The purpose of assessment is to inform learning and teaching. It involves the gathering and analysis of information about student learning to inform teaching practice. It identifies what students know, understand and can do at different stages in the learning process, and identifies any barriers to learning.

Purpose of assessment process

Students become effective, self-regulated learners when they are actively engaged in assessment and act on constructive feedback. This helps them reflect on their progress, set goals for their learning and engages them in making decisions about what they need to do to achieve these goals.

Teachers become more effective when they continually learn and assess what students know and can do. They reflect on their practice, adjust their teaching based on data, and offer timely, specific and well-considered feedback to better support learning.

Both, assessment of learning and assessment for learning are essential parts of the IB programme. It provides insight into the students’ understanding of the concepts, attitudes, skills, knowledge and action.
Assessment at ISLK reflects the specified criteria for PYP and MYP Programmes leading to the overall assessment of student achievement. ISLK measures academic progress to ensure that all students will enhance their knowledge and the skills necessary to be lifelong learners.

Designing the assessment to inform teaching and learning

• Teachers have the flexibility to use a variety of methods and use prior knowledge/assessment to plan appropriately relevant, significant, engaging and challenging lessons.
  Teachers assess prior-knowledge to inform teaching.
• Identify what students do well and how they can improve their understanding and development of the subjects’ specifications - this is to promote learning by giving regular and frequent feedback.
  Teachers focus on the assessment for learning as part of the formative process. This assists the teachers on when they need to adapt and reframe their lesson from the information gained from the formative process.
• Teachers need to give clear meaningful feedback to enhance the students' learning during the teaching and learning. This can be given orally and/or in a written context during the different units of work. Students need to understand the feedback and apply it to their educational journey.

Highly effective assessment shares some key characteristics (Adapted from Clarke 2012)

• Authentic: It supports making connections to the real world to promote student engagement.
• Clear and specific: This includes desired learning goals, success criteria and the process students use to learn.
• Varied: It uses a wider range of tools and strategies that are fit for purpose in order to build a well-rounded picture of student learning.
• Developmental: It focuses on an individual student’s progress rather than their performance in relation to others.
• Collaborative: It engages both teachers and students in the assessment development and evaluation process.
• Interactive: Assessment encompasses ongoing and iterative dialogues about learning.
• Feedback to feed forward: It provides feedback on current learning to inform what is needed to support future learning (Hattie, Timperley 2007) and raises students’ motivation.

Summative assessment

The use of summative assessments are limited in the PYP, formative assessments used throughout the unit creating opportunities for the students to evidence their own learning and reflect on progress is preferred. Each unit in the PYP is planned to give students a variety of opportunities to demonstrate their learning in an integrated and appropriately challenging context. Summative assessments are used when appropriate.

The MYP has criterion based summative assessment that is used to identify achievement and progress that usually occurs at the end of the unit. At ISLK, we follow the guidelines set forth by MYP Principles into Practice 2014, updated April 2021. The final IB grade award takes place at the end of each year to determine the achievement levels of individual students throughout the year, in relation to the stated objectives for each subject group and for the personal project (Personal project MYP5 only). Students will receive a final grade for each subject, but they must have been assessed in all criteria and all strands at least twice in the different subject groups as per the IB guidelines. Therefore, the final grades are not
valid until the end of the school academic year. For clarification of MYP final grade award, please see the MYP assessment appendices for more details and clarification.

Being an IB school, students at ISLK participate in the PYP Exhibition and MYP Personal Project are used at the end of each programme for students to demonstrate consolidation of learning.

Standardized tests

• Annual participation in ISA testing (PYP6, MYP2, MYP4 and MYP5).
• PYP: a to z reading assessment
• PYP: ISLK PYP narrative writing assessment (ISLK PYP created, standardization through teacher moderation with additional ISLK PYP exemplare bank)
• Data from assessments analysed and used to inform collaboration, the written curriculum, teaching and learning practices.
• Swedish National tests for MYP5 Swedish language and literature/Language Acquisition (phase 4 and above).

Roles and Responsibilities for ISLK IB community

The assessment process involves collaboration between all members of the school community.

PYP and MYP students are expected to:

• Take an active role in acquiring a clear idea of the knowledge and/or skills that are being assessed and the criteria against which they are being assessed in a summative form.
• To complete assignments in time and respect deadlines in alignment with our assessment appendices and academic integrity policy.
• Students should be responsibly involved in peer and self-assessment, and reflections.
• Students should use information from the assessment to develop their understanding and move their learning forward.
• Participate in the PYP exhibition/MYP Personal Project.

Teachers and coordinators are responsible for:

• Use assessment as a tool to evaluate the depth of their curriculum and the effectiveness of their teaching.
• Informing parents and students about the expectations of the program and the nature of assessments at ISLK.
• The use of data from assessments to inform planning and teaching, and improve instruction.
• Inform students with timely feedback and specific to help to inform them and improve learning.
• Assisting PYP and MYP students and parents with the transition to the MYP or DP respectively.
• Assisting parents and students moving into the area from non-IB schools to understand the IB philosophy. and framework for a smooth transition for the student.
• PYP and MYP teachers will assess formatively throughout and summatively at the end of every unit.
• MYP teachers will assess each criterion a minimum of twice per year.

The ISLK school community responsibility

• Parents and legal guardians become more informed when they understand the learning goals their child is working towards, and the progress their child is making. They contribute to their child’s joy of learning and growth as a successful learner.
• Attending meetings throughout the year (PYP: 3-way conferences, Student led conferences, Open house. MYP: Student led conferences, Open house).
• Read progress reports for their children and be prepared to discuss their child's development.

Learning support

Students with learning support requirements may require reasonable adjustments to access the PYP and MYP curriculum framework, including internal and external assessments. A reasonable adjustment is an action taken to remove or decrease a disadvantage faced by students with learning support requirements. A reasonable adjustment could be unique to a specific student and may include changes in the presentation of the test or method of response. Where reasonable adjustments involve changes to specific aspects or specific criteria of the assessment, the overall learning outcome must remain the same.

Students with more challenging learning support requirements may require modifications
to subject-group objectives/assessment criteria or assessment criteria descriptors. If students participate in the programme with modifications to the required MYP curriculum framework, the IB is not able to validate grades or award the IB MYP certificate. (P 85, MYP: From Principles into Practice (IBO:2014 (Updated April, 2021)).

Elements this might include:

• Students unable to access the curriculum due to language barrier.
• Students may require major adaptations and the impact these have on summative assessments.
• Students not being assessed twice for each strand in the MYP. This needs to be documented in the report.
• All students are viewed on an individual basis and the decision is made by Vice Principal /MYP coordinator.

References:

MYP: From Principles into Practice (IBO:2014 (Updated April, 2021)).

PYP: Learning and teaching. (IBO 2018 (Updated February 2019)).