Assessment in the MYP by andrew vandermeulen

Assessment in the MYP at WISS

Assessment in the MYP at WISS This document attempts to summarize assessment procedures and practices at WISS and reflects the “Assessment for Learning” section of MYP: from principles into practice (2014) along with other supporting information from additional literature. Throughout can be found how the MYP principles are put in place at WISS with a particular focus on how Managebac is used to carry out assessment. This summary should be consulted along with subject guides and should not be considered a replacement for the full text of MYP: from principles into practice (2014) where further detail and explanation are available. Assessment must also reflect the most recent version of the WISS Assessment Policy. The teacher support material available on the OCC should also be consulted for sample assessment tasks and for models of criteria use.

Principles of MYP assessment

1. Starting points

2. Key features

3. In summary

MYP command terms

Determining achievement levels

Developing task-specific clarifications

Descriptive feedback and reporting student achievement

1. Individual assessment tasks

2. Descriptive feedback through Managebac

3. End of semester one and two

4. Writing report comments

Further reading on assessment

A. Principles of MYP assessment 1. Starting points Assessment is integral to all teaching and learning. MYP assessment requires teachers to assess the prescribed subject-group objectives using the assessment criteria for each subject group in each year of the programme. In order to provide students with opportunities to achieve at the highest level, MYP teachers develop rigorous tasks that embrace a variety of assessment strategies. In the MYP, teachers make decisions about student achievement using their professional judgment, guided by mandated criteria that are public, known in advance and precise, ensuring that assessment is transparent. Across a variety of assessment tasks (authentic performances of understanding), teachers use descriptors to identify students’ achievement levels against established assessment criteria. MYP internal (school-based) assessment uses a “best-fit” approach in which teachers work together to establish common standards against which they evaluate each student’s achievement holistically.

What types of assessment tasks in your experience have produced the greatest results? (How do you define results?) This “criterion-related” approach represents a philosophy of assessment that is neither “norm-referenced” (where students must be compared to each other and to an expected distribution of achievement) nor “criterion-referenced” (where students must master all strands of specific criteria at lower achievement levels before they can be considered to have achieved the next level).

What is the difference between the “criterion-‐related” approach and the “criterion-‐referenced” approach? Assessment in the MYP aims to: •

support and encourage student learning by providing feedback on the learning process

•

inform, enhance and improve the teaching process

•

provide opportunity for students to exhibit transfer of skills across disciplines, such as in the personal project and interdisciplinary unit assessments

•

promote positive student attitudes towards learning

•

promote a deep understanding of subject content by supporting students in their inquiries set in real world contexts

•

promote the development of critical- and creative-thinking skills

•

reflect the international-mindedness of the programme by allowing assessments to be set in a variety of cultural and linguistic contexts

•

support the holistic nature of the programme by including in its model principles that take account of the development of the whole student.

WISS uses a generic Assessment Task Sheet (ATS) to provide clear assessment guidelines and instruction to students and transparency to parents. Any and all summative assessment should clearly communicate the nature of the assessment, the expectations of the student, and any additional supporting information in order to allow the student to demonstrate performance to their greatest potential.

2. Key features Assessment practices in the MYP can sometimes represent significant challenges to existing school practices. Some key features of MYP assessment include: •

distinction between internal summative assessment and the supporting formative processes

•

attention to the most accurate demonstration of student performance, rather than mechanically and uncritically averaging achievement levels over given reporting periods

•

assessment of student understanding at the end of a course, based on the whole course and not individual components of it.

