PYP Assessment Policy (K through 5th)

Philosophy on Assessment

The ISA mission is to enable students to excel academically while maintaining the values of Islam and proficiency with the Arabic language. The Academy endeavors to provide a caring, challenging and supportive learning environment where our students achieve their highest potential while exhibiting civic responsibility and multicultural appreciation. ISA’s mission statement is in alignment with the IB mission. Our philosophy on assessment is that we follow IB PYP standards and practices at ISA to ensure that all students are engaged in a meaningful educational experience. The assessment cycle at ISA provides opportunities for students to develop and refine voice, choice, and ownership during their educational experiences. Although we are a private IB World School and we are not required to follow the state standards, our students at times may attend local schools therefore our curriculum is aligned with the Common Core state standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Virginia Standards of Learning. We believe in including students, teachers, and parents in the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of progress toward learning outcomes.

The Purpose of Assessment

The purpose of the assessment at the International Scholars Academy is to improve student learning, provide information on student learning, and respond to the needs of our students.  Assessment is the ongoing process of gathering evidence for and of learning.  This evidence will be used to give recognition and timely feedback to learners and all stakeholders.  Stakeholders will be informed about the assessment policy through our school website, information sessions, the school newsletter, the annual student handbook, and parent teacher conferences. Assessments will reflect best practices that support the learner and the teacher in the promotion of student achievement.

Objectives of Assessments

The aim of assessment is to provide a supportive and positive mechanism that helps students improve their learning; teachers improve their teaching and contribute to the efficacy of the program. It also provides information on student learning to parents, administrators, and stakeholders.

Assessment is planned at the start of the unit and demonstrates clear links between the assessment tasks and all components of the planner (central idea, lines of inquiry, key concepts), teacher and student questions, learning activities as well as alignment to PYP scope and sequence and standards.

Assessment is an integral part of all teaching and learning.  It is central to the PYP goal of thoughtfully and effectively guiding students through the five essential elements (the acquisition of knowledge, the understanding of concepts, the mastering of skills, the development attitudes, and the decision to act) along with the learner profile.

The International Scholars Academy’s approach recognizes the importance of assessing the process of inquiry as well as the products of inquiry.  Students and teachers are actively engaged in assessing the students’ progress as a part of the development of their wider critical thinking and self-assessment skills.

Effective assessments for students address:

• The five essential elements of the PYP: Knowledge, Concepts, Approaches to Learning, Learner Profile, and Action.
• Students as an active part of their learning, giving them voice, choice, and ownership
• Students reflecting on their actions and self-regulating
• Students apply their understanding of concepts at a higher level through the construction of their projects and at play
• Students know in advance the criteria for producing a quality product or performance
• Students engaged in various stages of learning including thinking, planning, modifying, and creating including the development of some of the assessment activities and tools (such as rubrics).
• Students analyze and understand their learning and what needs to be improved.
• Students initiate action by reflecting on their own learning and planning.
• Students' active involvement in discussion, questioning, and being self-directed.
• Students creating as opposed to passively receiving.
• Students’ strengths and demonstrate mastery and expertise.

Effective assessments for teachers address:

• The need for a written assessment policy practiced in school will be constantly evolving to reflect the assessment needs of the school and to understand and develop appropriate assessment criteria.
• Ongoing assessments of every stage of the teaching and learning process
• Students' performance and progress can be reviewed collaboratively.
• The use of varied strategies and tools including pre and post assessment tasks, ongoing formative assessments leading to an action to determine what students know and understand.
• Inclusion of peer and self-assessment where appropriate
• The use of evidence provided by the teacher that can be effectively reported and understood by the whole school community.
• Differentiation needs.
• Child’s learning and development, while supporting the child’s learning needs.

Effective assessments for stakeholders’ address:

• The standards of the IBO
• The standards set by the Common Core, Next Generation Science Standards, and Virginia Standards of Learning
• The use of assessment as a measure to determine the effectiveness of curriculum delivery
• Building a community of teachers and learners striving for excellence

The assessment components in the school’s curriculum can itself be divided into three closely related areas:

• Assessing how we discover what the students know and have learned.
• Recording how we choose to collect and analyze data.
• Reporting how we choose to communicate information.

Assessing: How we discover what the students know and have learned

The assessment of students’ development and learning is an essential component of the curriculum, and helps to inform continued development, learning and teaching.  Students are observed in a variety of situations, and a wide range of assessment strategies are implemented through on-going formative and summative assessments.

At the International Scholars Academy our students are assessed through many different types of formative assessments throughout the unit or learning process.  Formative assessments are interwoven with daily learning.  These assessments provide information that is used in order to plan the next stage of learning.  It helps teachers and students find out what the students already know and can do.

Formative Assessments

Formative assessments aim to promote learning by giving regular and frequent feedback throughout the learning process.  The process helps learners to improve knowledge and understanding, to foster self-motivation and enthusiasm for learning, to engage in thoughtful reflection, to develop a capacity for self-assessment, and to recognize criteria for success.  There is strong evidence that increased use of formative assessment particularly helps those students who are low achievers make significant improvements in their understanding.

Summative Assessments

Summative Assessments aim to give teachers and students a clear insight into students’ understanding.  Summative assessment is the culmination of the teaching and learning process, giving the students opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned. When students are given the opportunity throughout the unit to be actively engaged in the various stages of learning through formative assessment and are given the freedom to overcome challenges through trial and error or experimentation, then summative assessment can provide a real measure of mastery. It can assess several elements simultaneously, therefore informing and leading to improvement in student learning and the teaching process.

