not completing assignments for evaluation or for submitting those assignments late, the focus for schools is to establish, grow and practice preventative measures that support work quality and completion.

4.6.2 With respect to prevention, and using professional judgement, teachers

will select and use several of the following strategies:

communicate expectations and deadlines (post and regularly revisit);

provide sufficient notice for major evaluations and include these on the course outline;

where possible, create deadlines with students;

chunk assignments and monitor with checkpoints and student conferences;

build in class time for student work completion;

recognize mitigating circumstances;

plan with special circumstances and IEP expectations, accommodations, and strategies in mind;

negotiate student extension requests;

involve parents/guardians through personal communication;

for students in grades 11 and 12 communicate the possibility of late mark deduction of up to 10% for the first missed deadline, and the intervention steps that the teacher/school will take in the event of such an occurrence.

4.6.3 It is the responsibility of classroom teachers, preferably in collaboration with students, to establish deadlines for the submission of assignments for evaluation and clearly communicate those deadlines to students and, where appropriate, to parents.

4.6.4 In Grades 1 to 10, late and missed assignments for evaluation will be

noted on the report card as part of the evaluation of the student's development of the learning skills and work habits. When appropriate, a student's tendency to be late in submitting, or to fail to submit other assignments may also be noted on the report card as part of the evaluation of the student's development of the learning skills and work habits.

4.6.5 In grades 11 and 12, and only after the majority of the preventative

measures are in practice, a teacher may assign up to a 10% penalty using their professional judgement after the first deadline is missed. If this happens, a second deadline must be negotiated in a student/teacher conference which includes the school Student Success Team.


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4.6.6 Principal’s, in consultation with the classroom teacher, may assign a zero for missed assignments when a school’s full range of interventions fail to result in student product. Where this involves a student with special needs, the Head of Special Education must be involved.

5.0 APPENDICES

5.1 Assessment and Evaluation Guide for Teachers

This guide is composed of a main document which outlines the “What” of

Assessment and Evaluation and 5 inserts which outline the “How” of each

particular facet of Assessment and Evaluation.

5.2 Summary of Reporting Procedures for Students with Special Needs

5.3 Alternative Report Card

5.4 Resource Program Report

Assessment & evaluationguide for teachers

Planning

InstructionReflection- Goal setting- Analyze teaching- Use data to inform future instruction- Consider assessment of learning

- Build content understanding- Support learning needs- Use knowledge of students- Identify learning goals- Examine assessment for learning

- Build connections to success criteria- Ongoing analysis of student learning- Provide feedback- Support assessment as learning

StudentLearning

Assessment & evaluationguide for teachers

OF

Assessment forResearch shows that students who are involved in assessment for learning do better on external tests and measures than those who are not. Assessment for learning prepares students for whatever comes their way by helping them deeply understand the work that is expected of them. (Herbst & Davies, 2014)

Assessment as learning focuses on the role of student as the critical connection between assessment and learning. It requires the student to have a clear understanding of the learning goals and success criteria. Students monitor their own learning; use assessment feedback from the teacher, self, peers to determine next steps; and set individual learning goals. (Growing Success, 2010)

Teachers review the evidence of learning that students have collected and the evidence that they themselves have collected over time. This includes observations, conversations, and products, which may be in numeric or qualitative forms. As teachers examine the evidence, they consider “best evidence” in terms of validity and reliability. This standards-based grading and reporting process honours teacher’s informed professional judgement and provides a way for teachers to support students as they take a variety of learning pathways to success and quality. It is both fair and equitable. (Herbst & Davies, 2014)

Assessment AS

Assessment OF

Assessment and Evaluation Guide for Teachers

When planning, teachers ask the following questions:

Based on the learning needs of my students, what curriculum expectations will be addressed? How can we use curriculum expectations to create learning goals for our students? What success criteria will be used to establish whether learning goals have been met? How will students demonstrate achievement of the learning goals(s)? What accommodations and/or modifications will be required for students with Special Education needs or English Language Learners? How will I determine what students already know and are able to do in order to direct instruction and supports appropriately? How will students’ progress be tracked and aided during learning? How and when will feedback be provided in order to move students learning forward?

ASSESSMENT EVALUATIONTask Requirements Success Criteria ASSESSMENT OF LEARNINGASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING

Diagnostic Formative Summative

Teacher

At or near the end of the learning cycle

Teacher

To summarize learning, make judgements and assign value about the quality of learning against established criteria

Supports communication about achievement

May inform future learning

Teacher

Before learning

Teacher Student

Teacher Student

During learning

Frequently on an ongoing basis while students are still gaining knowledge and practicing skills

Allows for the monitoring of students’ progress toward established criteria

Allows for the use of FB, scaffolding and DI in response to student needs

Frequently and on an ongoing basis with the support, guidance and modeling of the teacher

Used to support students’ self-assessment and reflection as they move toward the achievement of learning goals and established criteria

Teacher Student

Plan at the start of the learning cycle

Goal setting at the start of the learning cycle

Who does it?

When?

Who uses it?

Timing andPurpose

GROWINGSUCCESS

“As an integral part of teaching and learning, assessment should be planned concurrently with instruction and integrated seamlessly into the learning cycle to inform instruction, guide to next steps, and helpteachers and students monitor students’ progress towards achieving learning goals.” (Growing Success, 2010)

Planning

instruction and reflectionWhen considering the evidence of learning that will inform instruction and evaluation, teachers could ask the following questions: Am I providing a variety of means for students to demonstrate learning in the best way that they can? Is the data I gathered balanced across the four categories of knowledge and skills in the achievement chart? When descriptive feedback is provided, what opportunities do students have to act on the feedback? How will assessment data be gathered and tracked, in order to determine how students are progressing with respect to the learning goal(s)? Which data will I use for evaluation? How will I manage group work, late/missed assignments, and homework completion in ways that provide learning opportunities for students without impacting students’ achievement levels?

Triangulation of Assessment DataBefore teachers can apply professional judgement, they must gather evidence of learning. Growing success states that evidence of learning must be collected over time from three different sources: observations, conversations, and student products.

Using multiple sources of evidence increases the reliability and validity of the evaluation of student learning. In incorporating assessment tasks from all three sources, teachers differentiate the way in which individual students will demonstrate their learning.

