ASSESSMENTPOLICY
Developed:September2024
ABBREVIATIONS
IB -InternationalBaccalaureateOrganization
IBDP-InternationalBaccalaureateDiplomaProgramme
CAS-Creativity,activityandService
DP-DiplomaProgramme
EE–ExtendedEssay
TOK-TheoryofKnowledge
POLICY REVIEW STATEMENT
To ensure the policy document is ingrained in the normal schools’ operations and is relevant,itwillbereviewedonannualbasisbyateamofstaffcomprisingoftheprincipal, IB coordinator and all heads of departments. There will be a tracker on the school managementsystemforstafftopostareasthatrequirerevisionandareasthatmaynot be included in this current document but are a necessary inclusion. Additionally, the tracker will allow staff to post areas that require inclusion based on changes in the externalregulatoryandeducationenvironment.
Atthebottomofthecoverpagethedateofreviewandeditionnumberofthepolicywill be indicated. For example (Reviewed on 18th December 2024) Version 2. The management will ensure the revised policy is circulated to all the relevant staff for effectiveimplementation.Thisprocesswillensureallpolicydocumentsremainsactivein guidingtheoperationsoftheschools.
1.0 THE PURPOSE OF THE ASSESSMENT POLICY DOCUMENT
Thispolicydocumentservesthefollowingaims:
1. Tooutlinethephilosophyandprinciplesunderpinningallaspectsof assessmentsinBrookhurstInternationalschools
2. Toensurethatallassessmentpracticesareinlinewiththestandards,practices, andcontentoftheIBDiplomaProgramme
3. Tooutlinetheroleofassessmentandhighlighteffectivepracticesofundertaking assessments.
4. TossupportconsistencyofteachingandlearningintheIBDiplomaProgramme
5. TopprovidealinkbetweenIBdiplomaassessmentsandinternalformativeand summativeassessments
6. Tooutlinecriticaldocumentsandreportsrequiredforassessments
7. ToprovideaguidelineforIBdiplomaassessmentpracticesforstudents, teachers,administrators,andparents
8. Toexplainhowassessmentresultsarecommunicatedtostudentsand parents.
2.0 THE PHILOSOPHY OF BROOKHURST INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
Brookhurstschoolsprovideawarm,safe,vibrantandmulti-culturalenvironmenttothe learners.Weencourageandsupportourleanerstofocusonachievingexcellentresultsin academics, sportsandothertalentsandpositivelytransformtheircharacter. Weequip ourlearnerswithcognitiveskills,talents,socialskillsandvaluestoensuretheybecome outstandingpeoplecapableoftransformingtheworldinvariousaspects.Thewelfareout ourlearnersisgivenpriorityoveranyotheraspectoftheschool.
Assessmentplaysacrucialroleinsupporting,measuring,andactivatinglearning.Italso plays a vital role in achieving our whole school mission. By implementing effective assessment procedures, students, teachers, administrators, and parents can evaluate eachstudent'sprogresstowardsachievingtheirlearninggoals.
At Brookhurst schools, we view assessment as a collaborative effort where all stakeholdersarecommitted to thedevelopment of holistic learners. All teachersuse comprehensive and inclusive assessments that are within the framework of the followingguidingprinciples.
3.0 GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN ASSESSMENTS
Brookhurstschool’sassessmentpracticesareguidedbythefollowingprinciples:
1. Allstudentscanlearnandbeassessed,andteacher’ sroleistofacilitatelearning totakeplace.
2. Assessmentsshouldconsidertheuniqueabilitiesoflearners.
3. Assessmentsareimportanttoolsusedtodevelopeffectiveteachingstrategies andshouldprovideparents,teachers,andadministratorswithinformationto supportstudentlearningandmakeanynecessaryadjustmentstotheleaning processes.
4. Assessments should monitor the progress of student’s learning in a continuous basis.
5. Awiderangeofassessmentsshouldbeusedtoservedifferentlearningpurposes
6. Assessment should support curricular goals and be aligned with the standards,practices,andphilosophyoftheIBProgramme.
7. Assessments should be as objective as possible and aligned to the content coveredbytheteacherswiththestudents.
8. Assessment shouldbecurriculumbasedandstudentworkshouldbeevaluated inrelationtodemonstratedlevelsofachievementsandnotinrelationtothework ofotherstudents
9. Assessment practices should be a collaborative effort that involves teachers, students,parents,andschooladministrators
10.Studentsmusthaveagoodunderstandingoftheassessmentcriteriatoachieve theirlearninggoalsineachsubjectatthestartoftheprogram.