Recording: How we choose to collect and analyze data

Assessments in the classroom include:

• collecting evidence of students’ understanding and thinking through checklists, inventories, and narrative descriptions.
• 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 work
• keeping a record of tests/task results
• performance/project assessment which include role-play, presentation, demonstration, problem solving, response to challenges, action or service to others
• written test performance
• oral test performance
• quiz response
• behavior over time (i.e., multiple observations)
• approaches to learning (social, research, thinking, communication, and self- management skills)
• open-ended tasks

Assessment Tools

Rubrics

Rubric is an established set of criteria for rating students in all areas.  The descriptors tell the assessor what characteristics or signs to look for in students’ work and then how to rate that work on a predetermined scale.  Rubrics at times are developed by students.  The rubrics are used in all formative and summative assessments.

Exemplars

Exemplars are samples of students’ work that serve as concrete standards against which other samples are judged.  Generally, there is a benchmark for each achievement level in a scoring rubric.  Teachers are encouraged to set benchmarks that are appropriate and usable within the unit context.

Checklists

These are lists of information, data, attributes, or elements that are presented.

Anecdotal Records

Anecdotal records are brief notes based on the observations of students.  “Learning stories” are focused, extended observations that can be analyzed later.

Continuums

These are visual representations of developmental stages of learning.  They show the progression of achievement or identify the student’s current developmental stage in the learning process.

Reporting: How do we communicate information?

Reporting on assessment at ISA 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 stakeholders.

ISA reports to parents throughout the year: two report cards, two written reports (one for each semester), and two conferences.  The first conference held in November, is a three-way or parent teacher conference used to establish goals to for the students and the second one that is held in February is a student-led conference to highlight student development through their professional growth portfolio.

Reporting to parents, students, and teachers occurs through:

• Parent Information Sessions
• Newsletters and emails
• PowerSchool (on-line grading system)
• On-line ongoing reporting to parents (see below)
• Report Cards
• Three Way Conferences (formal meeting sessions led by students with the support from teachers to share their learning with their parents).
• Student-Led Conferences (a meeting in which the student displays and explains their portfolio taking the parent through the entire learning process in the unit).
• Parent-Teacher Meetings (meetings between parents and teachers to report on the learning of the student.  PYP Approaches to learning are reported through a continuum, while all the other components may be covered through written comments or communicated through other ways.
• Class Assemblies
• School Events -Throughout the school year many events like the Science Exhibition, Art Exhibition, Field Day, National Spelling Bee, Arabic Poetry Competition, Quran Competition, and other events demonstrate a student’s journey through the PYP and depict the knowledge they have acquired in all disciplines.
• Portfolios -A portfolio is a collection of work selected by students and teachers and is a record of student involvement in learning.  It is designed to demonstrate growth, thinking skills, creativity, assessment strategies, and reflection. Portfolios celebrate students’ learning through the PYP showing the holistic development of the child, both within and outside the Program of Inquiry in all disciplines. Portfolios enable students to reflect with teachers, parents, and peers to identify their strengths and weaknesses as areas of improvement throughout the year.
• MAP Growth Report-computer adaptive test and or standardized testing that is used to determine what the student knows and is ready to learn next.
• The PYP Exhibition (see below)

Online Ongoing Reporting:

• Learning objectives should be planned at the start of each unit and should demonstrate clear links between the assessment tasks and all the components of the planner including the central idea and lines of inquiry, key concepts, teacher and student questions, learning activities
• Teacher comments should be written to inform and direct future learning
• Where possible teacher comments should include learner profile and PYP “Approaches to Learning”
• Parents need to be informed when new assessment criteria are posted or go live. This can be communicated through email, newsletter, or through notifications on PowerSchool.
• Collaborative grade level teams discuss and decide when learning objectives and comments should be posted for each unit.

The PYP Exhibition

Students in the final year of PYP carry out an extended, collaborative inquiry approach-the PYP Exhibition. This will take place at the end of the school year. One of the purposes of the PYP Exhibition is to provide a forum for student-driven reporting. Other key purposes include the following:

• For students to engage and report on an in depth, collaborative inquiry
• To provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate independence and responsibility for their learning
• To provide students with 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 act because 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 MYP education.

School Plan for Reporting Assessment Cycle

	Semester 1 Report	Semester 2 Report
KG	Report Card Online gradebook Report on UOI/PYP Elements Learner Profile Portfolios Three Way Conferences DRA	Report Card On-line gradebook DRA Portfolios Student-Led Conferences Report on UOI/PYP Elements Learner Profile
First Grade	Report Card on-line gradebook Report on UOI/PYP Elements Learner Profile Portfolios Three Way Conferences DRA	Report Card on-line gradebook DRA Portfolios Student-Led Conferences Report on UOI/PYP Elements Learner Profile Standardized tests or MAP growth
Second Grade	Report Card on-line gradebook Report on UOI/PYP Elements/Learner Profile Portfolios Three Way Conferences DRA MAP Growth or standardized tests	Report Card on-line gradebook Portfolios Student-Led Conferences Report on UOI/PYP Elements Learner Profile DRA MAP Growth or standardized tests
Third Grade	Report Card on-line gradebook Report on UOI/PYP Elements/Learner Profile Portfolios Three Way Conferences DRA MAP Growth or standardized tests	Report Card on-line gradebook Portfolios Student-Led Conferences Report on UOI/PYP Elements Learner Profile DRA MAP Growth or standardized tests
Fourth Grade	Report Card On-line gradebook Report on UOI/PYP Elements/Learner Profile Portfolios Three Way Conferences DRA MAP Growth or standardized tests	Report Card On-line gradebook Portfolios Student-Led Conferences Report on UOI/PYP Elements Learner Profile DRA MAP Growth or standardized tests
Fifth Grade	Report Card On-line gradebook Report on UOI/PYP Elements Learner Profile Portfolios Three Way Conferences DRA MAP Growth or standardized tests	Report Card On-line gradebook Portfolios Student-Led Conferences Report on UOI/PYP Elements Learner Profile PYP Exhibition DRA MAP Growth or standardized tests

