Assessment: How Does It Work?

Hello Everyone,

While I have detailed our assessment process before, I thought it might be a good time for a reminder!

First, Ms. Driussi is hosting evening sessions during the next two weeks about how assessment is changing at the school. Please note, we will not be changing how we are doing assessment. The sessions are primarily for classes in the school that are transitioning this year to using the B.C. Proficiency Rubric, which we have already been doing in Div. 5 for the last year.

Our process to assess and report student learning to you will not change in Div. 5. So, you don’t have to attend the school info sessions unless you have a child who is in another division. Then, it may be a good idea to hear the session, especially if you are new to the school. We had a similar session in my classroom last fall when I started using the proficiency rubric.

Second, please encourage your child to complete e-portfolio posts. As you may have already seen, Ms. B and I are going through the posts and adding comments to let students know if they are on the right track. Please feel free to also comment! These posts will shape our reflections when we communicate progress for term one on the report card.

Third, in class we have been going over the words associated with the proficiency rubric to ensure we all understand them. I often say that the proficiency rubric is easier to understand, with its words of emerging/developing/applying (proficient)/extending if you create a LIFE RUBRIC. Think of one thing that you do daily. We put up posters of the four parts of the rubric on the walls in class, Ms. D said an activity, and then students moved to the part of the rubric they thought they were in.

For example, where are you on “cleaning your room?”

EXTENDING — I can clean my room independently and use sophisticated skills, some of which I learned on my own time, such as feng shui arrangements, Marie Kondo folding, organizing boxes I created myself, to clean it. No one needs to tell me to clean my room. I could teach someone else how to clean a room, and I probably remind other people to “get to it!” I even developed my own personal schedule for cleaning and posted it on the fridge.

APPLYING — I can clean my room independently and use a complete set of skills I have been taught to organize it — for example, vacuuming, making my bed, and picking up materials to put into organizing buckets I have been given. No one needs to check in on me as I am cleaning my room. I feel confident doing it myself.

DEVELOPING — I can clean my room myself with some guidance. For example, someone might need to check in on me and say, stop reading and get to cleaning! Or, maybe I need help getting the vacuum out and turning it on. Maybe I need some advice on how to fold corners on the sheets. But, I have a partial understanding of what to do and can do some of it myself.

EMERGING — I can clean my room with guidance, as I am beginning to learn how to do it. I might need assistance deciding when the room is dirty, staying on task and not making new messes while cleaning it up, or not shoving dirty laundry under the bed but instead putting it in the hamper. My parents are showing me how the vacuum works, as I haven’t done that before. My parents came in and modelled for me how to clean, so I can learn how to do it next time on my own.

**Try this at home as a discussion. Try something like — making your own lunch, making dinner, riding a bicycle, or playing with a sibling.

Fourth, students will receive rubrics for assessment. By Tuesday, everyone will have the Human Body Corporation one, for example. You will notice, we follow these steps when using a rubric or assessing a mini project:

  • Teacher will hand out a rubric and criteria to review and keep. 
  • Student can use the rubric and criteria to stay on track for the project.
  • When the project is complete, the student will do a self-assessment, indicating where they think are at with regards to the proficiency rubric. They will also indicate areas of strength and areas of stretch/improvement.
  • Sometimes a peer will provide input. The student will write down any peer feedback they feel is important to remember. 
  • Teacher will review the project and add feedback.
  • Teacher will use words associated with each level of the proficiency rubric to indicate progress AND will relate those words to the learning intention and standards from curriculum. For example, “Johnny is developing his understanding of how to apply his independent research skills.” 
  • Teacher will break down the comments into subject areas when needed, as many of our assessment tasks are trans-disciplinary.
  • Rubric will be sent home with the student for signing.
  • Parent signs and student returns with it to school so we know it has been seen.

Last but not least, we will be having a meeting together the first week of December. I will be setting up meetings with each parent and student, so we can meet together to discuss progress and make goals. Prior to the meeting:

  • Students will complete a written reflection for the report card and relate their progress to the strengths and goals they talked about on the e-portfolio.
  • Teacher will complete the proficiency rubric and comments for the report card.
  • Parent will review the student e-portfolio and complete a parent questionnaire distributed in late November and bring it with them to the meeting.
  • We will meet together for a 20-30 minute meeting before or after school.
  • Student will read their reflection, then the teacher, and the parent.
  • We will make and record goals on the report card.
  • The report, including the parent questionnaire, goes to Ms. Driussi for review and signing.
  • Student and teacher will sign.
  • Final copies of reports go home before Winter Break. There will be 2 copies, and you need to send one back to school for our file.

I hope this helps you to understand our assessment process! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Ms. D