Observations

Conversations Student Products

- Observations of processes and strategies- Self-reflections- Formal observations- Notes from discussion circles- Running records- Questioning- Presentations- Observations of student discussions (listening and speaking skills)- Problem solving process- Group skills- etc.

Observations Conversations Student Products(a planned process of focused anecdotal notes)

(produced by a student as a way of demonstrating learning)(posing questions to make student thinking explicit)

- Conferences (about talking through reasoning and verbalizing processes)- Discussions- Journals- Moderated online forums- Focused learning conversations- Portfolio conferencing- Questioning during processes- Follow-up questions- etc.

- Performance tasks- Assignments- Tests/quizzes/exams- Reader responses/blogs- Portfolios- Videos/podcasts- Journals/logs- Projects, including electronic- Demonstrations/labs- Exhibits/web pages- Research papers- Essays- etc.

Where am I going?

LeArniNg GoalsWhat is a learning goal?

It focuses on the learning, not the task. It is a statement about how the student will be different by the end of the learning. While planning, the teacher could ask: · What do I want the student to know, understand, and/or demonstrate? · Why am I teaching what I am teaching? · What is important? · What do I want to have stick?

The learning goal is stated in the language of the curriculum.

The learning goal is stated in student-friendly terms and clearly explains what the student will know, understand, and be able to do when the goal is achieved.

Students engage/ interact with the learning goal and it may be co-created.

Developing Applying Innovating

“”

Learning goals definitely help me stay on track if I don’t remember what we’re doing.

Grade 9 Student, FFSS

“ If you just put learning goals on the chalk board it probably wouldn’t help much. We need to talk about them.

Grade 3 Student, ASES”

Lesson-sizedGoal Setting

Self-Assessing

SelectingEffective

StrategiesAsking

EffectiveQuestions

IntentionallyConnecting

to PriorKnowledge

Self-Regulating

The Role ofLearning Goals

in StudentLearning

How am I Going?

SUCCESS criteriaWhat are success criteria? They are standards or specific descriptions of the achievement of the learning goal. They are used to determine to what degree a learning goal has been achieved. They are used to provide feedback to students.

Success criteria is developed by the teacher.

Success criteria are shared with students and they provide some input.

Success criteria are co-created with students.

· Are not linked to the learning goal. Are directly linked to how students are to complete a task

· Are not used for assessment of learning

· Can be used for assessment as learning (i.e, self and peer) and assessment for learning

· Can be used as the basis for feedback

· Are not the primary focus of the learning goal. They do not allow for a teacher to see a continuum of learning

· Reflect what students did

· Are directly linked to the learning goal

· Can be used for assessment of learning

· Can be used for assessment as learning (i.e., self and peer) and assessment for learning

· Can be used as the basis for feedback

· Are the primary focus of the learning goal and are a tool that is used to measure the attainment of the learning goal. They align with the four categories of achievement.

· Reflect what students learn

What are task requirements and what is their relationship to success criteria?Task Requirements Success Criteria

“ ”All of our teachers are really clear on what we’re doing and how to do it. There’s never something that we hand in and then get told ‘no, that’s not what I asked for’.

Grade 10 Student, BMLSS


feedbackWhat is feedback? It is precise information about what the students are doing well, what needs improvement, and what specific steps they can take to improve. It is descriptive information about how students’ learning is progressing. It is explicitly linked to success criteria. It is used to reduce the gap between the students’ current level of knowledge and skills, and the learning goal(s).

When given How often

Focus on productFocus on processes

How many points madeHow much about each point

Oral and Written Visual/Demonstration

IndividualGroup Class“ Our teacher looks at our plan and tells us what’s good, what needs to be fixed

now, and what we can do better on next time. I really like that because it doesn’t help to only talk about what I’m good at.

Feedback is important to students in a way that lets them improve their work prior to assigning a mark.

Feedback is prioritized to focus on the aspects of student learning that need the greatest attention.

Feedback is provided to students at the Applying level and feedback is gathered from students about their learning so that instruction can be adjusted accordingly.


Teacher

Student

Feedback Loop

Teaching is adapted based on student responses, so that teaching is responsive.

Regular and specific improvement points are used to close the learning gap, so that learning is informed.

”Grade 5 Student, QVPS

How am I Going?

goal settingWhat is a goal setting? It focuses the students’ attention from where they are to where they are headed. It is a continuous process of learning how to learn. Effective goals are precise, detailed, and linked to the current classroom task not to the general academic aim. Goal setting is used by teachers and students to constantly inform decisions in the classroom.

WHERE To NEXT?

When given How often

Focus on productFocus on processes

How many points madeHow much about each point

Oral and Written Visual/Demonstration

IndividualGroup Class

The teacher supports the students in setting a goal that identifies the logical next step the students should take in closing the gap between where they are, where they need to be with respect to achieving the learning goal.

The teacher supports the students in setting goals and helps them to use their judgement to choose a strategy that will help them advance toward their goals.

In addition to setting goals and choosing appropriate strategies, the teacher further supports students in self-assessing their progress towards achieving their goals.


Goal setting helps students learn how to learn in four main ways:1. Goals focus student attention on the learning goal. Students who set goals tied to the learning focus on what is important and essential to success and are less likely to be pulled off course.2. Goals stimulate appropriate student effort. Students learn to judge the degree and type of effort they will need to accomplish their goals, expending more effort to reach a more challenging goal.3. Goals increase student persistence. With a clear and realistic goal in mind, students are more likely to attempt a challenging task, and should they fall short, they are more likely to choose a more effective strategy and try again.4. Goals increase a student’s desire and capacity to learn new strategies. Students who monitor their progress toward their goals look for and try new strategies that will help them more effectively reach their goals.

EVALUATIONEvaluations are constructed to provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their learning - what they know and can do - in a variety of ways to gather the most accurate evidence of achievement. Evaluations must provide opportunities for teachers to gather evidence of student learning through observations, conversations, and products.

Learning Skills and Work HabitsThe development of learning skills and work habits is an integral part of student’s learning. Teachers work with students to help them develop the following: Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative, and Self-Regulation. An ongoing collection of evidence is gathered by teachers to aid in the evaluation of these skills and habits for a reporting period. Teachers separate, to the extent possible, the evaluation of learning skills and work habits from the evaluation of the student’s level of achievement of the overall curriculum expectations. Assessing and evaluating the achievement of curricular expectations and the demonstration of work habits through learning skills separately, allows teachers to provide information about the student’s learning that is specific to each of the two areas of achievement.