Students must be able to recall, adapt and apply knowledge and skills to new questions and contexts. Students need to understand assessment expectations, standards and practices, which teachers can introduce early and naturally in teaching, as well as in class and homework activities. The aim of MYP assessment is to support and encourage student learning. The MYP places an emphasis on assessment processes that involve the gathering and analysis of information about student performance and that provide timely feedback to students on their performance. MYP assessment plays a significant role in the development of ATL skills, especially skills that are closely related to subject-group objectives. The MYP approach to assessment recognizes the importance of assessing not only the products, but also the process, of learning. MYP internal assessment includes tasks, strategies and tools that are designed, developed and applied by teachers working with students in their schools. Teachers are well placed to assess the work of their MYP students; this assessment model supports the professional judgment of teachers in deciding the achievement levels of individual students. External assessment includes moderation and eAssessment. MYP assessment encourages teachers to monitor students’ developing understanding and abilities throughout the programme. Through effective formative assessment, teachers gather, analyse, interpret and use a variety of evidence to improve student learning and to help students to achieve their potential. Student peer and self-assessment can be important elements of formative assessment plans. Internal (school-based) summative assessment is part of every MYP unit. Summative assessments are designed to provide evidence for evaluating student achievement using required MYP subject-group specific assessment criteria. Internal summative and formative assessments are closely linked, and teachers must use their knowledge of IB assessment expectations and practices to help students improve performance through consistent, timely and meaningful feedback.

When using Managebac you can identify whether an assessment is formative or summative. If you select “formative” you can select one of three assessment types: ⃝ Points ⃝ Criteria ⃝ Only Comments

When formative assessment is “criterion-‐related” it can be used to inform the best-‐fit practice. All formative assessment can be used to inform the holistic assessment of the student at the end of the semester and end of year.

3. In summary By assessing students as they develop disciplinary and interdisciplinary understanding, teachers identify student learning needs in order to better inform the learning process. Assessment in the MYP is not confined to the final part of a learning period, such as the end of a unit. Formative assessments can be planned from the start of a unit, although they may change as teachers engage with students to determine the next stages of learning. In summary, when creating MYP units, teachers must ensure that assessments: •

are integral to the learning process

•

are aligned with subject-group objectives

•

gather information from a variety of perspectives, using a range of tasks according to the needs of the subject and the nature of the knowledge, skills and understanding being assessed

•

are appropriate to the age group and reflect the development of the students within the subject

•

provide evidence of student understanding through authentic performance (not simply the recall of factual knowledge).

B. MYP command terms Command terms are embedded in the objectives and assessment criteria of each subject group in the MYP. The outcome of using command terms is that students understand and know what to do when asked to “describe” as opposed to “discuss”, or to “infer” as opposed to “explain”. An understanding and mastery of the command terms is an ATL skill that can be applied in new situations across the MYP subject groups as well as in further study, including in the DP and IBCP. Schools should provide opportunities for the explicit explanation of command terms within the context of the subject groups and the development of interdisciplinary ATL skills. By sharing command terms with students, teachers are able to give opportunities to practise relevant skills; to check understanding of the terms used to direct tasks; and to discuss what is expected or required, and the steps involved in completing tasks successfully. Each command term refers to specific thinking skills, practices and processes that constitute a subject or discipline, along with its content. In order to understand a discipline, which is a particular way of knowing, it is necessary to be fluent in the relevant command terms. Most command terms are applicable across subject groups. Teachers use command terms when giving instructions, when questioning students, when posing problems and when eliciting responses from a class. Students are expected to understand and be able to respond effectively to the command terms present in teaching instructions, questions and problems presented to them. While the definitions for the command terms remain the same, the expectation for the level of sophistication of students’ understanding, responses and performances is expected to progress with students’ maturity and intellectual development. Having a consistent definition of a command term enables students to understand the meanings and their application across disciplines. This clarity of terminology is especially important for students with diverse learning needs and complex language profiles. Consistent application of command terms reduces stress and confusion about their meaning, and empowers students to manage their own learning and transfer cognitive processes and academic skills.

Locate the Command Terms in the Appendices of your subject guide. Which do you use frequently? Which might you choose to use more often? What ideas do you have to make these terms explicit in the classroom? on assessments?

C. Determining achievement levels At the end of a period of learning, teachers must make judgments on their students’ achievement levels in each subject-group criterion. To determine these achievement levels, teachers must gather sufficient evidence of achievement from a range of learning experiences and assessments. Teachers need to ensure that this evidence comes from the performance of the student over the duration of the units taught. A carefully constructed assessment task on an individual unit may provide evidence of achievement in all strands of a criterion or criteria. When applying the assessment criteria to student performance, the teacher should determine whether the first descriptor describes the performance. If the student work exceeds the expectations of the first descriptor, the teacher should determine whether it is described by the second descriptor. This should continue until the teacher arrives at a descriptor that does not describe the student work; the work will then be described by the previous descriptor. In certain cases, it may appear that the student has not fulfilled all of the descriptors in a lower band but has fulfilled some in a higher band. In those cases, teachers must use their professional judgment in determining the descriptor that best fits the student’s performance.

