1. Policy Statement

 

It is the policy of the Fettes College Guangzhou to ensure that an effective assessment system is in place, which is essential in understanding our students’ development in knowledge, conceptual understandings and skills during the inquiry-based learning process. This policy outlines the four dimensions of assessment, different types of assessment and provide guidance for teachers to do assessments.

 

2. Our Fettesian Curriculum

2.1 Early Years Foundation Stage and Chinese National Curriculum

Building upon the strong foundations of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework (Early Years) and Chinese National Curriculum (Primary School), our bespoke Fettesian curriculum adds depth, breadth and global perspectives by drawing upon the knowledge and experience of our Chinese and international teaching faculty and cutting-edge curricula approaches from around the world.

 

         2.2 The Primary Years Programme

 

The Primary Years Programme provides the structure within which our bespoke curriculum is developed. Assessment is the key element of the PYP program that guide students to understand the essential elements of the learning process: The acquisition of knowledge; the understanding of concepts; the mastering of skills.

 

3． The Four Dimensions of Assessment

In the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the assessment component can be subdivided into four related areas:

Monitoring learning: check the progress of learning against personal learning goals and success criteria.

Documenting learning: compile the evidence of learning.  

Measuring learning: capture what a student has learned at a particular “point in time”.

Reporting learning: describe the progress and achievement of the students’ learning.

 

3.1 Monitoring learning

 

Monitoring of learning aims to check the progress of learning against personal learning goals and success criteria. It occurs daily through a variety of strategies: observation, questioning, reflection, discussing learning with peers and teachers, and well-considered feedback to feed forward for next steps in learning. Tools used for monitoring include open-ended tasks, written or oral assessment, and a learning portfolio.

 

3.2 Documenting learning

 

The documenting of learning is the compilation of the evidence of learning. Documentation can be physical or digital and can be displayed or recorded in a variety of media forms. Documentation of learning is shared with others to make learning visible and apparent. It reveals insights into learning and provides opportunities to reconnect with learning goals and success criteria.

Students and teachers can document learning goals, questions, reflections and evidence of learning using a variety of formats.

 

    .Learning logs or journals: These are used to record feedback and reflections of ongoing learning.

   . Learning stories: Narratives that document an instance when the learner shows knowledge, conceptual understandings or skills.

    . Portfolios: A collection of artifacts that can also contribute to reporting. Documentation tools could also include exemplars, checklists, rubrics, anecdotal records.

· Exemplars Samples of students 'work that serve as concrete standards against which other samples are judged.

· Checklists A list of criteria against which students are assessed (e.g. information, data, attributes, or elements that should be present.)

· Rubrics  The descriptors tell what characteristics or signs to look for in the work and then how to rate that work, as well as how to rate that work on a predetermined scale.

· Anecdotal Records These are brief written notes based on observations of students.

 

 

3.3 Measuring learning

The measuring of learning aims to capture what a student has learned. Each measurement tool used provides further data to support a larger picture of student achievement and progress in learning. Teachers use multiple data points to evaluate student progress and to support evidence-based decision-making. 

 

3.4 Reporting learning

Reporting on learning informs the learning community and reflects the question “How well are we doing?” It describes the progress and achievement of the students’ learning, identifies areas for growth and contributes to the efficacy of the programme. Reporting on assessment includes communicating what students know, understand and can do. Reporting involves parents, students and teachers as partners and is honest, comprehensive and understandable to all parties.

 

3.4.1 Teacher-Parent Conferences

These are designed to give the parents information about the student’s progress, development and needs, and about the school’s programme. Teachers should take the opportunity to gather background information, to answer the parents’ questions, to address their concerns, and to help define their role in the learning process. The parents should take the opportunity to provide the teacher with the cultural context of the student’s learning.  

 

3.4.2 Three-Way Conferences (Primary School)

Three-way conferences involve the student, parents and teacher. Students discuss their learning and understanding with their parents and teacher, who are responsible for supporting the student through this process. The student, parents and the teacher collaborate to establish and identify the student’s strengths and areas for improvement.

