Assesment Policy

MODERN AMERICAN SCHOOL ‫المدرسة االمريكية الحديثة‬ International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) American High School Diploma Program COGNIA for Schools (AdvancED)

Assessment Policy

Table of Contents Vision and Mission of the Modern American School

3

IB Mission Statement

3

MAS Philosophy

4

Purpose of Assessment

5

MAS Assessment Principles

6

Characteristics of Effective Assessment

6

Assessment Culture

7

Dimensions of Assessment

7

Types of Assessments

9

Assessment Strategies

10

Assessment Tools

11

Approaches to Learning (ATL Skills)

12

IB Learner Profile

12

Differentiation in Assessment

12

The Exhibition

12

Middle School Projects

13

Extended Essay

13

Assessment Criteria

13

MAS Specific Guidelines

16

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MAS Vision Statement The Vision of the Modern American School in Amman is to nurture lifelong learners and global thinkers to become responsible citizens with leadership qualities and universal values while instilling pride in one’s cultural identity.

MAS Mission Statement The Mission of the Modern American School is to provide learners with an engaging and challenging blended learning environment within a diverse community while focusing on international programs, catering for learners’ well-being, fostering international mindedness, and offering various opportunities and experiences that contribute to learners’ growth.

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

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MAS Philosophy The Modern American School aims to foster a high standard of comprehensive dual education, from its pre-k through grade 12 programs, which meets and integrates national and international standards.

The philosophy of MAS rests on the conviction that learners should be prepared to become contributing and responsible world citizens and participants in an evolving multicultural society.

MAS, in partnership with parents and the wider community, instils in its learners the spirit of culture, flexibility, international understanding, pride, creativity, respect, and appreciation for their heritage and environment. Learners are encouraged to see all human beings as equal, irrespective of religion, culture, ethnic origin or gender, and to deal with each other with mutual respect and compassion. Through its rigorous yet diverse programs, the school aims to guide learners in discovering fulfilment and enjoyment in ethical, intellectual, and artistic achievements of human endeavor.

MAS views each learner as a unique individual to be challenged, thereby achieving their potential and experiencing the opportunity to succeed. In light of a rapidly evolving world, it is necessary to prepare MAS learners to be leaders, ready to meet the challenges of technology, global changes and peacebuilding. Thus, it is the school’s mission to direct the energy of our youth into a creative force, shaping their characters into mature, healthy, independent, well-rounded, and conscientious members of the community capable of critical thinking and problem-solving.

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Purpose of Assessment Assessment is fundamental to teaching and learning. It is defined as “any of the different ways in which learner achievement can be gathered and evaluated” (IBO, 2018), using a variety of assessment strategies to give learners many opportunities to showcase their understanding whereby they are assessed fairly and appropriately. It provides a framework for planning and delivering constructive feedback to encourage growth and further development based on learners’ needs and capabilities to reach the curriculum outcomes set for each grade level. It is ongoing, wide-ranging, and essential, reflected in various forms; formal or informal, formative and/or summative, internal or external. It affirms how the assessment process reinforces good, authentic classroom practices that promote and foster critical and creative thinking.

Assessment at MAS follows both the ‘backward by design’ and ‘forward by design’ model suggested by Wiggins and Mc Tighe. The ‘backward by design’ process encourages teachers to design assessments by first identifying the desired knowledge, conceptual understandings, and skills, then creating the assessment, and finally planning learning experiences and providing opportunities to ensure the development of knowledge, conceptual understandings, and skills to support self-regulatory learning. The ‘forward by design’ approach supports the development of approaches to learning and attributes of the IB learner profile and provides opportunities and contexts for learners to practice their skills. It will ensure that skills and attributes of the IB Learner profile are monitored, endorsed and valued. This ultimately helps learners’ involvement in designing assessments and highlighting what they know and can do.

Reflection on the teaching and learning methodology and implementation is ongoing; data analysis is regularly conducted, and accordingly, future planning is adjusted as needed. Ensuring the use of a wide range of strategies and tools—gathering evidence of learner learning, reflecting on it, and then acting upon it—aids in informing the teaching and learning.

The learning journey is monitored, documented, measured, and reported. Learning goals and success criteria are co-constructed and communicated through the collaboration of all teachers.

Learners are actively engaged in their learning and are given the opportunity to self-assess themselves and get assessed by their peers, reflecting on both their work and the work of others, receiving ongoing constructive feedback, whether orally or in written format, from both teachers and peers to feedforward to the next steps in learning.