11.Studentsshouldbegiventheopportunitytoconductselfandpeerassessment
12.Parentsandstudentsshouldhaveaccesstostudents'gradesatanytimeinthe easiestwaypossible.
4.0 OBJECTIVES OF ASSESSMENT
AssessmentinBrookhurstschoolsaretakentoachievethefollowingobjectives:
1. Toexposestudentstoacomprehensive,challenging,andwide-ranging assessmentcurriculumthatisalignedtotheexpectationsoftheIBprogramme
2. Tohelpteacherstoevaluatetheextenttowhichtheeducationalobjectivesare metbytheprogrammebothintermsofcurriculumandinstructionandtoenable themtoreviseinstructiontomeetstudentneeds
3. Toprovidestudentsandparentswithopportunitiestodeterminetheextent towhichstudentshavegraspedknowledgeandskillsandtoreflectonhow tosupportandimprovethestudent’scapabilities.
4. Toenhancethedevelopmentofhighorderthinkingskillsincluding analysis,reflection,andevaluation.
5. Toencouragestudentstobecomelifelonglearnersbypromotinggood organizationalskillsandinterculturalawarenessinlinewiththeIBlearner profiles.
6. Toincorporateavarietyofapplicableassessmenttoolsandtaskstoensure thatallthecourseobjectivesareassessedineachsubjectgroup
7. Toimplementasystemofcontinuousassessmentincludingtimelyfeedback tosupportlearning
8. Todevelopanassessmentprogrammethatprovidesareliableindication ofstudentperformance
9. Toincludestudentsintheassessmentprocessthroughself-andpeerassessmentoftheirownworkandsetgoalsforimprovementbylearninghowto bereflective.
ROOKHURST
5.1 Assessment types
Assessmentisavitalcomponentoftheeducationalprocessthatenablesteachersto monitorandevaluatemasteryandunderstandingofcontent.Aassessmentisa continuousandintegralpartofinstruction.Weemploydifferentmethodsofformative andsummativeassessments
Weuseformativeassessmentsonaregularbasistomeasurestudentprogress. Teachersandstudentscanadjustthelearningprocessbasedontheresultsofthese assessments.Summativeassessmentsaregiveninthemiddleandattheendofterm.
Typesofassessmentthatweuseinclude:
• Classdiscussionsand/orseminars
• Essays
• Experimentalinvestigations
• Fieldworkandexcursions
• Groupandindividualoralpresentationsandcommentaries
• Multimediapresentations
• Multiplechoicestylequestionsandquizzes
• Onlinediscussionforums
• Journals
• Studiowork
• Classdebates
• Testsandexaminations
• Exhibitions
• Homework
• IBdiplomainternalassessments
• Individualorgroupprojects.
5.2 Assessment of students work
Student’s work is assessed using a variety of rubrics and scales, which are made available to students in advance so that they are aware of teacher expectations. Assessments and assignments may be graded through self, peer, group or teacher evaluation.
In addition, students are exposed to questions from previous IB assessments and respectivemarkingschemessothatthey arepreparedforthelevelofrigortheywill face when they complete their external assessments. Classroom grades are aligned with IB standards and boundaries. Teachers also consider other factors such as attendance,classroomwork,homeworkandparticipationwhichreflectstudent’seffort asacomponentoftheirlearning.
InstructionintheProgrammeisaimedtowardsbothmasteryofthecontentandskills in the curriculum, as well as preparation for the different internal and external assessmentsstudentswillundertaketoearntheirIBDiplomas.Theperformanceofa studentinIBassessmentsisexpectedtobeconsistentwithgradesinclass.
IB assessments consist of Internal Assessments and External Assessments, both of which arecompleted during Year 12 and Year 13. TheExternal Assessments areIB exams administered on the scheduled examination dates and sent directly to IB examinersforassessment.