Why do you think it is recommended that you begin to read the descriptors from the lowest levels and then move your way upward when considering the work of a student? The descriptors, when taken together, describe a broad range of student achievement from the lowest to the highest levels. Each descriptor represents a narrower range of student achievement. Teachers must use their professional judgment to determine whether the student work is at the lower or the higher end of the descriptor, and award the lower or higher numerical level accordingly. Some other factors may also influence the teacher’s decision on an achievement level, including the following. •

Student support—students will experience varying levels of support in their units, since peerconferencing, formative assessment with feedback from the teacher, editing and correcting are all essential learning tools. Teachers should be mindful that achievement levels accurately reflect what students can do.

•

Group work—teachers need to document carefully the input of individuals working in a group situation so that the achievement levels for individual students can be determined.

In these ways, at the end of a period of learning, evidence of student learning, gathered from a range of learning experiences in each of the objectives, can be matched to the appropriate assessment criteria to determine the student’s achievement level.

How would you explain the role of “professional judgment” in determining criteria levels to a parent? to a student? to a teacher new to criterion-‐related assessment?

D. Developing task-specific clarifications MYP-published assessment criteria and the school-based modified criteria are described as holistic, in that they offer general, qualitative value statements about student achievement. Task-specific clarifications can be useful in bringing a level of specificity to the assessment criteria. Each task-specific clarification will be based on a published MYP assessment criterion. Developing task-specific clarifications requires teachers to study the assessment criteria and to redraft the value statements within the level descriptors in terms of the specific assessment tasks in the MYP unit.

The value of the time invested in the process of task-specific clarification is that those produced: • • • • • • • • •

are an integral part of the learning process support learning by guiding instruction can be used with example materials to deepen understanding bring transparency to the processes of assessment for teachers, students and parents provide clear and measurable evidence of learning can be used again in subsequent years can be modified themselves as the units change over time contribute to teacher reflections on the MYP unit can be useful in curriculum review or monitoring when used collectively, as they can help to identify the specific content actually taught during a learning period.

When developing task-specific clarifications, teachers will need to clarify the expectations of any given task with direct reference to the published assessment criteria. For example, in individuals and societies, teachers would need to clarify exactly what a “wide range of terminology” means in the context of a given assessment task. This might be achieved by: • • •

changing some wording to match the task an oral discussion of expectations a task sheet that explains expectations.

Importantly, teachers and students should develop specifications and establish clear expectations at the beginning of each summative assessment process. When clarifying expectations for MYP assessments, teachers must ensure that they do not alter the standard expected in the published criteria or introduce objectives beyond those developed in the unit.

At WISS, task specific clarifications (TSC) are an expected element of all assessment task sheets (ATS). What is the value to students when teachers “redraft the value statements within the level descriptors” (in other words, create a TSC for each criterion level)?

Consider this assessment rubric from an ATS showing sample TSC: Arts – Criterion D: Responding (Year 5 Assessment Criterion) The task was for students to apply the techniques of oil painting to an issue related to equality they had researched. Achievement level 0

1 -‐ 2

3 -‐ 4

5 -‐ 6

7 -‐ 8

Level descriptor

Task specific clarification

The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. The student:

i. constructs limited meaning and may transfer learning to new settings ii. creates a limited artistic response that may intend to reflect or impact on the world around him or her iii. presents a limited critique of the artwork of self and others. The student:

i. painting delivers limited message demonstrating little application of learning to the medium ii. painting somewhat reflects the issue of equality and shows some intent to elicit a response from the audience iii. writes a reflection on their artwork that attempts to reference peer and/or expert works. The student:

i. constructs adequate meaning and occasionally transfers learning to new settings ii. creates an adequate artistic response that intends to reflect or impact on the world around him or her iii. presents an adequate critique of the artwork of self and others. The student:

i. painting delivers message demonstrating some application of learning to the medium ii. painting reflects the issue of equality and shows some intent to elicit a response from the audience iii. writes a critical reflection on their artwork that attempts to reference peer and/or expert works. The student:

i. constructs appropriate meaning and regularly transfers learning to new settings ii. creates a substantial artistic response that intends to reflect or impact on the world around him or her iii. presents a substantial critique of the artwork of self and others. The student:

i. painting delivers a clear message demonstrating effective application of learning to the medium ii. painting reflects the issue of equality and shows clear intent to elicit a response from the audience iii. writes a critical reflection on their artwork making thoughtful reference to peer and/or expert works. The student:

i. constructs meaning with depth and insight and effectively transfers learning to new settings ii. creates an excellent artistic response that intends to effectively reflect or impact on the world around him or her iii. presents an excellent critique of the artwork of self and others.

i. painting delivers a powerful message demonstrating impactful application of learning to the medium ii. painting clearly reflects the issue of equality and shows clear intent to elicit a thoughtful response from the audience iii. writes a thorough critical reflection on their artwork making insightful reference to peer and expert works.

Consider this assessment rubric from an ATS showing another approach to TSC: Humanities – Criterion C: Communicating (Year 5 Assessment Criterion) The task was for students to write a report on the progress and/or setbacks of one country in its attempt to achieve a Millennium Development Goal.

Level Descriptor

Task Specific Clarification

You have not reached a standard described by any of the boxes below

7-‐8

5-‐6

3-‐4

1-‐2

The student:

i. communicates information and ideas in a limited way, using a style that is limited in its appropriateness to the audience and purpose ii. structures information and ideas according to the specified format in a limited way iii. documents sources of information in a limited way. The student: i. communicates information and ideas satisfactorily by using a style that is somewhat appropriate to the audience and purpose ii. structures information and ideas in a way that is somewhat appropriate to the specified format iii. sometimes documents sources of information using a recognized convention. The student: i. communicates information and ideas accurately by using a style that is mostly appropriate to the audience and purpose ii. structures information and ideas in a way that is mostly appropriate to the specified format iii. often documents sources of information using a recognized convention. The student:

You: -‐write to communicate your research and your ideas effectively and accurately (spelling, grammar, word choice, sentence structure, sentence variety, paragraph structure, voice, tone) -‐use the report format and the word count guideline to successfully frame the investigation -‐structure of report follows the format specified and is organized to show logical convincing progression and development -‐MLA referencing is consistently practiced with a minimal errors/omissions and in-‐text citations show effective variety

i. communicates information and ideas effectively and accurately by using a style that is completely appropriate to the audience and purpose ii. structures information and ideas in a way that is completely appropriate to the specified format iii. consistently documents sources of information using a recognized convention.

E. Descriptive feedback and reporting student achievement 1. Individual assessment tasks Feedback provides students with a descriptive account of their learning. The purpose of providing feedback is to reduce the gap between a student’s current level of knowledge and skills and the learning goals of the subject objectives. Descriptive feedback on the products of student work helps students learn by providing them with precise information about what they are doing well, what needs improvement, and what specific steps they can take to improve. Without descriptive feedback, how can we expect the student to learn from the assessment experience or to make adjustments for future assessments? Ongoing descriptive feedback linked specifically to the subject objectives and the corresponding criteria is a powerful and essential tool for improving student learning and is fundamental to building a culture of learning within the classroom. As the teacher provides feedback, and as the student responds to it, the assessment information gathered is used to improve learning as well as instruction. Multiple opportunities for feedback and follow-up are planned through the unit planner and even in the heat of the moment to allow for improvement in learning prior to assessment of learning (evaluation). The focus of the feedback is to encourage students to produce their best work by improving upon their previous work and, at the same time, to teach them the language and skills of assessment, so they are able to assess their own learning and that of their peers. Clear, focused and thoughtful feedback on student work assures them that their efforts are valued and that they are important steps of their learning journey. Criterion levels and their corresponding descriptors along with task specific clarifications mean a lot, but teacher feedback gives invaluable substance to numbers and the rubrics. Example 1 (Language and Literature): You chose an interesting story and your analysis shows a depth of empathy and understanding. You use some powerful vocabulary - your register (formality) is not always consistent, however. You apply Maslow's Hierarchy in a perceptive way and your argument is clear. Your essay lacks a clear introduction - you start off in the first paragraph making a point. Try to have a an introduction which introduces ideas, in particular your thesis. Only start making points in the main body paragraph. Good job. Example 2 (Sciences): I enjoyed reading your brochure, Alexcia! It was very creative. You gave really good examples of the background science and showed that science has been very effective at helping us understand the benefits of cacao. You did a good evaluation of the effect of science on health issue. This would have been better under the heading of social rather than morality, I think. You used 2- 5 vocabulary words from the unit and used a lot of new vocabulary also. Your information was very clearly presented and could be understood by non scientists. You included a limited bibliography. Example 3 (Language Acquisition): Jaime, it was such a pleasure to hear you speak about this topic. You clearly enjoyed it and put in a lot of time to learn about advertisement. When I asked questions you responded in detail and appropriately, you engaged confidently during our exchanges and you shared a variety of ideas. You demonstrated a good understanding of the topic; your opinions were supported by examples and illustrations. You communicate with an excellent sense of register, purpose and style. Your vocabulary was quite rich. You do tend to revert to an English word too quickly instead of taking a moment to recall the French word. Your sentences are quite varied and grammatically correct. Your pronunciation has always been very clear - it never hinders my understanding. Well done!