Grading Scale

Elementary School Division K-5^th Grade

Rating	General Description
4	Demonstrates understanding beyond grade level standards consistently and independently. Students can teach others with confidence and competence; or provide demonstration-quality work products.
3	Demonstrates understanding of grade level standards consistently and independently.  Student products demonstrate understanding of the concepts or perform skills without coaching, mentoring or other supervision.
2	Demonstrates partial understanding of grade level standards with or without support.  Student products demonstrate understanding of the concepts or perform skills only with support or mentoring.
1	Demonstrates minimal (or no) understanding and does not meet grade level standards even with support.  Students participate but demonstrate no understanding; or ability or willingness to perform skills.
NT	Not taught
NA	Introduced but not assessed

Revision and Re-Submit Policy

Students and parents can request the opportunity to redo an assignment or test within 5 school days of receiving notification of the grade.

Learning Support Needs

Learning Support Needs are identified with the various assessments in collaboration with the homeroom teachers and special education department. The inclusion model is used at the Academy, so the learning support staff works in collaboration with the homeroom teacher to differentiate instruction and provide support. External referrals may be made when necessary.

The Special Education Department at ISA operates on ethical principles, practice standards, and professional policies in ways that respect the diverse needs and characteristics of our student body and school community.

Our aim is to provide tailored, individualized, and culturally responsive learning environments. We use culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments and procedures which accurately measure students’ aptitudes and abilities to maximize the outcomes of individuals with learning difficulties and special needs. We use periodic assessments and strategic interventions to monitor our students' progress on a quarterly basis identifying tangible, evidence-based goals.

The Special Education Department works in close cooperation with parents, informing them of their educational rights and safeguards as well as advising them of available resources. Special Education at ISA actively seeks parent/guardian knowledge about their children when planning and evaluating special education services empowering families as partners in the educational process.

PYP Academic Integrity

Academic integrity means that students engage in the inquiry process as principled learners and critical thinkers who respect the ideas of others. Students should take the initiative in being academically honest and pride in their own accomplishments as they apply their understanding, knowledge, skills, and approaches to learning into an action or project. Please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy section of this handbook.

ISA International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (MYP) ASSESSMENT POLICY

Mission

The International Baccalaureate (IB) aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. Toward this end, the organization works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programs of global education and rigorous assessment. These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and life-long learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Our mission at ISA, is to enable students to excel academically while maintaining the values of Islam and proficiency with the Arabic language. The Academy endeavors to provide a caring, challenging and supportive learning environment where our students achieve their highest potential while exhibiting civic responsibility and multicultural appreciation. Our goal is to engage all students in a meaningful, educational experience to help students become actively responsible for their own learning in preparation for the unique challenges of the global environment. Our assessment practices are intended to gauge student progress towards acquisition of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of responsible global citizens.

Philosophy

Assessment enables educators to gather data and analyze student learning and progress. Assessment identifies what students know and how they process information at

different stages of learning. In an IB school, assessment is an ongoing process that values growth and progress. By understanding the needs of our students, we can tailor instruction to help students and teachers reach expectations set forth by the IB Programs.

The Assessment Policy is a working document reviewed by a committee of IB teachers, leadership staff, and administrators from ISA. Consistent with the standards and practices of the IB Programs, this document provides an overview of our school’s beliefs and practices regarding the purpose and use of assessments. This assessment policy also serves to provide clear expectations for teachers, families, students, staff, and administration regarding assessment policies and practices.

MYP AIMS OF ASSESSMENT

The MYP aims to:

• support and encourage student learning by providing feedback on the learning process
• inform, enhance and improve the teaching process
• provide opportunity for students to exhibit transfer of skills across disciplines, such as in the personal project and interdisciplinary unit assessments
• promote positive student attitudes towards learning
• promote a deep understanding of subject content by supporting students in their inquiries set in real-world contexts
• promote the development of critical- and creative-thinking skills
• reflect the international-mindedness of the programme by allowing assessments to be set in a variety of cultural and linguistic contexts
• support the holistic nature of the programme by including in its model principles that take account of the development of the whole student.

(MYP: From Principles into Practice, 2014/2015)

PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT

• To determine the students’ instructional needs and learning problems and maximize overall student learning experience.
• To keep a record of students’ progress over time.
• To act as a feedback mechanism for curriculum development.
• To ascertain the learning outcome is in alignment with curriculum objectives and goals.
• To facilitate student inquiry and reflection as critical components of independent learning.

PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT

For students’ progress, Assessment design should:

• Have criteria that are known and understood by students in advance
• Measure student learning and suggest areas of improvement.
• Allow student to synthesize and apply their learning in more than one way.
• Show student learning in a variety of ways.
• Challenge students to perform at a higher level.
• Encourage students to be reflective and partake in self and/or peer evaluation.

Responsibilities of Stakeholders

At ISA, we believe that all stakeholders must take responsibility for student achievement.  In terms of assessment, this means the following:

Teachers will:

• Design appropriate, engaging, and rigorous units of study and assessments.
• Align assessments with stated learning objectives/criteria, inquiry questions, significant concepts, and approaches to learning skills.
• Provide students with clear rubrics and task specific clarifications at the beginning of each unit.
• Create assessments with real-world contexts, to broaden students’ perspectives and promote international-mindedness.
• Provide opportunities for students to reflect on their performance on a given assignment or assessment.
• Provide timely and meaningful feedback to students and parents regarding student progress and areas of growth.
• Collaboratively work with other teachers to maintain consistent assessment procedures, including developing task-specific assessment descriptors, and standardizing grading practices. (See process described below).
• Use professional judgment when determining levels of achievement.
• Seek advice from peers, the academic leadership team and administration, as needed, for support in adhering to this policy.

