The following essay will discuss a case study of evaluating the assessment practices within your own school setting. The author explains what criteria are used within his own school setting, how assessments are concluded consistently, allowing students to grow, and educators support them in order to achieve and reach their full potential. These strategies are imperative in an international school setting, where you have students from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Abstract
The following essay will discuss a case study of evaluating the assessment practices within your own school setting. The author explains what criteria are used within his own school setting, how assessments are concluded consistently, allowing students to grow, and educators support them in order to achieve and reach their full potential. These strategies are imperative in an international school setting, where you have students from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Keywords: assessments, essay, cultural background, diverse.
Introduction
Teachers use assessments to encourage and motivate students to obtain excellent results in the subjects and different disciplines throughout most International Schools. This paper will evaluate the current assessment practices used within the author's school. This can be considered to be a case study to evaluate their current assessment practices and provide strategies to enlighten other teachers with challenges.
Year Groups, Location, and subject matter
The author currently works in an International in West Africa, the students attend Early Years, Primary, Middle and Secondary School from ages 3 - 18, following the IB curriculum, including PYP, IMYC, and IB programme.
Analysis of current practices used in the School
Assessments are used frequently in all areas of the school from Nursery, Early Years, Primary, Middle Years, and Secondary School. Teachers use a variety of methods to assess the student through using formative assessments as outlined by Education Reforms (2014) and Thomas (2019). These tools are extremely useful across the school as teachers are consistent, and formative assessments are ongoing, whilst teachers provide detailed constructive feedback on the progress of students, through discussions with parents and reporting on their outcomes, development, and areas of concern, with the need for constant improvements. Students are encouraged and motivated to fully engage in lessons. Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education (2006) concludes that: "Motivation is essential for the hard work of learning" (p. 6). According to Education Reforms (2014) that outlines that: "Formative assessment refers to a wide variety of methods that teachers use to conduct in-process evaluations of student comprehension, learning needs, and academic progress during a lesson, unit, or course" (para. 1, p. 1). By evaluating the student's progress, teachers have a better understanding of how to support the students further in all the different disciplines across the school. During Covid19 teachers have used Google Suite regularly to provide online lessons. These have been encouraged for cooperative learning, where students engage on different levels through collaborative projects, PowerPoint presentations, Google slides, and docs, and using platforms including Managebac. In the Early Years and Primary detailed lessons, plans are shared with parents with allocated tasks, and the various assessments included whether peer or self-assessments. Expectations of each course are shared on Managebac with detailed assessment criteria, to allow students to grow within their education. Teachers have the opportunity to write comments on assignments, including constructive feedback. During online lessons, teachers give oral feedback regularly and students are encouraged to ask questions related to their learning. As Education Reforms (2014) confirms that: "Formative assessments help teachers identify concepts that students are struggling to understand, skills they are having difficulty acquiring, or learning standards they have not yet achieved " (para. 1). Thomas (2019) suggest using the various strategies to employ detailed formative assessments, which includes entry and exit slips, where students are given opportunities to share their experience of their learning; and dipsticks where students write on keyword from what they have learned, this is also reinforced during the plenaries of most lessons online; interview assessments, casual and informal chats are promoted for students to elaborate on their learning during online lessons and in the classroom. In Middle and Secondary School teachers use summative assessments during an end-of-chapter test, and formal examinations, which could be midterm or end-of-the-year examinations. The students in Years 10, 11, 12, and 13 conclude Mock examinations, and formal examinations throughout the year as outlined by Edglossary (2013).
Examine whether assessment in your school is used FOR learning, AS learning, or OF learning.
Teachers are very consistent in their reporting to parents, we use all three assessment types, especially in Primary, students are allowed to demonstrate their learning through teacher and parent conferences. Students are expected to attend with their parents and talk about their learning. Reports are written each term and shared with parents, concerning areas of improvement that are discussed at great length and depth. Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education (2006) that "The fundamental purpose of reporting is to enable parents and students to understand the student's performance at a specific point in time, and to decide what is required for future progress"(p. 16). Through assessment of learning, which is summative, it allows students to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of a particular subject, what they already know, students know the exact expectations; assessment for learning, teachers are given data to support students and motivate differentiated tasks, and provide detailed feedback; and assessment as learning allows support, and metacognition for students (Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education, 2006).
Examine whether there is a need for change in the assessment practices in your school.
Most teachers are consistent through the use of both formative and summative assessments and Managebac effectively to communicate with parents on the development of their children. Presently there would be no need to change the current practices in our school, as teachers have been consistent and rigorous in giving constructive feedback and reporting. Communication between the school, parents, teachers and students has been regular, and students have the opportunity to showcase their understanding of a particular topic through teacher, and parent conferences. It is the policy of the school for all students to be present when teachers discuss their progress and overall development with parents, as reflection is key for their educational development and progress overall. The assessment strategies have been phenomenal in all three schools, and regular training provided for teachers.
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- Quote paper
- Mario Maxwell Müller (Author), 2022, Reflecting on Assessment Practices. What Criteria are Used, and how are Assessments Concluded Consistently?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1284936
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