Internal Assessments are mandatory and are conducted by the subject teacher and gradedaccordingtotherubricsprovidedwithintheIBdiplomacurriculumguidesand thereaftersubmittedtoIBformoderation.Teachershavediscretionoverwhetherto includeinternalassessmentgradesintheregularsummativeassessmentgrades.
Beyond thegeneral assessment policieshighlighted above, teachers in Brookhurst follow specific guidelines to make sure student grades are meaningful and fair. Subjectteacherscommunicatedatesofmajorassignmentsandfollowaschooltestdate calendar. Teachers are also expected to give a minimum of one graded assignmenteachfortnight.Studentswhohaveanexcusedabsence fromschoolare entitledtocatchuptimetocompleteassignmentsatthediscretionoftheclassroom teacher.
5.3 IB Grading Scale
MarksinIBcoursesarereportedusingtheIB1-7markingscaleasdescribedbelow.
Subjects are marked according to the following scale
7 -Excellentperformance
6 -Verygoodperformance
The TOK course and extended essay are graded according to the following scale
-Excellent
-Good
5 -Goodperformance C -Satisfactory
Class assessment Grade Adjustments for IB Courses*
-90-100
-80-89
-70-79
4 -Satisfactoryperformance D -Mediocre 4 -60-69
3 -Mediocreperformance E -Elementary 3 -50-59
2 -Poorperformance N –Nograde 2 -30-49
1 -Verypoorperformance 1 -0–29
Theabovegradingscaleswillbeusedforgradingassessmentsinourschools.
5.4 Recording Examination Results
Teacherswillberequiredtopoststudentsindividualresultsontheschoolmanagement system.Theclassteachersarerequiredtocheckthepostedresultsagainstthephysical scriptstoensurethereisaccuracyandcorrectanyerrors.TheAcademicdeanwillcheck allindividualstudentacademicrecordsonthesystemto ensuretherearenoerrorsor missing data. Thereafter, the report forms are sent to the parents through the school management system. Students who are in school are also provided with a copy of the academicreport.
5.5 Reporting IB Grades
Parent-teacherconsultationmeetingsareheldonceeachtermtodiscussthestudent’s progress.Additionally,teachersconsultwithparentsonanindividualbasisviaemail, phone,orface-to-facemeetings.
IB course grades, based on school-based assessments, are reported to students and their parents on an ongoing basis through the emails and the school management system. Reportcardsaredistributedtostudentsandparentstwiceaterm.Thesereport cardsprovideIBstudentswithanIBgradeof1to7foreachIBcourse.Reportcardsare sentthroughtheschoolmanagementsystemtotheparentbutthestudentsmusthave receivedacopybeforetoraiseanyissueofconcernbeforeitissharedwithparents.
5.6 IBDP Grades
PerformanceineachsubjectisgradedontheIB7-pointscaleasindicated.TOKand EEareeachgradedonascaleofA-E.TheCASrequirementisnotassessedbutmust be completed satisfactorily according to all guidelines. A maximum of 3 points are awardedforcombinedperformanceinTOKandtheEE.Acandidate’smaximumscore is45points.
5.7 Award of the Diploma
Astudentmustcompleteallcomponentsforeachofthesubjectsbeingtakenandthe additionalTOK,EEandCASrequirementsmustbecompletedtoqualifyfortheaward of theIB Diploma. TheIB Diplomawill beawarded to acandidate who hasmet the followingrequirements:
• Thecandidatehasatotalpointcountof24ormore.
• Thecandidatehasscored12pointsormoreinatleast3HLsubjects
• Thecandidatehasscored9pointsormoreinaSLsubject
• Thecandidatehasnotbeenpenalisedforacademicmisconduct
5.8 Meeting Tasks deadlines
We encourage our students to be balanced and principled. A key aspect of this is to promote meeting of deadlines. This also serves to prepare students for future educationexpectationsbeyondtheIBDiplomaProgramme.
InBrookhurst,teachersworkcollaborativelytoensurethatdeadlinesfortheInternal Assessments and summative assessments for the different subject areas are distributedinamannerthatsupportsstudentsuccess.
Basedonindividualcircumstances,extensionsforsubmissionofassignmentsshould bearranged with theteacher prior to thedeadline. Late submission of assignments
that fall out of this arrangement will result in a penalty prescribed in the teacher’s coursesyllabus.