Students will:

• Do their best to model the IB learner profile and Academic Integrity in their assessments.
• Familiarize themselves with the criteria rubrics and learning objectives for each of their subject groups.
• Reflect on the content knowledge and skills that they are developing.
• Work meaningfully with teachers and peers to develop content knowledge and skills.
• Reflect on their progress with regards to MYP criteria in their courses.

Administrators will:

• Provide time, resources, and focus to teachers for maintenance of assessment policies.
• Provide time for vertical and horizontal collaborative planning.
• Conduct MYP meetings.
• Provide opportunities for IB professional development workshops.
• Continually observe teachers using the IB informed observation documents and provide feedback.
• Support a spirit of collaboration and collegiality among all stakeholders.
• Arrange parent and student conferences with all MYP teachers in which students discuss their achievement levels according to MYP rubrics.

Parents and Guardians will:

• Familiarize themselves with the criteria rubrics and learning objectives for each of their children’s courses.
• Communicate with teachers, students, and administrators/leadership/IB Coordinator/staff with questions or comments regarding their student’s progress in the MYP.

Overview of Assessment Strategies

Assessment strategies are methods used to gather information about students’ learning. They can be applied during the learning process or at the end of a unit to assess student comprehension and achievement level. Assessments can also be given before a unit of study to determine the student’s prior knowledge.

• Observations – Teachers can assess student comprehension by engaging students in discussions or observing the whole class/ individual students when completing tasks.
• Reflections – These journal entries require students to develop responsibility for their own learning by becoming active learners.
• Selected Responses – As formative assessments, these may be used during or at the conclusion of a unit in the form of quizzes and unit exams to measure student achievement and comprehension. This provides teachers and students with immediate feedback on learning.
• Open-ended tasks – Students elaborate on their understanding of specific prompts by constructing creative presentations, discussions, or writing tasks.
• Performance Tasks – These give students an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and understandings they have gained in relationship to the learning objectives. They may be, but are not limited to, project-based assessments.
• Standardized Tests-The MAP test is administered two times a year to determine student progress with regard to national standards for Math, Reading, and Science

ASSESSSMENT TYPES

Formative Assessments (Assessment for learning)

Formative assessment is “the essence of learning-- the continuous process of assessing one's own mastery of content and skills, and discerning and pursuing next steps to move forward toward” a learning target. A formative assessment task is not used to determine grades; instead formative assessments afford students the opportunity to learn before they are graded on mastery of content and skills. As assessment for learning, formative assessment tasks are considered practice. This practice allows students to take risk and learn from mistakes.

Feedback is an essential aspect of formative assessment. Formative tasks must provide students with information about their progress toward learning goals so they may self-correct. These tasks provide information for teachers to give quality feedback that is “timely, clear, specific and understandable.”  More powerful, are formative tasks that allow students to self-assess their progress on their own or with peer assistance.

In as much as formative assessments are to prepare students for learning goals, these assessments are rooted in both the MYP area objectives as well as nationally recognized standards for the various subject areas.

Formative Assessment Tools

Formative assessment tasks include pre-assessments prior to instruction to ascertain what students already know and learning activities during instruction for students and teachers to learn about student progress. Formative assessment methods may be both formal and informal.

1. Warm-up activities
2. Exit slips
3. Daily work checks
4. Low stakes quizzes
5. Qualitative observation
6. Collection of work samples
7. Student self-reflection
   1. Journal entries
   2. Short essays
   3. Charts or graphs of personal achievement
8. Peer assessment
9. Formative rubrics
10. Checklists
11. Oral questioning and think-alouds
12. Draft work
13. Student-constructed concept maps
14. Dress rehearsals
15. Peer response groups
16. Portfolio reviews and more.

Summative Assessments (Assessment of learning)

Summative assessment is authentic, learner-centered and inquiry based. It is created for the end of a specific unit of study and allows students to apply their understanding and skills. Unlike formative assessments, summative assessments are used to determine mastery of content and skills and are therefore used to assign evaluative grades.

A summative assessment is usually an open-ended, challenging task created by teachers used as an evaluation of the individual student’s achievement of objectives/ criteria and standards. It allows for differentiation so students can demonstrate their knowledge and comprehension in a variety of ways using both MYP area objectives and nationally recognized standards for the subject areas.

Examples of Summative Assessments

1. Open-ended tasks

   Students are presented with prompts that allow them to communicate through their own original
   responses. It can be in the form of a discussion, written, or oral presentation.

2. Performance tasks

   Students are given an opportunity to display their skills, knowledge and understanding through
   the objectives they have learned and relationships they have developed.

3. End of unit or End of term tasks

   Summative assessments that are created for a unit and may appear in the form of either an
   open-ended task or performance task.

Summative Assessment Tools

1. IB MYP criteria-referenced rubrics
2. Semester Exams
3. Projects
4. Interdisciplinary tasks

Differentiation

Formative tools such as diagnostic assessments at the start of the year and pre-assessment tasks at the start of a unit, help teachers plan differentiation strategies for the course and provide scaffolds and other differentiated learning activities throughout units. Teachers also differentiate summative task formats by allowing for student choice of types of tasks based on interests, personal interests and abilities. While formats or conditions under which assessments are administered, learning targets and goals remain the same for all students.