Varied

Evaluationsare...

Planned and aligned

withcurriculum

Consistentand

balancedweighting

Fair andtransparent

Relevant, engaging

and authentic

Equitable

assessment & evaluationImplementation Guide for

LEARNING GOALSDid you know?The importance of learning goals to the day-to-day execution of classroom activities is fairly obvious. Goals are the reason classroom activities are designed. Without clear goals, classroom activities are without direction. Researchers Joseph Krajcik, Katherine McNeill, and Brian Reiser (2007) explain that good teaching begins with clear learning goals from which teachers select appropriate instructional activities and assessments that help determine students’ progress on the learning goals.

When we invest time up front to build the vision (of what students are to be learning), we gain it back later in increased student motivation and the resulting higher-quality work. - Chappuis, 2009

Learning goals provide a set of shared expectations among students, teachers, administrators, and the general public. They can range from the very specific (for example, “Students will be able to list the Great Lakes.”) to the very general (“Students will establish voice and purpose when writing.”) Research strongly implies that the more specific the goals are, the better they are. That is, goals that are specific in nature are more strongly related to student achievement than goals that are not. (Marzano, 2009)

“”

for the teacherResearch emphasizes the importance of empowering students to become self-monitoring and self-directed learners. The first step in developing independent learners is to ensure that students know precisely what they are to learn. Learning goals describe the knowledge and skills in the Ontario curriculum that students are required to learn, in a way that actively engages them in the learning process. When teachers express curriculum expectations as learning goals in student-friendly language, students know what they have to learn, connect the tasks they are doing with what they are learning, and are able to monitor how they are doing in light of these goals.

Writing Learning Goals

1. Identify the curriculum expectations(s) which will be addressed in the lesson. Keep in mind that not all specific expectations require a learning goal, but rather they may be clustered to allow students to demonstrate their learning of the overall expectation(s). At the same time, some lessons will require multiple learning goals, and some learning goals may span over more than one lesson.

2. Identify the specific action to describe what the students are expected to demonstrate upon completion of the lesson. Keep in mind that learning goals focus on the learning, not the task.

“...evaluate the serving sizes in Canada’s Food Guide”rather than

“....create an infographic representing a food group in Canada’s Food Guide”

Cognitive Learning Examples of Action Verbs

Knowledge - to recall or remember facts without necessarily understanding them.

Comprehension - to understand and interpret learned information.

Application - to put ideas and concepts to work in solving problems.

Analysis - to break information into its components to see interrelationships.

Synthesis - to use creativity to compose and design something original.

Evaluation - to judge the value of information based on established criteria.

Affective Learning

Classify, describe, discuss, explain, express, interpret, contrast, associate, differentiate, extend, translate, review, suggest, restate.

Apply, compute, give examples, investigate, experiment, solve, choose, predict, translate, employ, operate, practice, schedule.

Analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, distinguish, examine, investigate, interpret.

Organize, develop, plan, build, create, design, revise, compose, integrate, modify, propose, formulate

Appraise, assess, defend, judge, predict, rate, support, evaluate, recommend, convince, conclude, compare, summarize.

Appreciate, accept, attempt, challenge, defend, dispute, join, judge, praise, question, share, support.

Articulate, define, indicate, name, order, recognize, relate, recall, reproduce, list, tell, describe, identify, show, label, tabulate, quote.

3. State the learning goal in student-friendly language. Simple words and short sentences are a good place to begin, however the language of learning goals should also enable students to see themselves at the centre of the learning. Using the first person works well: goals that start with “we” or “I” communicates to student that they are the ones who will be doing the learning. Some common stems are…

· I will be able to ______________________________ · I am learning to ______________________________ · We can ____________________________________

Some examples...

I can explain how maps provide information about cardinal directions, distance, and the regions of Canada.

We are learning to add and subtract amounts of money up to 100 cents.

Students will be able to illustrate the steps in throwing a ball overhand and explain the importance of each step.

for the studentOnce teachers have identified the learning goals from the curriculum expectations, it is critical that these learning goals are shared and clarified with the students so that their understanding of the goals deepens as they progress through the learning cycle. Students’ understanding of the learning goals is a prerequisite to their ability to monitor their learning through self-assessment. When teachers ensure that what they are teaching coincides with what their students think they are learning, the end result is improved learning for all.

Strategy: As students are working on an assignment, invite them to write a learning goal in their own words based on what they think they are learning. This activity can provide critical assessment information by identifying those who are learning and those who require additional support. The same activity might be used to make adjustments to the instruction or differentiate for students based on the feedback.

Strategy: An exit card can be used bystudents to monitor their progress towards a learning goal. Inviting students to reflect on their learning at the end of a lesson can help them further internalize and personalize the learning goal.

Exit CardLearning Goal:

Today I learned.. / Today I learned more about… / Today I improved at…

Some of the steps I took to get there are…

Some evidence that I am meeting the learning goal is…

I need to learn more about…

Note: In certain contexts, it could be beneficial to share a series of learning goals at the outset of a learning period or unit. Unveiling the learning goals early can uncover levels of background knowledge as a tool for formative assessment and students can refer back to the list as they progress through the unit.

Strategy: Consider providing the students with an organizer they can use as the learning evolves, indicating the learning goals for the period or unit. The group of learning goals can act as an overview for the macro and micro learning in store. Students can gauge their progress, see what is required of them, and use the list of goals to prepare for summative assessments.

Example: (Grade 10 Applied Science: Biology)

Note: In certain learning contexts, it can be counter-productive to share the learning goal at the outset of the learning. For example, when students are involved in inquiry, sharing the learning goal in a way that identifies what is to be discovered might make the inquiry unnecessary.

StrategyConsider providing students with an organizer they can use to record their ideas about the learning goals as the learning evolves.

1. What are you learning today?2. Which activity(ies) helped you most in the learning?3. How does what you are learning connect with what you already know and can do?

√ I can use proper terminology when discussing or describing cells, organs, and tissues.√ I can use a microscope to examine cells.√ I can identify the different stages of mitosis and animal cells.√ I can use a microscope (or something similar) to investigate specialized animal cells.

B2: Investigate cell division, cell specialization, and the organization of systems in animals, including humans, using a variety of laboratory techniques.


