Havergal College Course Calendar, 2019-20 Academic Year

4. Performance Standards—The Achievement Chart Assessment and evaluation will be based on both the content standards (overall and specific curricular expectations) and performance standards (achievement chart). Teachers ensure that student learning is assessed and evaluated in a balanced manner with respect to four categories of knowledge and skills) (p 17) . 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 including planning skills. Communication: The expression and organization of ideas to convey meaning through various forms and for various audiences. Application: The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts. What Do Achievement Levels Mean? (p 18) Level 1: The student demonstrates the specified understanding, knowledge and skills with limited effectiveness. Students must work at significantly improving learning in specific areas, as necessary, if they are to be successful in the next grade/course. Level 2: The student demonstrates the specified understanding, knowledge and skills with some degree of effectiveness. Students performing at this level need to work on closing identified learning gaps to ensure future success. Level 3: The student demonstrates the specified understanding, knowledge and skills with considerable effectiveness. Level 4: The student thoroughly demonstrates the specified understanding, knowledge and skills. Achievement at level 4 does not mean that the student has achieved expectations beyond those specified for the grade/course. 5. Assessment for Learning and as Learning Assessment is the process of gathering information that accurately reflects the extent to which a student is able to understand the curriculum expectations. Assessment for the purpose of improving student learning is seen as both “assessment for learning” and “assessment as learning.” In Assessment for Learning , assessment evidence is used by the teacher to decide how to adjust teaching and learning activities. The teacher uses the evidence to determine where students are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to help the student get there by providing descriptive feedback and coaching for improvement. In Assessment as Learning , assessment evidence is used by students to improve their own learning through reflection and specific goal setting. Students use the evidence to adjust their own learning and set their own goals.

Teachers obtain assessment information through a variety of means, which may include formal and informal observations, discussions, learning conversations, questioning, conferences, homework, tasks done in groups, demonstrations, projects, portfolios, developmental continua, performances, peer and self-assessments, self-reflections, essays and tests (p 29) . As essential steps in assessment for learning and as learning, teachers will: • plan assessment concurrently and integrate it seamlessly with instruction to inform instruction, guide next steps, and help teachers and students monitor students’ progress towards achieving learning goals (pp 29, 30, 33) . • identify and share specific 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 (pp 28, 32, 33) . • 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 (pp 28, 34) . • give and receive specific and timely descriptive feedback that informs students about what they are doing well, what needs improvement, and what specific steps they can take to improve (pp 29, 32, 34) . • help students to develop skills of peer and self-assessment including setting individual goals (pp 29, 35) . 6. Assessment of Learning (Evaluation) Assessment of Learning (Evaluation) is the process of judging the quality of student learning on the basis of established performance standards and assigning a value to represent that quality (p 38) . Evaluation summarizes and communicates what students know and can do with respect to the overall curriculum expectations at a particular point in time (p 39) . Evidence is used to make judgements about how well students are learning according to a standard. Reporting on that information takes place at the end of a unit of study or at the end of a reporting period. a. Course Work The course work grade consists of evaluations conducted throughout the year. The evaluation of student learning is the responsibility of the teacher and must not include the judgement of the student or of the student’s peers (p 39) . The course work grade will: • address the achievement chart categories in a balanced manner with respect to the four categories (knowledge and understanding, thinking, communication and application) (p 17) ; • represent evidence gathered from a variety of completed assessments throughout the course (p 17, 39) ; • reflect the individual student’s achievement of the overall expectations (p 38) ; • include evidence that is collected over time from three different sources: observations, conversations, and student products (p 39) ;

26  HAVERGAL COLLEGE | Course Calendar 2019–20