 

3.4.3 Student-Led Conferences （Primary School)

Student-Led Conferences are formal reporting sessions to parents, led by the students themselves. The teacher's role in this process is to guide and prepare the students. The emphasis is on the discussion between a child and his/her parents. Student-Led Conferences are designed to give students ownership of the assessment of their learning, so they can become more actively involved and committed. Where possible students should report to parents addressing all essential elements of the PYP learning (knowledge, skills, concepts and action). These conferences make students accountable for their learning and encourage student/parent communication.    

 

Other benefits are that students learn to evaluate their own progress and build critical thinking skills, self-confidence and self-esteem. Parents become an active participant in their child's learning and have an opportunity to help their child set positive goals. Students are trained to become confident participants and conference leaders. We have significantly different expectations as to how a Grade 1 student would report compared with a Grade 5 student. Our aim is to build this skill-set, beginning in Grade 1 and to see it develop as the student progresses through the Primary School.

3.4.4  Reports

Reports provide parents with full and accurate statements about student’s effort and attainment across a wide range of learning including UOI, subjects and personal, social and emotional skills. Mid-Semester Order provides an overview of children’s effort and attainment in learning across all curriculum areas. Early Years for attainment only. The End of Semester Report gives a summary of the student’s progress throughout the semester. It contains attainment and effort grades the student has achieved in each subject on the school curriculum. It also contains written comments by homeroom tutors, subject teachers and houseparents (for boarders only). Primary School reports are sent home to parents before the Parent-Teacher Conferences. Early Years will deliver the reports to parents during the Parent-Teacher Conferences.

 

Report Grading

Primary School Effort Grade Criteria

The Effort grade is a judgement of the level of effort that the student has shown in a subject. The effort grades used in the written report are shown below.

 

Primary School Attainment Grade Criteria

The Attainment grade is a judgement of the level of knowledge, understanding and skills that the student has shown in a subject. The attainment grades used in the written report are shown below.

 

Early Years

The development of children in the Early Years is based on different areas. Therefore, the report grading is a reflection of the student’s development in the following areas: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Communication and Language, Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, Expressive Arts and Design. The grades are:

 

 

3.4.5 Conferences & Written Reports Timeline

Primary School

Early Years

3.4.6 The Exhibition

Students in the final year of the PYP carry out an extended, collaborative inquiry approach – the PYP Exhibition. In the Primary School this will takes place in May-June each year after the school becomes an authorized PYP school. One of the purposes of the PYP Exhibition is to provide a forum for student driven inquiry. Other key purposes include the following:

• For students to engage in an in-depth, collaborative inquiry

• To provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate independence and responsibility for their learning

• To provide students with an opportunity to explore multiple perspectives of their topics

• For students to synthesize and apply their learning of previous years, and to reflect on their journey through the PYP

• To provide an authentic process of assessing students’ understanding

• To demonstrate how students can take action as a result of their learning

• To unite the students, teachers, parents and other members of the school community in a collaborative experience that incorporates the essential elements of the PYP

• To celebrate the transition of learners from PYP to MYP education

 

4. Types of Assessment

Assessment of the students’ understanding and development is an essential component of the curriculum and helps to inform continued development, learning and teaching. Students are observed in various situations and a wide range of assessment strategies are implemented in the curriculum.

 

Diagnostic/pre-assessment

Diagnostic assessment prior to teaching helps teachers and students find out what the students already know and can do. It assists teachers to tailor their plans to meet students’ need. It is not necessary to adhere to certain assessment tool or specific criteria for this type of assessment.

 

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is interwoven with daily instruction and provides information that is used in order to plan the next stage in learning. It helps teachers and students to find out what the students already know and can do. Teachers use different strategies and tools to keep a record of students’ progress. This process helps students to improve knowledge and understanding, to foster a growth mindset and a passion for learning, to engage in thoughtful reflection, to develop the capacity for self-assessment, and to recognise the criteria for success.

 

Summative assessment

Aims to sum up students’ achievement and progress. This usually occurs at the end of a unit of work, offering a verdict on overall progress and  summarising  achievement. Summative assessment provides students with various opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned across the essential elements of the learning process. It measures understanding of the central idea, and guides students towards action. It informs and leads to improvement in student learning and the teaching process.