SUCCESS CRITERIA

Did you know?Whereas learning goals help students identify and understand what they are expected to learn, success criteria provides the tools for students to monitor their progress towards achieving the learning goals. Hattie and Timperley (2007) identify three questions to guide student learning: “Where am I going?”, “How am I going?”, and “Where to next?” While learning goals help students answer the question “Where am I going?”, success criteria help students answer the question “How am I going?” Both teachers and students benefit from a clear understanding of what constitutes success.

Setting clear targets for student learning involves more than posting an instructional goal for students to see. It also requires elaboration of the criteria by which student work will be judged. - Shepard et al, 2005

“”

for the teacherWhat steps can the teacher take in determining success criteria?

Teacher-Created Success Criteria1. Focus on the learning goal. Identify the success criteria in terms of what students can say, do, or produce. These are qualitative indicators and should focus on the learning.

2. Decide what constitutes sufficient evidence - for you and for students - to indicate that students’ learning is progressing. Determine an appropriate task or learning opportunity.

3. Align your success criteria to the learning goal so that the criteria provides relevant evidence of your stated learning goal and not some other learning. Take time to identify the task requirements you are expecting students to meet.

4. Write the success criteria in language that is understandable to your students.

Co-Creating Success Criteria With Colleagues and...

When students take part in developing criteria, they are much more likely to understand what is expected of them, “buy in”, and then accomplish the task successfully.

- Gregory, Cameron & Davies, 1997“ ”

Prior to co-creating success criteria with colleagues and/or students, take time to:

• Review the learning goal, task and teacher-created success criteria.• Anticipate what students will brainstorm to be prepared to differentiate between success criteria and task requirements.

1. Brainstorm Criteria by posing questions around expected learning required in the learning goal and or task. Recording all ideas (in students’ words) on chart paper or individual sticky notes, and contribute your own ideas to fill gaps.

2. Sort and Categorize Criteria by having students look for patterns in the ideas and then group like ideas. Identify and name success criteria. The remaining ideas may become look-fors along with their respective success criteria. Address and remove outliers. Identify task requirements.

3. Make and Post a T-Chart with Success Criteria and Look-fors to provide a visual reminder to help students recall exactly what they are working toward and what they need to do to get there. Engage students with the chart by asking them questions like “Do you need any more ideas or details to understand any of the criteria?” or “What else will help you use the criteria?”

4. Add, Revise, Refine Success Criteria and Look-fors throughout the unit, term, semester, or year. At the end of a period of learning, ask students if there are any additions, deletions, or areas that they need more clarification on. Make the changes and record the date as a reminder that setting criteria is an ongoing process.

Success criteria focuses on the degree to which a learning goal has been achieved, and not the task requirements.

Example: “I can connect an angle and the appropriate side from a right triangle to sine, cosine, or tan ratio.”Rather than

“I have included a triangle with labeled sides and angles.”

How do I use success criteria to assess and evaluate evidence of learning?

• Create met/not met charts or other assessment tools with success criteria,

• Moderate evidence of student learning in light of the criteria,

• Provide descriptive feedback to students using the language of the criteria,

• Adjust instruction to fill gaps or move to next step in the learning progression, and;

• Not provide a grade or level of achievement.

• Create rubrics or other assessment tools with success criteria,

• Moderate and grade evidence of student learning in light of the criteria,

• Provide descriptive feedback to students using the language of the criteria,

• Adjust instruction, if possible, prior to moving to the next step in the learning progression, and

• Provide a grade or level of achievement.

Success Criteria can be used to assess evidence ofstudent learning as an aspect of assessment for learning. In this case, educators will:

Success Criteria can be used to evaluate evidence of student learning as an aspect ofassessment of learning. In this case, educators will:

for the STUDENTA variety of strategies are shown to help students develop a deeper understanding of criteria. While these strategies take time to introduce and implement with students, there are tremendous benefits. Shepard (2006, p. 631) points out:

…when teachers help students understand and internalize the standards of excellence in a discipline - that is, what makes a good history paper or a good mathematical explanation - they are helping them develop the metacognitive awareness about what they need to attend to as they are writing or problem solving. Indeed, learning the rules and forms of a discipline is part of learning the discipline, not just a means to systematize or justify grading.

Strategy: Checking in RoutineAfter students complete their task or activity, invite students to reflect on their learning. Give every student time to think and talk. Possible prompts:• Who can describe what we’ve done so far with (this task)?• In our success criteria, we said we would __________________ (reread success criteria to students). Can someone else describe what this means in their own words?• Who can provide an explanation relating our success criteria to what we’ve just done in class?• In what way did this task help us work toward meeting the success criteria?

Strategy: I used to think, but now…After re-reading the learning goal and success criteria, have students, in groups with an organizer, consider:

• I used to think… What did you think you needed to do or understand to meet the learning goal and demonstrate the success criteria?• But now… What do you think you have to do to meet the learning goal and demonstrate the success criteria?• My thinking shifted because… What made your thinking shift?

Invite groups to share out and individuals to revoice other’s ideas.

Strategy: Yellow Light, Green LightInvite students to review the learning goal, success criteria, and their task or activity. Ensure they have both yellow and green highlighters.

1. Green Light: Have students highlight in their task or activity where they think they have demonstrated the learning goal and success criteria.2. Yellow Light: Have students highlight in their task or activity where they think they have missed the mark of the learning goal and success criteria.

Note students’ challenges and successes and adjust instruction and provide descriptive feedback.(Adapted from Ritchart, Church & Morrison, 2012)

Strategy: X-Marks-the Spot RoutineFill the specific success criteria into the X-Marks-the Spot template and give one to each student. Students place an X on the line to indicate where they feel they fall with each success criteria.

1. If students have indicated that they understand, they write a brief explanation in the evidence column to support their claim. To help students know what to write in the evidence column, a teacher might use one of the following prompts or something similar: a. What’s one thing you did in your work that best shows your understanding? (e.g., “I wrote a clear explanation of the idea.”) b. What could you do to show me you understand? (e.g., “I could explain two different ways to solve the problem” or “I could explain how ___ and ___ are related.”)

2. The teacher collects the students’ templates and reviews them after class to inform the next day’s instruction and provide feedback to students.

X-Marks-The-Spot TemplateSuccess Criteria Self-Assessment Evidence

I need help. I’m getting there. I understand and have evidence.I can’t get started.



