SJA MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSESSMENT GUIDE

The primary purpose of assessment is to improve learning.

Assessment at SJA Middle School has a focus on three fundamental approaches, assessment
of learning, which helps us identify what has or has not been learned, and that all of our
assessment should also be seen as an assessment for learning and assessment as
learning, which helps students to grow towards self-directed learning allow them to participate
in their learning.

SJA Middle School defines the process of Assessment as,

“an ongoing, collaborative process that provides feedback to both students and teachers
allowing them to adjust their learning or teaching strategies towards specific learning goals.”

In this process, students and teachers work together to specifically improve learning by, for
example, sharing intended learning purposes, examining models and descriptions of what ‘good
looks like, comparing student work to these models and descriptions, and using feedback from
teacher – peer and self-assessment to plan a path to the next steps on the path to meeting the
learning purposes.

The assessment also serves a range of other purposes. These will be referenced in conjunction
with specific types of assessment later in this document.

Effective Assessment:
Reflects the school’s values of inclusion, and challenge, the success that;
provides opportunities for all students to be challenged through such strategies as:
● open-ended tasks
● complex contextual tasks
ensures all students are included through such strategies as:
● providing multiple ways to demonstrate understanding, with choices of task where
appropriate
● scaffolding at a different level based on pre-assessment
promotes success through such strategies as:
● the use of feedback with opportunities to act on the feedback opportunities for
resubmission where appropriate
● the use of clear criteria and exemplars
Generates formative feedback
● uses common criteria which are made available to students in advance
● makes use of peer- and self-assessment based on criteria and exemplars
● provides exemplars of what ‘good’ looks like
● provides opportunities for students to reflect on products, processes, and self-
regulation
● provides opportunities for students to act on feedback
Allows students to demonstrate an understanding
● provides opportunities for students to apply skills and knowledge in a context where
possible
● provides opportunities for students to demonstrate the six facets of understanding
(explain, interpret, apply, empathy, perspective, self-knowledge)

Promotes increasingly independent learning

● provides students with the tools and support to self-assess and set goals for future
learning and improvement

What Is fair
● By utilizing a variety of assessment strategies that are consistent and compatible with
the taught curriculum
● In using strategies and criteria that are known and understood by all students
● In representing a manageable workload for teachers and students
● In separating achievement from other factors such as effort or behavior so that it is clear
what is being assessed

Assessment Calendar
● Students should not have to sit for more than 2 summative in-class summative
assessments on one day (students will do the first two assessments that were scheduled
with them, the additional assessments will be rescheduled)
● Students do not have the same restriction for summative out class assessments
● Provided the 1- 2 weeks’ notice has been honored and there is no restriction on the
number of summative major out-class assessment submissions due per day
● Teachers need to post all assignments/ assessments summative on the Assessment
calendar on google.
● All assignments must be posted on google classroom.

SJA MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADING guidelines

These guidelines pertain to grading (summative reporting), as opposed to marking
(formative assessment).
The purpose of grading is to communicate student achievement.

Therefore:
What is Included in Grades?
1. Achievement, not behaviors.
2. Summative evidence. Formative assessment – practice in the course of the learning
process – is recorded but not explicitly included in final grades.
3. Evidence from quality assessments.

What is Not Included in Grades?

 1. Group scores; we use only individual achievement evidence.
2. Zeros when evidence is missing or as punishment; we use alternatives, such as
reassessing to determine real achievement or we use “I” for Incomplete or Insufficient
Evidence.

How Are the Grades Determined?

1. We emphasize the most recent achievement in determining achievement when learning
is developmental. We do not average learning over time.
2. We do not rely on the mean or average to calculate final grades. Our point of central
tendency is the mode or most consistent level of achievement attained and we use
evidence supported by our professional judgment.

PROCEDURES FOR MISSING or MAKEUP ASSIGNMENT DEADLINES

Given the assumption that any assignment is a valid assessment with clearly outlined learning
objectives and a reasonable initial deadline, in the event of failure to meet assignment
deadlines:

A new deadline is arranged with the student. This should give the student every opportunity
to complete the work without initial sanction, but the new deadline is at the teacher's discretion
with regard to time and the amount of further assistance or support given. Students who inform
teachers before the deadline that they are having problems or who have genuine mitigating
circumstances may, as always, be given extensions at the teacher's discretion.

Should the work still not be turned in, the student will attend the designated after-school
support session in which he or she will be expected to complete the work. If the teacher feels it
is more appropriate for the student’s learning, a lunch make-up session (or whatever else the
teacher deems most appropriate) may be arranged with the relevant teacher. The onus is on the
student completing the work for assessment, so if the student submits the work before the
arranged time, then he or she will not need to attend the make-up session.

The Process:
Teachers will update the Academic Recovery Document and also ensure that they inform
students who will be attending the session and what work needs to be completed. An Academic
Recovery session will take place after school in the Middle School on Mondays, Tuesday to
Thursdays in the Learning Pod, after school from 16:00 – 17:00. Students will be required to
submit the completed assignment to the supervisor and can leave when all work is completed.

A notification will be sent to the parents of the need to attend the support session.
For students who fail to show up for the formal support session, the Middle School Principal or
Assistant Principal will follow up.