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MAS Assessment Principles In recognition that learners have different learning styles, it is important for teachers at MAS to utilize different assessment methods and strategies to challenge each learner. In principle, MAS operates a continuous assessment system as follows: •

Assess learners consistently and continuously

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Use a variety of assessment tools, strategies and techniques.

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Provide practices that are fair and transparent based on criteria shared with the learners prior to assessment

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Evaluates knowledge, concepts, skills, and attitudes.

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Use assessment as a base for guided instructions and feedback to improve future learning.

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Use assessments that are designed and evaluated against defined published objectives and criteria, in accordance with the programmes adopted at school.

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Evaluate the appropriateness of the curriculum

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Assessments should be sensitive to cultural, linguistic, racial, learning, physical and gender differences, which is offered through authentic tasks to assess different facets of learning

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Continuous formative and summative tasks

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Feedback for learners and teachers in order to inform and tailor learning and teaching

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Evidence of progress

Characteristics of Effective Assessment Key characteristics of highly effective assessment (Clarke 2012).

• Authentic: It promotes learner engagement by connecting to the real world.

• Specific and clear: This includes learning goals, success criteria, and the process learners use to learn.

• Varied: It employs a broader range of appropriate tools and strategies to create a well-rounded picture of learner learning.

• Developmental: It focuses on the progress of an individual learner rather than their performance compared to others.

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• Collaborative: It involves teachers and learners in developing and evaluating assessments.

- Interactive: Assessment includes ongoing and iterative conversations about learning.

•Feedback to feedforward: It provides feedback on current learning to inform what is required to support future learning and motivate learners.

Assessment Culture We believe that effective, strong communication channels amongst the school community is essential for building a clear shared assessment culture that recognizes the role assessment plays in informing the learner, learning and teaching and the learning community about the attainment, development, progress and decision making. This can be achieved by.

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Developing a clear assessment policy with school-wide expectations and set standards that is shared with the whole school community and is embedded within the practices of all teachers and learners.

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Developing a common language amongst the school community when it comes to planning, implementation, reflection, and moderating assessment collaboratively.

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Providing a structured, focused, and relevant feedback to both learners and parents when it comes to their attainment and progress.

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Empowering learners to become self-regulated capable learners who can set their own learning goals, assess their progress, reflect on their growth and plan on how to further develop when it comes to their learning

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Invigorating the links between monitoring, documenting, measuring and reporting of learning.

Dimensions of Assessments MAS recognizes the importance of monitoring and documenting the process of acquiring the knowledge and skills, the understanding of concepts, the development of attitudes and the decision to take action through four dimensions: monitoring, documenting, measuring, and reporting of learning, informing the learner, learning and teaching, and the learning community about achievement and progress and supports decision-making.

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➢ Monitoring Learning Monitoring learning aims to evaluate learning progress against personal learning goals and success criteria. It happens daily through various strategies, such as observation, questioning, reflection, discussing learning with peers and teachers, and providing thoughtful feedback to feedforward to the next steps in learning. Monitoring tools include open-ended tasks, written or oral assessments, and a learning portfolio. ➢ Documenting Learning Learning documentation is the collection of evidence of learning. Physical or digital documentation can be displayed or recorded in a variety of media formats. Learning documentation is shared with others to make learning visible. Learners and teachers can use various formats to record learning objectives, questions, reflections, and evidence of learning, such as learning journals or logs, learning stories, portfolios, exemplars, checklists, rubrics, and anecdotal records. ➢ Measuring Learning The measuring of learning sheds light on what a learner has learned at a specific point in time. The school-designed measurement tools provide additional data to support a larger picture of learner achievement and learning progress. When standardized tests are administered, the data contribute to a complete picture of learner learning. ➢ Reporting Learning Reporting on learning describes the learners’ learning progress and achievement, identifies areas for improvement, and contributes to the program’s efficacy. The reporting process is open, transparent, and understandable to all stakeholders.

Methods of reporting: • Progress reports • School Mid-Semester and end of semester report cards • Parent portal (Online gradebook) • Teacher and/or counselor emails, phone calls and meetings • School Newsletter • Open house • Parent/teacher conferences • Learner-led conferences

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Types of Assessment ➢ Diagnostic Assessment Admission into MAS is based on the successful completion of entry tests and interviews with the Admission Committee. Applicants with learning differences, difficulties, or language needs will be considered for admission following evaluations by the academic support team to ensure the school can meet the learner’s needs. Academic support is the strategies, practices, accommodations, and resources that provide learning support to learners in languages, math, and unit of inquiry (science and social studies).