I used to think...Thinking About Learning Goals and Success Criteria

But now I think...

My thinking shifted because...


Feedback

Did you know?Feedback provides information to students and teachers about learning. It helps to reduce the gap between the student’s current level of understanding and/or performance and a desired goal. Depending on the nature and delivery of the feedback, it can have powerful positive effects on student learning and engagement. (Hattie & Timperley, 2007)

The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback. - Hattie, 1992

“”

Feedback is an essential practice of assessment for learning, “a process for seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there” (Assessment Reform Group, 2002). A substantial body of research identifies assessment for learning as a powerful tool for improving students’ learning (Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall & Wiliam, 2003).

Assessment for learning differs from assessment of learning in that the information gathered is used for the specific purpose of helping students improve while they are still gaining knowledge and practicing skills. Teachers who view assessment as integral to learning engage students as collaborative partners in the learning process. This assessment provides precise and timely information so teachers can adjust instruction in response to individual student needs, and so students can adjust their learning strategies or set different goals.

for the teacher

4. Write the success criteria in language that is understandable to your students.

Giving good feedback is one of the skills teachers need to master as part of good assessment. Other assessment skills include having clear learning goals, crafting clear success criteria for assignments that communicate those goals to students, and - usually after giving good feedback - helping students learn how to formulate new goals for themselves and action plans that will lead to achievement of those goals.

Teachers make strategic choices when providing good feedback. The following suggestions depend on context: the characteristics of your students, the task, and the classroom environment.

Focus

Comparison

Function

Valence

Clarity

Specificity

Tone

Feedback Content In These Ways Recommendations for Good FeedbackCan Vary In

• On the work itself• On the process they used to do the work• On the student’s self-regulation• On the student personally

• The criteria for good work (criterion- referenced)• To other students (norm referenced)• To student’s own past performance (self- referenced)

• Description• Evaluation

• Positive • Negative

• Clear to the student• Unclear

• Nitpicky• Just right• Overly general

• Implications • What the student will “hear”

• When possible describe both the work and the process - and their relationship• Comment on the student’s self-regulation if the comment will foster self-efficacy• Avoid personal comments

• Use criterion-reference feedback for giving information about the work itself• Use norm-reference feedback for giving information about student processes or effort• Use self-referenced feedback for unsuccessful learners who need to see the progress they are making, not how far they are from the goal

• Describe• Avoid Judgement

• Use positive comments that describe what is well done• Accompany negative descriptions of the work with positive suggestions for improvement

• Use vocabulary and concepts the student will understand• Tailor the amount of content of feedback to the student’s developmental level

• Tailor the degree of specificity to the student and the task • Make feedback specific enough so that students know what to do but not so specific that it’s done for them• Identify errors or types of errors, but avoid correcting every one (e.g., copy editing or supplying right answers), which doesn’t leave students anything to do

• Choose words that communicate respect for the student and the work• Choose words that position the student as the agent• Choose words that cause students to think or wonder

(Brookhart, 2008)

Your details strongly support your claim that we should recycle newspapers. That’s great. Where did you find all those facts?

for the STUDENT

According to Brockhart,student response is the criterion against which you can evaluate your own feedback. Your feedback is good if it achieves the following results:

• Your students do learn - their work does improve.• Your students become more motivated - they believe they can learn, they want to learn, and they take more control over their own learning.• Your classroom becomes a place where feedback, including constructive criticism, is valued and viewed as productive.

• Focus - Task, process, self-regulation • Comparison - Criterion-referenced • Function - Descriptive • Valence - Positive

This is an example of good feedback. It confirms for the student that the work meets one of the targets (strong supporting details) and connects this success to student effort (the student did research to find out facts, and the teacher noticed).

Teachers can help students become increasingly less dependent on external sources of feedback (from teachers and peers), and gradually become more autonomous (self-assessment). By teaching students how to develop descriptive feedback based on learning goals and success criteria, teachers promote students’ ability to monitor their own progress, determine next steps, and set appropriate goals. In giving students descriptive feedback, you have modeled the kind of thinking you want them to do as self-assessors. - Chappuis (2005)

Early in their development as autonomous learners, student will rely more heavily on the teacher forfeedback, and may need help from the teacher to identify next steps in their learning and set goals. It is during the provision of this feedback that teachers have the opportunity not only to provide direction for the students, but to teach them, through explicit modeling and instruction, the skills of self-assessment and goal setting, to become more independent.

Applying Feedback Content Example:

“ ”

Strategy: Student-Led Conferencing

Student-led conferencing captures the full assessment, instructional, and communicative value of self-assessment. As with self-assessment, students need to receive explicit instruction about their role in conferencing. Modeling by the teacher is an effective way to show students what is required.

Students can prepare for their conference by reviewing the learning goal(s) and organizing the evidence that demonstrates their progress. Students need to be prepared to:

• Identify their strengths;• Demonstrate and justify progress towards the learning goal(s) over time;• Prioritize those challenges that identify next steps;• Include specific action to address challenges;• Set individual learning goal(s) to achieve next steps;• Develop an action plan.

Strategy: Met, Not Yet Met, I Noticed This moves beyond completing the work to focus on aspects of quality and/or progress within a student’s work against the success criteria. The teacher, student, or peer assesses the student performance against the criteria and places a checkmark in either the “Met” or “Not Yet Met” column. When “Met” is checked, brief comments are made in the “I noticed…” column. When “Not Yet Met” is checked, specific criteria are highlighted in the student work to identify material that needs attention.

Strategy: Traffic LightsExplain to the students, in advance, the meaning of the green, yellow, and red lights. For example: green = meets the criteria, yellow = partially meets the criteria, red = doesn’t meet the criteria…stop and don’t go any further until we chat.

• The teacher/student/peer marks the work in relation to each criterion.• Students work together or alone to figure out why it is green, yellow, or red and work to improve their work where necessary.• The teacher could work with small groups in a mini-lesson according to information collected from the traffic lights (i.e. work with a small group who had a lot of red traffic lights).

Traffic Lights Checklist for: WW2 Opinion Paper

Read each of the success criteria and decide if your response meets the following:

• Green Light: I am moving along confidently in this area.• Yellow Light: I am moving along with caution in this area.• Red Light: I have not started moving in this area.

