Grading and Assessment Practice

Definitions

Assessment, grading and reporting are elements of a feedback cycle that supports learning. ASSESSMENT is the ongoing process of gathering a variety of evidence of student learning, and is embedded within the cycles of teaching and learning. Evidence may be collected through a range of developmentally appropriate methods, for example observation, conversation with students, and reviews of student work and performances. GRADING is the process of evaluating student evidence against a set of standards/criteria in order to provide feedback to students about their progress toward the intended learning. REPORTING is the communication of learning progress, growth, and achievement to students, parents and the wider community.

Evidence of Learning

All learning assessments are considered “evidence of learning”. HKIS uses a standards-based approach to teaching and learning. All learning provides a story of a student’s learning journey over time. Whether the learning tasks are small or large in nature, all learning tasks give students the opportunity to show what they know and can do. The learning feedback is always tied to standards and over time students can see how they are performing on certain groups of standards (which we call Measurement Topics) in each class.

Language of Feedback

We give feedback on assessments using the General Academic Scale.

Emerging	Developing	Exhibiting	Exhibiting Depth
The student demonstrates emerging proficiency in the standard. The student is beginning to demonstrate foundational knowledge and skills.	The student demonstrates developing proficiency in the standard. The student demonstrates the foundational knowledge and skills required to exhibit the standard but is not yet exhibiting proficiency in the standard.	The student exhibits proficiency in the standard. The student demonstrates the targeted understanding of knowledge and skills.	The student exhibits depth in the standard. The student is able to transfer learning to authentic or a typical situations. The students can draw upon their conceptual understanding to solve real problems that show a level of creativity and sophistication.

Emerging

Developing

Exhibiting

Exhibiting Depth

The student demonstrates emerging proficiency in the standard.

The student is beginning to demonstrate foundational knowledge and skills.

The student demonstrates
developing proficiency
in the
standard.

The student demonstrates the foundational knowledge and skills required to exhibit the standard but is not yet exhibiting proficiency in the
standard.

The student exhibits
proficiency in the standard.

The student demonstrates the targeted understanding of knowledge and skills.

The student exhibits depth in the standard.

The student is able to transfer learning to authentic or a typical situations. The students can draw upon their conceptual understanding to solve real problems that show a level of creativity and sophistication.

Final Grades

The final grade for the course (at the end of a semester for semester classes, or the end of the year for yearlong classes) will be determined by considering the student’s body of learning evidence over the duration of the course. Students will be given an overall proficiency indicator for each Measurement Topic (a group of standards) and then an overall proficiency for each Reporting Category (a larger bucket of skills and knowledge standards that is communicated on the report card).

In Schoology (our learning management system and online grade book), students will see an overall proficiency score for Measurement Topics and Reporting Categories. Learning Goals and Learning Targets are used in class lessons.

Reporting Category	Measurement Topic #1	Learning Goal #1.1 (Target Knowledge and Skills)	Learning Target
			Learning Target
		Learning Goal #1.2 (Target Knowledge and Skills)	Learning Target
			Learning Target
			Learning Target
	Measurement Topic #2	Learning Goal #2.1 (Target Knowledge and Skills)	Learning Target
			Learning Target
			Learning Target
		Learning Goal #2.2 (Target Knowledge and Skills)	Learning Target
			Learning Target
		Learning Goal #2.3 (Target Knowledge and Skills)	Learning Target
	Measurement Topic #3	Learning Goal #3.1 (Target Knowledge and Skills)	Learning Target
			Learning Target

All learning evidence is stored in Schoology. Schoology uses ‘averaging’ as a way to determine an overall proficiency indicator. Teachers may dismiss early learning from the average if there is evidence that the student has progressed in knowledge and skills. By dismissing early work the overall proficiency will be based on the most recent and/or most consistent performance and will be an accurate reflection of student learning.

A student’s participation, effort, behavior and attendance will not inform the achievement grade.

Approaches to Learning (ATLs)

Learning at HKIS is communicated with proficiency indicators and letter grades but also in our Approaches to Learning. The Approaches to Learning descriptors highlight a student’s ability within the class to actively engage in the learning experience and fulfill their potential as self-motivated, lifelong learners. They are behaviours that facilitate, broaden, or extend learning. “These may be things that enable learning, such as performance on formative assessments, homework, and class participation. They also may reflect extended learning goals related to noncognitive social-emotional learning skills such as collaboration, goal setting, perseverance, habits of mind, or citizenship” (Guskey, 2020). At HKIS, our Approaches to Learning measure a student’s ability to demonstrate Self Motivation, Collaboration, and Respect and Responsibility.