The consequences may include, but are not limited to:

 ● A meeting with the student’s parents to discuss implications
● Removal from extra-curricular activities and other privileges
● A contractual period of probation for academic issues

For those students who still have still not submitted work, the Principal or Assistant-Principal will
set a final deadline, usually within 3 weeks of the assignment being given. If the student fails to
meet that deadline for a piece of summative assessment, the student will receive "I" for
"Insufficient Evidence to Formulate a Grade". An "I" will be entered as the student's final grade
and the student may not receive credit for the course.

THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

SJA assessment criteria are based on the learning standard of each Subject. The grade for
each criterion is the MODE for all summative assessment marks entered in the grade book. A
total grade is then assigned as a weighted average of the various criteria grades. Students are
informed of the weightings for each criterion by the subject area teacher.

Improving learning through assessment

All the research indicates that improving learning through assessment depends on five,
deceptively simple, key factors:
1. the provision of effective feedback to pupils;
2. the active involvement of pupils in their own learning;
3. adjusting teaching to take account of the results of the assessment;
4. a recognition of the profound influence assessment has on the motivation and
self-esteem of pupils, both of which are crucial influences on learning;
5. the need for pupils to be able to assess themselves and understand how to improve.

Black, P. & Wiliam, D. 1999. Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box, Assessment
Reform Group, University of Cambridge, School of Education

THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

The assessment process includes a number of steps:
1. Collect evidence of student learning
2. Interpret the evidence
3. Record the evidence
4. Report on student progress

At each stage of the process, teachers are dealing with a smaller body of evidence. Teachers
will collect and interpret a lot of evidence about student learning. Some of the evidence we
collect is only used for decisions ‘in the moment.’ Teachers might, for example, ask some
planned questions during class to see how well students have understood the material in an
individual lesson.
Teachers will collect this evidence, and interpret it to see whether they need to adapt their
teaching, but they may not need to record it and we will certainly not need to report on it. This
evidence is used formatively.

Teachers will decide to record some of the evidence along the way to capture a picture of each
student’s progress toward the learning targets, but a good deal of this evidence will also only be
used formatively. For example, teachers may record information about the kinds of things a
student is doing well and the kind of things they are having difficulty with within a writing
exercise. This information will be used to make important decisions about the next steps for that
student.

Evidence collected of specific learning goals will be used for reporting/grading purposes.
Teachers will, therefore, report a letter which sums up the student’s performance against the
learning targets as well as makes some comments about their successes, challenges, and next
steps. It will be the evidence we believe best demonstrates the students’ level of achievement at
the point of time when the report is written.

Common Grading Practices

What do we mean by common grading practices? We mean that every middle school teacher
will determine the grades fairly and will do so according to the rules that follow.
● Academic achievement and behavior will be graded separately.
● Late work will result in a lowered grade, but not a fail or “0”. This work will be completed
and turned in during break time, lunch or after school.
● Academic dishonesty will result in serious consequences but will not be a factor in the
grade.
● Attendance will be reported separately from the grade.
● The student will be graded on their own academic achievement; Cooperation and
collaboration are important but group work will not be included in the grade.
● The student will receive a letter grade.
● All expectations for academic achievement will be clearly explained in every class.
● The student will be graded on their own performance against the standard: Student
grades will not be compared to others.
● All of the assignments, tests, and projects that teachers create as part of your grade will
be of high quality
● Teachers will use a variety of ways to determine your academic achievement; Average,
mean, most recent, central tendencies
● If the work is not completed in time to be included on the report card, the student will
receive a grade of “I” for incomplete. A plan will be made for the student to complete the
work and the grade will be changed to reflect the achievement when it is completed.
● 80% of the grade will be determined by work that is done in the classroom as seen by
the teacher in class.
● Teachers will include students in the grading process.
Homework
Homework is assigned to reinforce skills or concepts learned in the classroom or as preparation
for an upcoming discussion or project. It is integral to ongoing learning and is not “busy” work.
Teachers communicate with each other and strive to keep the homework balanced so that,
usually, a student does not have more than 90 minutes of homework per day.

Some assignments may be long-term with due dates a week or so in the future.
Students are encouraged to record all their assignments with due dates in the Student Planner
supplied by the school so parents can check the requirements. Students are expected to
complete homework assignments on time and on their own.

It is important that the student has had the opportunity to review, refresh, develop, and practice
the skills targeted in the homework task. Therefore it is important to students have the
opportunity to practice in class before being assigned homework. Teachers are required to give
at least 2 or 3 illustrated examples of the work done.

Grading and Assessment

Project work is an extremely important part of inquiry-based learning. In order to count in
summative assessment.
Problem: We don’t witness the work being done
Solution: Provide an assessment that demonstrates the learning

Pop Quizzes are an excellent form of formative assessment but should never be included as a
summative. Pop Quizzes inform our teaching as well as indicate probable student performance
on a summative.

Grade Breakdown
Inquiry-Based Activities/ Projects 60%
Test and Quizzes: 30%
Homework 10%

Resources:
1. Formative Assessment Strategies, Definitions and Examples
2. Checklist for Developing Performance Assessment
3. MS Assessment Guidelines
4. Assessment For, Of and As Learning
5. Differentiation Resource