Backwards Planning of Unit

1. Teacher first determine standards and MYP objectives to teach and MYP criteria and strands to assess student work in each unit.
2. Next, teachers will design the summative assessments followed by formal formative assessments.
3. Lastly, teachers will determine which sequence of learning experiences will best equip students to be successful on the formative and summative assessments.

Relationship Between Other Standards Systems and MYP Objectives
Teachers begin planning by choosing Common Core standards, NGSS, or Standards of Learning that will be taught in each unit of instruction.  Teachers then align the MYP objectives with the standards.

Teachers then determine the MYP criteria and strands that will be used to assess student work during each unit. Below are the MYP criteria for each subject area, interdisciplinary teaching and learning and the personal project.

MYP objectives/assessment criteria across the program

Recording and Reporting

Each MYP criterion (A, B, C, D) for each subject group has an accompanying MYP rubric which is divided into five achievement levels bands. Each achievement band has specific descriptors that describe what a student needs to do to reach a specific achievement level. Given that the MYP published assessment criteria are holistic, teachers are asked to develop task-specific clarifications for the different achievement levels and level descriptors on the assessed rubrics. Task-specific clarifications will bring a level of specificity to the assessment criteria and help students understand the precise areas that are being assessed. Based upon student performance, teachers use a best-fit approach to award a single numerical value from 0-8. The best-fit approach is explained in MYP: From Principles into Practice.

Currently, MYP teachers inform students of their proficiency by sharing their achievement levels on the MYP rubrics for each criterion referenced assessment. MYP teachers are encouraged to provide individual written comments on rubrics to help students learn and improve. For recording purposes, teachers include MYP achievement levels in their electronic gradebooks for both formative and summative criterion referenced assessments. For reporting purposes, ISA students reflect on their achievement levels with regards to summative assessments and during conferences with parents highlight areas of strengths as well as areas of necessary development for the four criteria in each class.

Internal Standardization

According to MYP: From principles into practice,

Where more than one teacher is teaching the same subject group, the process of internal standardization must take place before final achievement levels are awarded. Internal standardization of assessment is also required for the personal project (or the community project if the school’s programme ends in MYP years 3 or 4). The process involves teachers meeting to come to a common understanding on the criteria and achievement levels and how they are applied. In so doing, teachers increase the reliability of their judgments.

Standardization throughout the school year promotes consistency and builds common understandings about student achievement with respect to MYP objectives.

At ISA, teachers collaborate regularly to design summative assessments and assessment options to create consistency and reliability among assessments. Teachers also engage in the process of internal standardization described below at least four times a year.

ISA End of Unit Standardization Process

1. Each teacher shares student samples of high, mid and low-level achievement levels, prior to grading.
2. Colleagues meet to discuss and commonly score samples.
3. Colleagues then grade their remaining class student works.

The process can also work by teachers coming to agreement about examples of student work at each achievement level and about outliers in student work.

Determining Achievement Levels

All criterion referenced summative task scores are determined by matching the student’s performance to MYP assessment criteria descriptor and assigning a corresponding award level or “score” (from 0 to 8) from the IB MYP rubric.  Criterion referenced formative tasks will be similarly assessed to give students practice with meeting the standards on MYP rubrics. Below is the ISA grading scale showing the percentage equivalent for each IB award level.  Non-criterion referenced formative assessments will be scored with a percentage scale.

Grading Scale

MYP Scale	Numeric
8	100
7	94
6	89
5	84
4	79
3	74
2	69
1	64
0	50
M = Not Submitted *	0

Grading Policy

Assignments fall into four categories noted below. Three of the categories are computed into the student’s semester grades which are reflected in the gradebook as percentages. Students’ academic achievement is used to determine grades. Behavior and work habits are not formally assessed and are not part of the students’ semester grades.

• Criterion Reference Summatives (60% of final grade)
• Criterion Referenced Formatives (30% of final grade)
• Non-criterion referenced Formatives (10% of final grade)
• Approaches to Learning (Feedback only /not graded)

Reporting on Approaches to Learning Skills

Approaches to Learning (ATL) are transferable skills that are essential for life-long learning. The MYP provides five skill clusters that all MYP schools must include in their curriculum. These five clusters include: Thinking skills, Communications skills, Social skills, Self-management skills, and Research skills. ISA has developed ATL skill indicators or expected behaviors for each cluster that the school is committed to developing in our students.

ATL provide a solid foundation for learning independently and with others. Approaches to learning help students prepare for, and demonstrate learning through, meaningful assessment. These skills are explicitly taught and practiced as part of units of instruction. ATL assignments are included in the gradebook and student achievement is awarded one of the following remarks:  Excellent, Very Good, Good, Needs Improvement, and No Attempt. ATL remarks are for feedback purposes and, computationally, do not affect the students’ classroom grades.

MYP Personal Project

In the final year of the MYP year 5 (10th grade), each student will be expected to complete a personal project. The personal project is a significant piece of work that is the product of the student's own initiative and creativity and reflects the learning and development of that student during the their MYP experience.

The personal project may take on many different forms. Students are expected to choose their project with the guidance and supervision of a teacher or mentor in the school. Students projects are assessed against four criteria: Investigating, Planning, Taking Action and Reflecting and are assessed on an eight-point scale for each criterion. A final project assessment score of 1-7 is assigned based on criteria results.

Special Education and English as a Second Language

We believe that all students can achieve their goals given the appropriate instruction, support, and resources. Appropriate accommodations, differentiation and scaffolding of instruction are all used to ensure there is equity in assessment.

The families of Special Education students receive communication through their Individual Education Plan (IEP) progress reports. These reports are sent home quarterly with the students report cards and outlines their progress on their specific, individualized goals. Families are invited to attend annual meetings to review their students plan with the students’ teachers and support staff. These meetings are designed to review the student’s progress over their IEP year and develop a plan that includes goals to help bridge the gap between grade and instructional level. In an inclusive setting, special Education students are held to the same expectations as their peers; however, they are provided accommodations that are outlined on their IEP’s in order to offer support and promote success. The Special Education Coordinator can provide information regarding assessment support being provided for Special Education students.