Success Criteria Evidence of Plan for Improvement

√

√

√

√

The first paragraph clearly states my opinion and includes some information about how I have formed my opinion.

The second, third and fourth paragraphs describe each of the reasons for my opinion and provide details for each reason.

I have ordered the reasons that support my opinion in a way that makes a strong argument.

The closing paragraph restates my opinion and the reasons that support it and I have managed to write these in a way that is different from the first paragraph.

My opinion is in the first sentence and I have three reasons that came from our class notes.

I need to look for details about the impact of technology on the outcome of the war.

Now that I have read it, it seems too much like paragraph 1.

√

CriteriaFor: Problem Solving Met Not Yet Met I noticed

Understand the problem

Choose a strategy that works

Find a correct solution and tellhow you got it

Give examples of this kind of problem outside of the classroom

You knew what to look for

Great diagrams. Good strategy. Underlining important words.

You didn’t go quite far enough. There is one more step.

Your example was accurate.

Conference Requested ____ Question(s):Date(s) received: April 10Assessed by: √ Teacher Assignment: Math problem solving, p.17 Self Partner Student: Adam and Alanna Other

√√

√

√

assessment & evaluationImplementation Guide for Student

Goal setting

Goal setting and goal achievement influence learning and generate motivation to learn in two important ways: first, by providing a learning target that students can see and understand; and second, by helping students gather information about how they are doing in pursuit of that target. (Moss and Brookhart, 2009)

By explicitly teaching students how to set appropriate goals, as well as how to assess their work realistically and accurately, teachers can help to promote this upward cycle of learning and self-confidence. - Ross (2006)“

”High-achieving students know what is important to learn and how to learn it. They tend to self-regulate more automatically than low-achieving students because they have “learned how to learn.” These students set goals and then monitor their progress toward them. They assess the effectiveness of the strategies they chose for a particular learning task and then adjust the strategies accordingly to increase their probability of success. In fact, students who have internalized these important principles of learning - those who set goals and monitor their self-efficacy in this way - boost their achievement potential by as much as 30 per cent. (Zimmerman, 1998)

for the teacherWhen teachers model goal setting and allow students to become goal-setting models for each other, they help each student develop the skill and the will to learn more, and learn smarter. Teachers can unpack the goal-setting phases and walk their students through goal setting as a consistent part of how they communicate with their students. Talking about learning in goal-directed language not only models goal setting but also helps to embed goal setting into the very fabric of specific learning tasks. (Moss and Brookhart, 2009)

Goal-Setting Phases Specific StepsHelp the students...

What the Teacher Might Say

1. Set the Goal

2. Select a Powerful Set of Learning Strategies

• Recognize the learning goal.

• Clarify the level of challenge.

• Identify the specific bite-sized chunks that make the goal realistic and achievable and against which students will gauge their progress.

• Draw their attention to the learning time frame and how at the end of the time frame they will be asked to demonstrate their learning.

• Identify and use appropriate information resources.

• Pinpoint strategies for meaningful collaborative learning.

• Prepare to use their time strategically.

• This week we will learn about the nine parts of the human eye.

• We will learn all nine parts, not just some of them.

• There are many things to learn about the eye, but we are going to concentrate on learning to pronounce the name of each part, locate it, and describe what it does to help us see.

• On Friday, I will ask you to identify the parts of the eye on a drawing and write a statement about what each part does. This will help you judge where you are in learning the nine parts of the human eye.

• Let’s think about the resources we can use to meet our goal. Our textbook has information and pictures. We can use the 3-D model and books in our class library. Our school library has interactive CD-ROMs, and we can use the Internet to link to websites that will help.

• We will use class time each day to work in our learning groups. In your groups you can discuss each new part to make sure each person can identify and explain it. You can quiz each other and help each other recognize what you already know and what you need to learn.

• You have four days to learn the parts of the eye. By Wednesday you should know at least four parts and by Friday you should know them all.

for the STUDENTMany motivational benefits occur when students are actively and intentionally engaged in making informed learning decisions that help them move toward the learning goal. Goal setting empowers students because it not only guides their journey but also helps them recognize and monitor their learning progress along the way. Because students are intimately involved in keeping track of where they are compared with where they want to be, they are better able to understand everyday setbacks as a natural part of learning. (Moss and Brookhart, 2009)

Strategy: Add a LineStudents set short-term goals by using information from their self-assessments to help them decide on their “next step” or goal. By adding the “Next time” line, in a self-assessment activity, students see that goal setting is the next step.

3. Self-Assess and Self-Regulate

4. Set the next goal

• Create a plan to assess their learning all along the way.

• Ask strategic questions to identify the just-right next step.

• Uncover roadblocks and design specific ways to overcome them.

• Monitor which learning strategies are working well and which should be adjusted or changed (self-regulate).

• Envision the next learning goal.

• Each day you will check where you are by using a checklist to identify the parts you know.

• Ask yourself: Where am I now? What should I do next?

• What is confusing for you? What roadblocks are in your way? What can you do to overcome those roadblocks?

• Think about the strategy or strategies you have used so far. What is working for you? What isn’t? What should you keep on doing? What should you do differently or instead? Talk it over with your learning partner.

• Now that we can locate and explain the functions of the parts of the eye, we can work toward understanding how to protect our eyes from injury and disease. We will talk more about that on Monday.

Name: Alanna W Date: November 17

I used to: Hand in my work without reading it over.

And now I: Check my work (COPS)

Next time: I'll ask Wayne to read it over.

Goal Steps Evidence What do I need to get better at?

How do I plan to do this? What evidence will show I've achieved my goal?

Time Frame: Begin: ______________ End: ______________

Date: _______________ Signature: ________________________

Strategy: BrainstormWhen beginning with goal setting, students tend to set very general goals for themselves. They may not know how to begin. To provide a starting place it may be helpful to brainstorm lists by answering questions such as “How can we get better at writing?” or “How can we get better at problem-solving?” Making these lists can help to break down general goals into manageable pieces.

How can we get better at writing?

- Write every day

- Try writing different forms, such as messages, lists, journals, letters, …

- Get our ideas down on paper quickly without worrying too much about correct spelling, punctuation and neatness (that comes later)

- Have someone in mind that you are writing for (it could be for yourself)

Strategy: Planning FramesThese provide structure for students to map out their goal. By writing specific action steps students can visualize the outcome and prioritize how they will get there.