6.0 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITY OF SCHOOL COMMUNITY IN ASSESSMENTS
6.1
Students responsibilities
1. Successfullycompleteassessmentsbythegivendeadlines
2. Produce work of a high quality that reflects the quality of skills acquired over theirperiodofstudy.
3. Strictly comply with requirementsfor academic honesty asoutlined by theAcademicIntegrityPolicyoftheschool.
4. ExhibittheIBLearnerProfiles
5. Be proactive in seeking help, monitoring progress, and identifying areas thatrequireimprovement
6. Maintainapositive,workingrelationshipwithteachers,administrationand IBcoordinator
7. Ensurerevisionmaterialsareorganizedandkeptproperly.
8. Studentstobeintheexaminationareas30minutesbeforestarttime.
6.2 Parents and guardians’ responsibilities
1. Parents/guardianstoaccessstudents’academicprogressreportsfromtheschool systemandusethemtomonitorthelearningandasabasisofengagementwith theschool
2. Discuss assessments with student regularly to show support and encouragementtothestudentfortheirachievement
3. Contactteacheronanyissueofconcernsothatitcanbeaddressedinatimely manner
4. Attendallparentmeetingsandconsultationsessionstoensurethatinformation needed for exam registrations and Diploma requirements is received and completedpromptlytosupportstudentsintheireducationalprocess
5. Providelearningmaterialswhenrequired.
6.3 Teacher responsibilities
1. Ensure that assessment tasks are in line with the curricular goals of the IB DiplomaProgramme.
2. Maketheassessmentcriteriacleartothestudents
3. Design formativeassessment activitiesto aid studentsunderstand theexpectationsandhowtheycanmakeprogress
4. EnsuredeadlinesoutlinedbyIBAssessmentCalendararefollowed.
5. Communicate frequently with students, parents and school administratorsregardingstudents’progress
6. Analyseassessmentdatatoidentifytrendsofstudentperformanceandneeds
7. Incorporatedataofformativeassessmentactivitiesintoeverydayplanning
8. Use different instructional and assessment techniques to differentiate instructionandutilizetheIBResourceCentreregularlytostayupdated onanycurriculumandassessmentchanges
9. Providetimelyandmeaningfulfeedbackonallassessments.
6.4 DP coordinator responsibilities
1. MakeIBdiplomaassessmentmaterialsandotherdocumentsavailableto teachersandstudents.
2. Facilitate IB diploma programme training and Continuous Professional Development for teachers as and when the need is identified.
3. OrganizecollaborativemeetingsbetweentheIBteacherstodiscussand evaluateteachingandassessmentstrategies.
4. RegisterstudentsfortheIBDiplomaprogrammeexaminationsontime
5. OverseeIBtestingandmonitortestingconditions
6. Monitortheextendedessayassessmentprocess
7. MonitorCASprogrammesandprogress
8. Monitor the progress of all internal assessments and extended essays and ensurethedeadlinesaremet.
9. Cultivateacultureoffocusingon‘assessmentforlearning’and‘assessmentof learning’
10.ReviewtheassessmentpolicywithDiplomateachersattheendofeach academicyear.
7.0 LINK BETWEEN ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT POLICY AND OTHER POLICIES
ThefollowingtwopolicieshaveastronglinktotheAssessmentpolicy.
Academic Integrity
Integrityandacademichonestyarefundamentalcomponentsofstudents’ character development and education. The schools expect that all students will not commitactsofacademicdishonestylikecheatingorplagiarism.
We believe that upholding academic honesty is the responsibility of every stakeholder in school. Expectations concerning academic honesty are clearly outlined in the school’s student code of conduct and the IB programme’s academicintegritypolicyandarecommunicatedtostudentsatthestartofeach year.
Inclusion policy
Students with special needs will receive the required support during assessment to ensurethey arenot disadvantaged. Thelearning support department willhavecarried assessmentstodeterminethekindofsupportrequiredbyeachstudentenlistedintothe department.
References
1. General regulations: Diploma Programme
2. Assessment principles and practices- Quality assessments in a digital age July 2019
3. CelebrationHighSchoolDiplomaProgrammeAssessmentPolicy
4. HenryJ.KaiserHighSchoolInternationalBaccalaureateDiplomaProgramme AssessmentPolicy