Students learning English take mid-year and end-of year WIDA tests to monitor progress against language standards. These results along with teacher narratives and a portfolio of students MYP assessments are used to determine placement. Families of students who are learning English receive mid-year and end-of-year WIDA parent reports.

Learner Profile Attributes Within the Assessment Policy

Applying the learner profile attributes to formative and summative student work will establish skills and behavior which support classroom learning environments that prepare students to become successful life-long learners.  Of particular focus for assessment are the following attributes:

• Principled - Students act with integrity and honesty; they take responsibility for their own actions especially when completing assessment tasks.
• Inquirers – Students are encouraged to ask questions and seek answers. By providing students with assessment tasks that encourage research, communication, collaboration and reflection, we promote inquiry.
• Knowledgeable – Students explore concepts, ideas and of global significance within and across a range of subjects. Assessment tasks encourage students to make personal and cross-disciplinary connections and to apply their learning in unfamiliar situations to demonstrate knowledge and understanding.
• Open-minded – Assessment tasks encourage students to seek and evaluate a range of points of views.
• Risk-takers – Assessment tasks require students to think independently and defend their positions.
• Reflective - Students reflect on their performance on assessments and set goals for improvement.
• Thinkers – Inquiry-based assessment practices, such and problem and project-based assessments, require students to exercise critical and creative problem-solving skills.

Academic Integrity

Teachers agree to provide support for students to be able to demonstrate age and grade level expectations for academic integrity when completing assessments. Students are expected to upload IB and ISA standards for academic integrity when completing all assessments and the Personal Project. Before beginning major summative assignments such as end of term exams or projects, students will sign a statement affirming they agree to exercise academic integrity when completing the task.

Policy Creation Process

The assessment policy was created by the Middle School Assistant Principal/MYP Coordinator, reviewed by faculty and approved by the Administrative team. The assessment policy was informed by the publications noted below. The policy will be reviewed with staff annually and evaluated for changes every two years.

Sources

Franklin Academy Sunrise Campus Assessment Policy (2019) Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://franklin2017.s3.amazonaws.com/6/34/myp-assessment-policy_1550692179.pdf

International Baccalaureate Organization (2014). MYP: From Principles into Practice Cardiff: UK

International Baccalaureate Organization (2018). Assessment principles and practices—Quality assessments in a digital age Cardiff: UK

International Baccalaureate Organization (2018). Standards and Practices Cardiff: UK

McTighe, J. Three Lessons for Teachers from Grant Wiggins https://jaymctighe.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Three-Lessons-from-Grant-Wiggins-1-2.pdf

Tomlinson, C. & McTighe, J (2006). Integrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids

Tomlinson, C., Moon, T & Imbeau, M (2015) Assessment and Student Success in a Differentiated

Classroom [White Paper] http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/assessment-and-di-whitepaper.pdf

DP ASSESSMENT POLICY

IB Diploma Program (DP) Curriculum is centered around ambitious learning standards and clearly defined criteria for all students and teachers. International Scholars Academy (ISA) intends to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (DP) for grades 11 and 12. We aim to produce ISA scholars as graduates who embody the 10 IB Learner Profile attributes: “inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk- takers, balanced, and reflective.” The IB Diploma Program prepares students for effective participation in a rapidly evolving and increasingly global society. Teaching and learning in the DP are informed by assessment. The ongoing cycle of formative and summative assessment, as well as internal and external assessment at ISA provides a means for assessment and tasks that stimulate observations, discussions, and further implications for teaching and learning.

TEACHING & LEARNING BASED ON ASSESSMENT IN THE DP

According to the IB Program Standards & Practices and Teaching & Learning in the IB, assessment in the DP is embedded in the curriculum and promotes the following:

• Sharing learning intentions and success criteria
• Eliciting evidence of learning
• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Providing quality feedback to teachers and learners
• Using evidence to inform and adapt learning and teaching
• Teachers and students are agents in an active and cyclical learning process (IB, 2021, Teaching & Learning Based on Assessment in the DP).

IB students, teachers, and parents at ISA can monitor progress on formative and summative assessments at the Academy. Teachers provide guidance to students based on the respective IB Diploma Program subject guides. The Academy uses the online Learner Management Systems (LMS) to record and provide assessment information and grading in the DP. Login information is provided by the school so that stakeholders may stay updated with performance throughout the Diploma Program coursework across the two years of the program.

The respective LMS system at the International Scholars Academy is used to support curriculum development, reflection before, during, and after, DP unit planning, as well as to report and record information for the DP Internal Assessments and core DP requirements such as, DP C-A-S, the DP Extended Essay, and DP Theory of Knowledge (TOK). According to the DP Internal Assessment calendar dates, marks, and grades from teachers are sent to IB based on the information required by IB.

The learner management system and regular collaborations with IB teachers aid in the support of DP faculty recording grades, reporting on assessment, and determining DP predicted grades and marks. These systems also enable students and parents to remain actively involved in the learning process as well as school leadership team members to be actively involved in DP progress and monitoring of students’ growth and achievement throughout the duration of the IB DP program. Students receive both feedback and progress against the IB criteria in all IB DP courses.

The progress recording and reporting of assessments helps stakeholders at the Academy to keep in mind that formative assessments in the DP are designed to promote learning, cycles of feedback, and help to inform planning, instruction, and learning. While summative assessments are designed to measure the consolidation of learning and are usually assigned at the end of a unit of study or topic. Summative assessments at ISA are considered as a demonstration of achievement levels based on IB DP criteria, competence, and readiness to progress and transition to the next level.