 

Differentiation in Assessment

When students are unable to achieve the learning objectives inside the classroom as their peers, teachers will differentiate teaching and learning practices, whether in the process, content, or product, as much as possible by use of various manipulatives, different leveled texts, readings, stories, use of different strategies, along with differentiated templates, and implementing differentiated formative and summative assessment.

 

Assessment in the classroom includes

● Collecting evidence of students' understanding and thinking  

● Documenting learning processes of groups and individuals  

● Engaging students in reflecting on their learning  

● Students assessing work produced by themselves and by others  

● Developing clear rubrics

● Identifying exemplary student work

● Keeping records of test/task results

 

5. Appendices

Appendix 1: Assessment Planning Guidelines

 

• Assessment objectives should be planned at the start of the unit and should demonstrate clear links between the assessment tasks and all components of the unit planner, i.e. central idea, lines of inquiry, key concepts, teacher and student questions, learning activities. 

 • Assessment strategies and tools should be varied and can include pre and post assessment tasks and formative and summative assessments.

• Assessments should include peer and self-assessment where appropriate.  

• Students should be involved in the development of some of the assessment activities and tools (e.g. rubrics). When students are not involved in the development of assessment activities, they need to be informed of assessment criteria.

• Assessment will inform and direct future learning.

• Assessment addresses all the essential elements of the programme.

• Teachers develop gradebooks to use grade standards to assess students throughout the year.

Appendix 2: Primary School Student Portfolios

A portfolio is a record of students’ involvement in learning which is designed to demonstrate success, growth, high-order thinking, creativity, assessment strategies and reflection. Each pupil will share their learning portfolio at a three way and student led conference. When the portfolio is taken home after each Unit of Inquiry there will be a minimum of:

2 Chinese work samples or assessment

2 Maths work samples or assessments

2 English work samples or assessments

2 UOI work samples or assessments

Each semester the following work samples are included in the portfolio: Visual Art, Drama, Physical and Health Education, Science, Character Education/Morals and rule of law, Music, Mental Health Education, Chinese Calligraphy and IT 

Portfolios are sent home on Friday one week after each unit of inquiry ends. A week before portfolios are sent home the single subject teachers need to give the work sample to the class teacher 

Portfolios should include a range of assessment strategies and tools and formative and summative assessments. 

Assessment samples could include peer and self-assessments where appropriate. 

Pupils should be involved in the selection of some of the work samples and assessment samples. 

All work samples need to be teacher acknowledged in some way and should be dated. 

 

Appendix 3: Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences Guidelines (Primary School)

 

• Have parents' names recorded to refer to

• Have evidence/work samples and portfolios to share with parents

• Collaboratively discuss information that will be shared and how action will be recorded

• Teacher-Student practice before three-way conference

• Prepare student prompt sheets

• Dates need to be publicized via parent letter and feature in the school calendar well in advance

 

During the Conference

• Always begin and end with a positive comment about the child

• Ask how the student and parents are feeling about how the child is progressing

• Give parents a strategy to take away to deal with a specific issue or problem (all issues should be shared with parents before conferences)

 

Follow-up

• Record information/action for follow up during the conference

• Reiterate with parents at the end of the conference those actions that you will be following up on and the action the parent will now need to take

• If a conference is going to take longer than the allocated time offer to meet again to continue the conference at another time in the near future

 

Appendix 4: Primary School Summative Assessment Schedule

 

Summative assessments take place at the end of a unit learning for UOI. When high level integration is made, subject summative assessment is integrated with UOI whenever possible. At least two summative assessments (mid-semester and end-of-semester) take place for other subjects each semester.

LDC = Language Development Continuum (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) for our developing English Language Learners.

Appendix 5: Early Years Summative Assessment Schedule

 

 

 

Appendix 6: Assessment Strategies and Tools

 

Teachers use a range of methods and approaches to gather information about a students’ learning and document this information using a variety of tools. Below are some common assessment strategies and tools.