To get better at _______, I could...---

One thing I am going to start doing is...I'll start doing this on ____ and on it until ____.

One way I'll know I'm getting better is...

One Sentence Plan

To get better at ________________________________I plan to ____________________________________and I'll do this by _______________________________

Name ________________ Signature _______________


Evaluation

Evaluation focuses on student achievement of the overall expectations. As such, evaluations should give students the chance to demonstrate what they know and can do in a variety of ways to gather the most accurate evidence of achievement. This includes opportunities for teachers to gather evidence through observations, conversations, and products, which allows for the triangulation of evidence of learning.

It is also important that summative assessment (evaluation) procedures are in harmony with the procedures of formative assessment and that they are transparent, with judgements supported by evidence so that all involved can have trust in the results. - Assessment Reform Group, 2006“

”Evaluations are most effective when they are designed or re-visited collaboratively (between teachers of the same grade/course) and at the beginning of the year/semester/term. This ensures that teachers have considered student profiles and have clearly established learning goals that dictate the instruction and assessment for the rest of the term. Backwards design also allows for a transparent assessment process that focuses on student learning.

Observations

Conversations Student Products

In planning evaluations, consider the following:

Planned and Aligned with Curriculum• Co-plan/co-design and co-create prior to the beginning of the unit/course, whenever possible.

Consistent and Balanced • Include a balance of all four achievement chart categories over a period of learning.• Provide opportunity for evidence of learning to be gathered via conversation, observation, and product over a period of learning.• Plan final evaluations that are consistent with the experiences students have had during the course. Assessments of learning that have taken place during the 70% should scaffold and prepare students for success.

Relevant, Engaging, and Authentic• Allow students to consolidate/synthesize their knowledge and skill rather than simply duplicating previous assessment experiences.• Consider one or more of the following strategies to address engagement: competition, challenge, curiosity, controversy, choice, creativity, cooperation, connections.• Where appropriate, embody the qualities of rich performance tasks. Rich performance tasks target the most important knowledge and skills in the unit/course and lead students to demonstrate their learning in real-life scenarios.

Fair and Transparent• Format and design to create optimal conditions for student success.• Focus on what students have learned and what has been explicitly taught and then evaluate students independently.• Use professional judgement in the selection of appropriate specific expectations to inform overall expectations. Students do not need to demonstrate and be evaluated on all specific expectations. • Include the assessment tool(s), with clear success criteria, for all components and make them available for students well before the evaluation. Varied• Where appropriate, provide opportunities that allow students to demonstrate quality evidence of learning through talk, demonstration, and creation of products. • Offer choice to students so that they can share what they know and can do so in a meaningful manner.

Equitable• Take into account students’ learner profiles as outlined in Learning For All and differentiate instruction for those students. • Students with Special Education needs or who are English Language Learners receive accommodations or modifications as appropriate. • Design in a manner which values students' experiences and strengths and models culturally responsive practices.

Applying Professional JudgEment

Professional judgement is a term used to describe the informed and thoughtful considerations teachers use when determining a student’s grade. These considerations reflect the teacher’s professional knowledge of the curriculum and expectations, the evidence of learning gathered during assessments, the teacher’s knowledge of the students and their learning styles, and context and conditions of the assessments and the criteria and standards of success.

Computers use only numbers. They know nothing of the individual students who produced those numbers, the learning environment, or the nature and quality of assessments. Teachers who trust their own minds offer grades that communicate meaningful, reliable information to all. (Dueck, 2014)

Determining a report card grade will involve teachers’ professional judgement and interpretation of evidence and should reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement, with special consideration given to more recent evidence… - Growing Success

“ ”

Overall Expectation #1 Algorithm Used to Calculate GradeStudent

Gloria

Ralph

David

Sept9

Mean(Avg)

Median Mode Most RecentScore

Your ProfessionalJudgement?

1 1 1 1 4 4 2.0 1 1 4

2 1 2 3 3 3 2.3 2.5 3 3

3 1 3 2 3 1 2.2 2.5 3 1

Sept14

Sept22

Sept27

Oct3

Oct6

Student A Scores

Student B Scores

78% 71% 74% 68% 81% Final Average 74.4%

59.6%78% 71% 0% 68% 81% Final Average

Assigning a ZeroWhen factored into the average of an otherwise consistent set of scores, the result of a zero can be considerable.

Rarely do people question whether percentage scores truly represent student learning. They simply assume the scores are an accurate reflection of students' understanding and performance. - Marzano, 2000

“ ”

(Guskey and Jung, 2016)

(Dueck, 2014)

As a measure of learning, 59.6% is likely a misrepresentation of the extent to which the student understands the material. If a student makes a concerted effort to complete an evaluation and does not get a single answer correct, then a zero grade is arguably an accurate measure of the student’s understanding. However, if the student receives a zero simply because he or she didn’t complete the quiz, then the grade is not an accurate measure of understanding. In the case of missed evaluations, assigning a mark of zero places a judgement on unseen work. Until the student demonstrates his or her learning, recording a mark of incomplete is theappropriate teacher response.

Zeros can blur the extent to which students demonstrate improvement or mastery of the material. Consider the set of scores below, purporting to represent tennis-serving skills measured over the course of a two-week unit. The conclusion that the student properly completed roughly 4 out of 10 serves is not accurate and in no way predicts future performance. (Dueck, 2014)

The most recent evidence of learning is the most accurate and grades should be representative of the most recent evidence. To quote assessment guru Tom Schimmer “School is the only place where it matters that I didn’t know something before, that I know now.” (Vatterott, 2015)

The following questions may help to guide teachers in their application of professional judgement:• Is my judgement based on the big ideas or central learning that is reflected in the overall expectations?• What does the evidence of learning I have collected really tell me about a student's level of achievement of the overall expectations for the course?• How can I categorize, organize, and weigh the assessment data in a way that reflects the relative importance of, and/or time spent on, each topic?• Do the components of the final evaluation reflect the most important ideas of the course?• Where there is missing assessment data for evaluation, has that overall expectation been demonstrated in other ways?• Is the percentage grade I am assigning in line with the student's overall achievement level (as demonstrated most recently, most consistently)?• Have extenuating circumstances impeded a student's ability to demonstrate his or her ability? If so, should I consider not counting this task for evaluation purposes?