The academic support team meets with the parent/guardian of the applicant, introduces the program offered by the school and signs a letter of agreement according to which the learner will be registered for the academic support program (ASL). If required, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will be developed and implemented to cast light on the learner’s needs. Besides, the learner will receive accommodations with exams, homework, and other assessment areas. Specific comments will be mentioned in the learner’s report card indicating the support given. The learning support will continue until the academic support team confirms the learner’s progress and improvement to be withdrawn from the program. ➢ Pre-Assessment It is conducted at the beginning of each unit of inquiry or introduction of a new concept to assess learners’ prior knowledge and experience, thus, allowing teachers to plan and refine their teaching accordingly. ➢ Assessment for Learning (formative assessment) It starts with assessing previous knowledge and aims to inform learning and teaching. It is conducted throughout the learning process.

Features: written and oral artifacts, observations and feedback, surveys, and progress reports.

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➢ Assessment as Learning It is part of the formative process and is conducted throughout the learning process. It helps learners to become responsible lifelong learners. It supports them in reflecting on their progress, making adjustments, and setting goals for future learning.

Features: setting and monitoring learning goals, reflecting on the learning process to adjust learning and supporting personal development. ➢ Assessment of Learning (summative assessment) It offers learners the opportunity to measure their development of knowledge, conceptual understandings and skills. It is conducted at the end of the unit.

Features: exams, quizzes, standardized tests, projects.

Assessment Strategies •

Observations: Learners are observed frequently and on a regular basis, with the teacher varying the focus from wide angle (for example, focusing on the entire class) to close up (for example, focusing on one learner or activity) and from nonparticipant (observing from without) to participant (observing from within).

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Performance based assessments: Are assessments of goal-directed tasks using predefined criteria. They offer genuine and significant challenges and problems. They are typically multimodal and necessitate the use of considerable skills. Audio, video and narrative records are frequently helpful for this type of evaluation.

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Process-focused assessments: Learners are observed frequently and on a regular basis, and the observations are documented by noting typical and non-typical behaviours, collecting multiple observations to increase reliability, and synthesizing evidence from various contexts to increase validity. A notetaking and record-keeping system is developed to reduce the amount of time spent writing and recording. Common methods of collecting observations include checklists, inventories, and narrative descriptions (such as learning logs).

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Selected responses: Single occasion, one-dimensional exercises. The most common examples of this type of assessment are tests and quizzes.

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Open-ended tasks: Situations in which learners are given a stimulus and asked to respond creatively. The answer could be a brief written response, a drawing, a diagram, or a solution. The work, along with the assessment criteria, could be included in a portfolio.

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Process journals: These are used to facilitate learner reflection, which is a critical component of the learning process. They track learners’ personal achievement and enable them to reflect upon their own learning experiences. It is required in some fields of study, but can be utilized in all subject areas.

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Portfolios: These provide a method for learners to compile a collection of work throughout the course of the units. Learners can use portfolios as a means of reflection as well as a display of their gains in both knowledge and skills. Portfolios can be used during learner-lead conferences.

Assessment Tools -

Rubrics: A set of established criteria for assessing learners in all areas. The descriptors instruct the assessor on what characteristics or signs to look for in learners’ work and how to rate it on a predetermined scale. Rubrics can be created by both learners and teachers.

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Exemplars: Learner work samples serve as concrete standards against which other samples are judged. A scoring rubric includes one benchmark for each level of achievement.

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Checklists: These are lists of required information, data, attributes, or elements.

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Anecdotal records: Anecdotal records are short written notes based on learner observations. These records must be systematically collected and organized.

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Peer/Self-Assessment: Learners reflect on their performance against task-specific criteria. These give the teacher automatic feedback on learners’ perception of their standing in the learning process.

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Continuums: These are visual representations of the stages of learning development.

They demonstrate progression.

Teachers record assessments directly in their grade book (whether hard copy or electronic), on the school’s grading system (PowerSchool, where information that is reported to parents is entered), the Ministry of Education grade book (according to the Ministry’s requirements), and the Ministry’s electronic database.