Assessments are included in the design of IB DP coursework and are developed and reflected on annually for refinement and updates to the curriculum for each DP course and unit of instruction.

• At ISA, each unit of instruction in the DP includes at least two (or more) formative assessments before the summative assessment, and at least one summative assessment per DP
• Formative and summative assessment tasks must include criteria-based information that aligns with the aims and objectives of the
• Students must be assigned at least one (or more) criteria-based formative before a DP criterion based summative to ensure learning and to identify areas where more instruction may be needed before the summative

DP Internal Assessments (IAs)at the Academy are teacher guided, focused on student inquiry, and are moderated by the IB. DP Internal Assessments are aligned to the subject/DP core content specific rubrics. Teachers are also active in developing rubrics to guide formative assessment. Students and teachers may also collaboratively develop student friendly and/or peer rubrics for formative tasks that are also aligned with the IB DP assessment rubrics available in the DP subject guides. Assessments are conducted both internally and externally as required by the IB DP.

Internal Assessments (IAs) & INTERNAL DP MODERATION

Facultyandstudentschedulesforinternallymarked/gradedassessmentsare developedbasedontheschool determined IBDPInternalAssessmentschedule(IAMajorDeadlines& IASchedulefortheDP)whichisupdatedannuallybytheIBDPCoordinatorandtheIBDP Faculty.

DP Assessment moderation for internally marked assessments follows an internal moderation procedure relying on the IB DP assessment rubrics. Teachers of similar DP subjects/DP core are to collaborate with one another in to ensure quality and to validate the IA scores/marks/grades of DP student achievement levels each DP session. For example,

• Group 1 Language A faculty members moderate Language IAs,
• Group 2 Language Acquisition faculty moderate IAs,
• Group 3 Individuals & Societies faculty moderate IAs,
• Group 4 Science faculty moderate Labs/IAs,
• Group 5 Math faculty moderate investigative IAs,
• DP Core: EE & TOK and the Group 6 Visual Arts/Group 6 faculty and DP Coordinator moderate IAs and DP Core assessments,
• DP Coordinator will moderate or discuss IAs grades/marks each DP year and before they are entered into IBIS with each DP faculty member.

Meetings for internal assessment moderation occur during the scheduled DP Program meeting times as well as teacher collaborative planning times and monthly grade level meetings as needed to ensure that DP IAs are moderated against IB criteria. The IB rubrics are rated by each faculty member against the IB criteria and a discussion of the final grade to be awarded is determined by evaluating the student performance on the assessment against the IB criteria to arrive at a final IA mark/grade/score. Feedback is only provided to students for IAs during the formative process. The final complete IA once moderated internally by DP faculty is the assessment mark/grade that will be used and sent to IB according to the IB deadline set forth by IB each session.

Teachers have the discretion to share the predicted grades reported to the IB DP however, internal grades are to be reported and recorded using the Learner Management System and throughout the teaching process so that students and stakeholders are aware of progress and performance in all DP courses.

DP EXAMS/SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS

External DP examinations follow the IB DP examination schedule set forth by the IB. ISA is a May Session school, thus the Academy follows the IB DP May Examination schedule. May Exam schedules are published through class information, school newsletters, school calendars, and are made available to DP faculty in the Fall of each school year. Students are provided with IB DP syllabi at the start of each course and are directed to review the syllabi each semester for important dates and deadlines.

Students must complete both internal and external assessments that meet IB requirements and that are aligned with DP aims, objectives, and subject specific criteria. Summative tasks in the DP that are cumulative in nature are generally either based on IB Papers and IB DP mock examinations are provided at the end of each semester. Depending on the nature of the course and DP course syllabus at ISA summative assignments may also be portfolios or project-based inquiry including labs and projects which are also assigned for summative assessment.

DP GRADING at ISA

DP grades at the culmination of the course are assigned based on the DP scales of 1-7 and are translated in the gradebook into percentages in keeping with U.S. grading systems.

Final marks awarded and exam and subject scores awarded by the IB DP are reported by the DP and are available and accessed through the online IB DP student reporting system for IB candidates. The table below (Figure 1.1) outlines the DP grading scale, and the percentages calculated based on the DP marks at ISA.

Figure 1.1: DP Grading Scale & Translations by Percentages

Score	IB Diploma Mark
100%-95%	7
94% -85%	6
84% -79%	5
83% -70%	4 (passing condition)
69% -59%	3
58% - 49%	2
Below 49%	1
No submission = Considered not submitted -Failing Condition	N
Failing condition for the EE: Scale is A-E	A, B, C, D, E
Additional Information:	Marks & Grades
Pass/Fail: any P/F course is designed for the award of credit and receives the mark of either pass or fail rather than a grade/mark/percentage.	Not Applicable: internal use for P/F courses.
Internal Assessment Deadlines set forth by the teacher must be met. IB rubrics will be provided in classes and will be on the school LMS. C-A-S is a portfolio of work for juniors and seniors that is assessed only for completion. The May Session IB Examination deadlines are set by IBO. The mark of 4 / 60% at is a passing mark.	The IBO may assign a grade of N for non-submission of work or missing components including incomplete examinations. NG: As a sanction for academic misconduct "No Grade" will result. At ISA Academic misconduct follows consequences, see the ISA Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy.

The link below to information on the IB DP Grade Descriptors provides the detailed IB DP grade descriptors for each IB DP course/subject.