Date

Successful Serves(Out of 10) 0 0 0 2 3

March 1 March 2 March 3 March 4 March 5 March 8 March 9 March 10 March 11 March 12 Average

5 7 8 8 9 4.2

References and ResourcesBrookhart, S.M., (2008). How to give effective feedback to your students. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Cameron, C. & Gregory, K., (2014). Rethinking letter grades: A five-step approach for aligning letter grades to learning standards. Winnipeg, MB: Portage & Main Press.

Dueck, M (2014). Grading smarter not harder. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Gregory, K., Cameron, C. & Davies, A., (2011). Knowing what counts: Self-assessment and goal setting. Courtenay, BC: Connections Publishing.

Gregory, K., Cameron, C. & Davies, A., (2011). Knowing what counts: Setting and using criteria. Courtenay, BC: Connections Publishing.

Gusky, T. R., & Jung, L. (2016, April). Grading: why you should trust your judgment. Educational Leadership, 73(7), 50-54.

Herbst, S., & Davies, A., (2014). A fresh look at grading and reporting in high schools. Courtenay, BC: connect2learning.

Marzano, R., (2009). Teaching and designing learning goals and objectives. Bloomington, IN: The Solution Tree.Marzano, R., (2000). Transforming classroom grading. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Moss, C.M., & Brookhart S.M, (2009). Advancing formative assessment in every classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Moss, C.M., & Brookhart S.M, (2009). Learning targets: helping students aim for understanding in today’s lesson. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Ontario Ministry of Education, (2010). Growing success: Assessment, evaluation, and reporting in Ontario schools. First edition, covering Grades 1 to 12. Toronto: Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growsuccess.pdf.

Ontario Ministry of Education, (2010). Learning goals and success criteria: Assessment for learning video series.Toronto: Retrieved from http://edugains.ca/newsite/aer/aervideo/learninggoals.html.

Ontario Ministry of Education, (2010). Descriptive feedback: Descriptive feedback video series. Toronto: Retrieved from http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/aer/aervideo/descriptivefeedback.html.

Peel District School Board, (2016). AssessPeel: Final evaluations knowing & doing guide. Mississauga, ON: PDSB.

Peel District School Board, (2016). AssessPeel: Learning goals and success criteria doing guide. Mississauga, ON: PDSB.

Peel District School Board, (2016). AssessPeel: Learning goals and success criteria knowing guide. Mississauga, ON: PDSB.

Vatterott, C. (2015). Rethinking grading: Meaningful assessment for standards-based learning.

Waterloo Region District School Board, (2013). Assessment, evaluation and reporting handbook.

Waterloo, ON: Retrieved from http://www.wrdsb.ca/learning/report-cards/about-report-cards-grades-7-12/assessment-evaluation-reporting-handbook.

ASSESSMENT, EVALUATION AND REPORTING

ES-5003 Appendix 5.2

Summary of Reporting Procedures for Students With Special Needs

Accommodations Modifications Check IEP Marks in Box Marks with

Comment

Comment

Is not receiving any in

this area.

Is working at grade level

expectations as outline in

Ministry Document.

Regular Comment

Is receiving regularly.

Is working at grade level

expectations as outline in

Ministry Document.

Regular Comment with reference to the

accommodations. For example, “When using

text to speech software, or scribed for, Alice

consistently….”

Is working at expectations from

a different grade or has

significant decrease in the

number and/or complexity of

expectations.

“The (grade/mark) is based on the

achievement of expectations in the IEP that

vary from the Grade x expectations (and/or)

are (increased/decreased) in (number and/or

complexity) of curriculum expectations.”

Please see attached Resource Program Report.

(if applicable)

Secondary IEP indicates modified

expectations for a specific

course.

May or may not be working

towards credit.

“This percentage mark is based on

achievement of the learning expectations

specified in the IEP, which differ

significantly from the curriculum

expectations for the course.”

Is working at alternate

expectations that are not found

in the Ontario Curriculum

Documents.

This would include self-

management, self-regulation

and social skills.

Grades are not

assigned

Use anecdotal comments on the “Alternative

Progress Report” for the areas of alternative

expectations that cannot be linked to the

Provincial Report Card.

Use the Provincial Report Card for areas that

fall within Ministry expectations

“This (letter grade/percentage mark) is based

on the achievement of alternative

expectations in the IEP, which are not based

on the Ontario Curriculum.”

Alternate Expectations that can be linked to

learning skills must be reported on and could be

commented on within the Learning Skills box.

A Provincial Report Card is sent home at each reporting period accompanied by an Alternative Report Card when applicable.

Learning skills should be assessed and commented on the Provincial Report Card relative to the student’s needs and abilities.

A copy of the IEP goes home with the report card

Department of Specialized Services 2015 The personal information provided on this form is collected by the Trillium Lakelands District School Board under the authority of the Education Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act / Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and TLDSB Policy BD-2030/2031. The information will be used for educational programs or services or as otherwise permitted /required by law. The information will be used in accordance with the Education Act, the regulations, and guidelines issued by the Minister of Education governing the establishment, maintenance, use retention, transfer, and disposal of pupil records. For questions about this collection, speak to the Superintendent of Specialized Services at 705-324-6776.



Alternative Report Card

This report is an alternative format to the Provincial Report Card for students receiving an alternative curriculum.

Student Name

School

Grade (Regular Class)

School Address

Teacher

Principal

Date of Report:

Description of Program: Comments on Progress: (Including strengths and next steps for improvement) Teacher’s Signature __________________________________ Principal’s Signature __________________________________

This report is to be included in the OSR.

Department of Specialized Services 2015 The personal information provided on this form is collected by the Trillium Lakelands District School Board under the authority of the Education Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act / Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and TLDSB Policy BD-2030/2031. The information will be used for educational programs or services or as otherwise permitted /required by law. The information will be used in accordance with the Education Act, the regulations, and guidelines issued by the Minister of Education governing the establishment, maintenance, use retention, transfer, and disposal of pupil records. For questions about this collection, speak to the Superintendent of Specialized Services at 705-324-6776.



Resource Program Report

This report is prepared as a supplemental report to the Provincial Report Card

Student Name

School

Grade (Regular Class)

Date of report

Resource Teacher

Description of Program: Comments on Progress: (Including Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Steps) Teacher’s Signature ___________________________________ Principal’s Signature ___________________________________

This report is an attachment to the Provincial Report Card and should be included in the OSR