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Approaches to Learning (ATL Skills) Five interrelated skills help learners to think, research, communicate, socialize, and manage themselves effectively and support their sense of agency, thus becoming self-regulated learners.

Teachers collaborate to create many opportunities to foster the development of the ATL skills inside and outside the programme of inquiry using different strategies and mapping them vertically and horizontally across the curriculum. Teacher observations and learner reflections are recorded.

These records will demonstrate the progression and demonstration of the ATL skills.

IB Learner Profile The attributes of the IB learner are evident in the school’s culture and reflected in classroom practices, school activities, counselling process and collaborative planning arrangements. The language of the learner profile is used in conversations, discussions, and the development of essential agreements and portfolios. Learners receive feedback on their learning using the language of the learner profile, which is communicated through personalized comments on report cards.

Differentiation in Assessment Different assessments are designed according to grade level to cater for learners’ diverse needs, styles and capabilities. Teachers respond to learners’ needs and differences by differentiating content, process and product according to learners’ readiness, interests and learning profiles while always keeping in mind the guiding principles of respectful tasks, ongoing assessment and flexible groups.

The Exhibition for Primary Years Learners participate in an exhibition in their final year of the PYP —a learner-led inquiry into a topic of interest to them. This is a demonstration of learner agency and a reflection on learners’ capacity to orchestrate their learning. The exhibition allows learners to put their interests, transdisciplinary thinking, knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills, and learner profile attributes into action. They carry out their investigation individually and with their peers, together with the help of a mentor, who can be from within or outside the school community.

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Middle School Projects (Community Project and Personal Project) MYP projects are learner-centred and age-appropriate, and they enable learners to engage in practical explorations through a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection. MYP projects help learners to develop the attributes of the IB learner profile and demonstrate their understanding and application of the ATL skills. There are set published criteria for assessing both the Community Project (completed in Grade 8) and Personal Project (completed in Grade 10).

The Extended Essay for High School The extended essay is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper. It is a mandatory course for all DP graduates seeking a certificate in Diploma. Students investigate a topic of personal interest to them, which relates to one of the student's six DP subjects, or take the interdisciplinary approach of a World Studies extended essay. Students develop skills such as; generating and formulating a proper specific research question, conducting thorough research for primary and secondary resources, and getting personally engaged in the topic of research.

Assessment Criteria Primary Years The assessment criteria in the PYP are communicated to learners and parents at the start of each unit of inquiry and documented in the school planner and report cards.

A*

Exceeding Expectations

The learner exceeds the expected learning outcomes of their grade level.

A

Meeting Expectations Approaching Expectations

The learner achieves the learning outcomes expected of their grade level.

The learner demonstrates that they put effort and begin to achieve the learning outcomes of their grade level.

C

Working Toward Expectations

The learner works hard toward achieving the learning outcomes of their grade level.

D

Below Expectations

The learner faces challenges toward reaching most of the learning outcomes of their grade level.

NA

Not assessed

The learning outcome has not yet been assessed.

B

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.Middle School Years Percentage equivalency of MYP scale Number Scale 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Percentage Equivalent 95 – 100 90 – 94 85 – 89 80 – 84 70 – 79 60 – 69 51 – 59 1 – 50

Final subject scores are recorded into an overall MYP level from 1-7.

Deciding on Learners Achievement Level for Summative Assessments Authentic assessment tasks in the MYP are generated by teachers and, where appropriate, learners. Objectives for each subject group are identified by the MYP subject group guides and are aligned with the assessment criteria. Assessments are measured by criterion-related rubrics that are modified with task-specific clarifications. Judgments are made by consulting the levels of achievement and assigning the level that best describes the quality of work submitted.

After a series of judgments are made, the rubrics, along with formative assessment data and summative assessment data are used to make a final judgment using the “best-fit” approach.

Internal standardization in MYP – in the cases where more than one teacher are teaching the same subject group in a given year level, instances of internal standardization will take place to ensure a common understanding of criteria and application of levels of achievement. Supervisors of the personal project will also standardize. According to the guide MYP: From principles into practice (2014): “Standardization throughout the school year promotes consistency and builds common understandings about learner achievement with respect to MYP objectives.” (Page 83).