IB DP Grade Descriptors Information:

http://ibo.org/contentassets/0b0b7a097ca2498ea50a9e41d9e1d1cf/dp-grade-descriptors-en.pdf

ISA uses a standardized weight for formative and summative tasks. The school uses a semester system that follows two semesters (Fall & Spring). Formative assessments include for example, such as and not limited to warmups, discussions, quizzes, class work, homework, reflections, exit cards, rough drafts, small projects, and investigation tasks are worth 40% of the semester grade. Formative assessments that are DP criteria based are marked/graded by DP faculty/HS teachers and are recorded and reported in the LMS at least once a week throughout each semester.

Summative assessments for example are, such as and not limited to tests, major quizzes, projects, explorations, classroom discussions, IB internal and external assessment components, and presentations which account for 60% of the grade. There will be first semester and final semester exams. For each semester, the first quarter grade is 40%, second semester is 40%, and the semester exam is worth 20% of the semester grade.

ISA High School Grading Policy (made available in HS/DP syllabi)

Formative and Summative Assessment Grades

Teachers provide formative assessments to gauge student comprehension and individual and group needs. Participation in formative assessments can also reflect a student’s

engagement and effort in a learning environment. While teachers and the IB Coordinator will give priority to summative assessment in determining a student’s overall grade (reflecting both excellence and effort), IB teachers may also consider formative assessment grades. Formative assessment grading policies shall not be used as punishment or other negative reinforcement. Streamlining the assessment categories provides a more accurate picture of student learning as teachers provide a balanced assessment of oral, performance and written tasks.

Assessment also:

• Creates clarity among disciplines
• Greatly reduces the possibility of teachers overlooking the skew of one grade
• Allows for balance and diversity of assessment
• Gives more weight to classwork assignments and the process of learning and understanding versus solely performing well on major assessments.

ISA students are assessed using the two categories below:

Assessment Grade Categories	Weighted Percentages	Sample Designations:(This is not an exhaustive list)
Summative Assessment of Learning	60%	Tests, Research Papers, Major Quizzes, Projects, Final Essays, Presentations, Lab Reports, Debates, Oral Reports, Labs, Examinations
Formative Assessment for Learning (These include Criteria Based – aligned with the IB criteria and Formative)	40%	Prompt responses, Discussions, Quizzes, Homework, Classwork, Paragraph writing, Quick Writes, Warm-ups, Reflective writing, Response writing, rough drafts, presentations, individual work, Participation Rubrics, Discussion Rubrics, Small Projects, Labs

IB Approaches to Learning:

The IB Continuum encourages the IB Approaches to Teaching and Learning. Across the curriculum students in IB Programs are encouraged to “learn how to learn.” This common aligned language helps with the teaching of content and the deep transfer of understanding where students make connections in and across subject disciplines. The Approaches to learning skills are interwoven into instruction and are taught, practiced, and assessed. In the Diploma Program the ATLs are not included in the calculation of a students’ GPA, however they are included on the LMS gradebook and are assessed and linked through engaging assessments.

According to IBO, “ATL skills help students prepare for, and demonstrate learning through, meaningful assessment”. The ATLs are useful in the reflection of the “process of learning”. All DP teachers will include assessments that feature the IB Approaches to Learning Skills which are the following: Communication, Social (Collaboration), Self-Management, Thinking, & Research.

ISA Grading Scale

Grading Scale	Quality	Grade Point Equivalent
A+              95-100	Superior	4.0
A                  90-94	Excellent	4.0
B+                85-89	Very Good	3.5
B                  80-84	Good	3.0
C+                75-79	Average	2.5
C                  70-74	Moderate	2.0
D+                65-69	Below Average	1.5
D                  60-64	Passing	1.0
F                    0-59	Failing	0.0

Revision and Re-Submit Policy

At the discretion of the teacher and with administration approval, students who complete all formative assessments by the assigned deadlines (e.g.: homework, quizzes, etc.) may revise and re-submit summative assessments for an improved grade. This is to aid in the process of formative learning and to develop and promote high achievement against the IB criteria and course aims and objectives.

Regarding unexcused absences and making up missing work/late work to ensure equity, the policy is as follows:

• Once the requirements for the summative tasks are met and within a reasonable time frame, the student may schedule the retake with the teacher (provided the absence is excused or under special accommodation(s) or circumstances approved by the school office).
• Formative assessments that are not classroom based may be made up and accepted as late work (provided the circumstances follow as above).
• Classroom based formative assessments (warm-ups, in class discussions, in class activities & assignments, etc.) may be accepted at the discretion of the teacher or a teacher may assign a "0" grade for missed formative tasks that were classroom based.

ISA G r a dua t i o n R e qui r e m ents

A minimum of 28 credits is required for students to graduate from ISA. One credit is equivalent to a minimum of 150 instructional hours of study. Credits needed are listed on the table below.

Core Subjects	Minimum Credits Needed
Arabic	4
Islamic Studies	4
English	4
Social Studies	3
Mathematics	3
Science	3
Design	1
Arts	1
PE & Health	2
Electives*	4
Total*	29 Credit Hours

• *4 Additional credits must be taken to
• At least two additional credits from mathematics, sciences, or social

Every student must meet ISA graduation requirements to graduate. Students may be allowed to take courses at other institutions for credit recovery after approval from academic leadership and school administration. Courses taken outside of ISA will not be credited unless they are preapproved, and the course must be taken at an accredited institution. Students entering ISA in grades 10 through 12 will be allowed to graduate with 3 Islamic credits.

The DP Assessment Policy is reviewed each year by Diploma Program Faculty annually. The Head of School and/or designee, Director of Education, DP Coordinator, School Principals, and IB Coordinators as well as Academic Leadership team members review and revise IB policies annually at the end of each school year in June and July on an annual or bi- annual basis. This policy was last updated in July 2025 for the upcoming school year.