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MYP semester grade boundaries:

Boundary Final Guidelines grade 1

%

2

10 – 19

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

1

2

Letter grade

0–9

F

20 – 29 30 - 39 40 – 49 50-54

Produces work of very limited quality. Conveys many significant misunderstandings or lacks understanding of most concepts and contexts. Very rarely demonstrates critical or creative thinking. Very inflexible, rarely using knowledge or skills

E

55 – 59

E+

60 – 64

D

65 – 69

D+

70 – 74

C

75 – 79

C+

80 – 84

B

85 – 89

B+

90 – 94

A

Produces work of limited quality. Expresses misunderstandings or significant gaps in understanding for many concepts and contexts.

Infrequently demonstrates critical or creative thinking. Generally inflexible in the use of knowledge and skills, infrequently applying knowledge and skills.

Produces work of an acceptable quality. Communicates basic understanding of many concepts and contexts, with occasionally significant misunderstandings or gaps. Begins to demonstrate some basic critical and creative thinking. Is often inflexible in the use of knowledge and skills, requiring support even in familiar classroom situations.

Produces good-quality work. Communicates basic understanding of most concepts and contexts with few misunderstandings and minor gaps. Often demonstrates basic critical and creative thinking. Uses knowledge and skills with some flexibility in familiar classroom situations, but requires support in unfamiliar situations Produces generally high-quality work. Communicates secure understanding of concepts and contexts. Demonstrates critical and creative thinking, sometimes with sophistication. Uses knowledge and skills in familiar classroom and real-world situations and, with support, some unfamiliar real-world situations.

Produces high-quality, occasionally innovative work.

Communicates extensive understanding of concepts and contexts.

Demonstrates critical and creative thinking, frequently with sophistication. Uses knowledge and skills in familiar and unfamiliar classroom and real world situations, often with independence.

Produces high-quality, frequently innovative work. Communicates comprehensive, nuanced understanding of concepts and contexts.

Consistently demonstrates sophisticated critical and creative thinking. Frequently transfers knowledge and skills with independence and expertise in a variety of complex classroom and real-world situations.

3

4

5

6 95 – 100 A+ 7

Descriptors

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End of Semester MYP Reporting A summative semester end score, given for each criterion within each subject area, reflects a learner's level of demonstrated competence. Scores for each criterion are reported as whole numbers, using the 8-point scale. Another holistic score will be calculated for each subject using the 4 criteria. The holistic score will be used to determine the % score and letter grade according to the conversion scale mentioned above.

High school Years In the high school we follow the grading boundaries set by the IBO for the Diploma program where marks (42 points) are converted to the equivalency of (1-7) For the American program, we follow the grade boundaries of 100 converted to grade descriptors of A*-E and count the GPA of 4.00 Points.

• Reporting marks to the Ministry of Education (Grades 6-12) In compliance with MOE requirements, the school reports learner achievement to MOE out of 100.

This is done by converting the total for each MYP subject to a scale out of one hundred.

• Mandatory Ministry of Education (MOE) conditions that must be fulfilled Passing/Failing Conditions (Grades 6-12) In alignment with MOE regulations, the passing mark is a 50% average in both semesters for each subject. Procedures are as follows: • If a learner fails four subjects or more, s/he will not advance to the subsequent grade level and will need to repeat the current grade level.

• If a learner fails one to three subjects, s/he will need to sit for school-written retake exams in August. The learner will need to pass all retake exams in order to advance to the subsequent grade level, otherwise s/he will repeat the current grade level.

MAS Specific Guidelines ➢ Absence Absence from an examination will not be excused without a medical report from the school doctor. Arrangements for make-up exams will be conducted in coordination with the Office of Learner Affairs and Division Principal/Assistant Principal. ➢ Academic Honesty Learners are expected to maintain personal integrity in conduct and work habits following the academic honesty expectations and integrity policy of MAS based on national and international standards.

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Policy Committee Members The Academic Honesty policy is reviewed annually. The following committee members reviewed and updated this year’s policy: Ms. Suha Abdel Baqi Deputy Director/DP Coordinator Ms. Raida Daoud ES Principal

Ms. Dareen Hattar Deputy Director /MYP Coordinator Ms. Maram Al Dweik Deputy Director / Head of Students’ Affairs

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References •

International Baccalaureate Organization. (2009). Making the PYP happen: A curriculum framework for international primary education.

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International Baccalaureate Organization. (2009). The primary year’s program: A basis for practice.

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PYP: From Principles into Practice, IBO, 2018

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International Baccalaureate Organization (September 2016), General Regulations, Geneva: IBO.

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MYP: From Principles into Practice, IBO, 2014

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