2. Descriptive feedback through Managebac

Managebac is an important interface for students and parents to access descriptive feedback. Any time criteria scores are communicated to students, we should strive to provide descriptive feedback through Managebac. In Summary: Scores and feedback are provided through the Gradebook feature for every task. These should be communicated ☐ communicate levels and within 7 days of the d ue date. feedback within 7 days of the due date Start here when viewing tasks: ☐ complete the comments field so that feedback is available to b oth Select for each student the criterion level or criteria levels and students and p arents provide descriptive feedback on the work in the comments field: ☐ descriptive feedback is related to the criteria assessed and indicates strengths, areas to improve, and the steps available to make that improvement These scores and comments are viewable by students and parents. You may provide descriptive feedback directly on tasks uploaded to the d ropbox by students using the crocodoc feature of Managebac:

This allows for comments, highlights, and other notations to be made to student work. For those of us striving to be paperless, this feature is all we need! It is still important to provide descriptive feedback once scores are assigned as parents are not able to access the crocodoc feedback. Take the extra time to provide a summary of the successes and n ext steps for the student in the comments field in the Gradebook.

Whether assessment specific feedback is provided through crocodoc or through pen on paper, it is important to complete the comments field for the assessment task.

Descriptive feedback: • • •

is clearly related to the student’s work is based on the criteria assessed highlights the areas where the student is doing well

• •

indicates areas for improvement identifies steps to follow to make that improvement

3. End of semester one or two To determine the final achievement level in each of the criteria for each student, whether at the end of a marking period or the end of a year, teachers must gather sufficient evidence from a range of assessment tasks to enable them to make a professional and informed judgment. All units include summative tasks that are assessed according to one or more MYP criteria to ensure continuous assessment and feedback of students’ performance against the MYP objectives. The planning of units and assessment tasks should ensure all criteria have been included over time, providing balanced evidence that is sufficient for determining a final achievement level. The judgments will reflect the teacher’s professional opinion on the achievement level of each student in each of the criteria at the end of the marking period or year. In gathering the evidence for the judgment to be made, teachers will analyse the achievement levels of students over the course of the marking period or year, which represents their summative performance for that period, paying particular attention to patterns in the data (such as an increasing level of performance), consistency and mitigating circumstances. During the formulation of school-wide agreements on assessment in its assessment policy, schools can develop common understandings about how they will determine final achievement levels and grades.

MYP subject guides stress that subject groups must address all strands of all four assessment criteria at least twice in each year of the MYP. Where possible, final achievement levels reported in June should be based on four scores for each criterion. Note that subject guides do set specific parameters on the frequency of some criterion. 4. Writing report comments: Teachers will be matched with proofreading buddies to review report comments. Please adhere to the deadlines and these comment expectations: • • • • • •

Teacher narratives are to be written in the 3rd person (avoid “I”, “we”, “our” and avoid “you” and “your” etc) and be between 150-200 words Alternate the use of name and pronoun throughout the comment Use IB terminology – such as the aims and objectives of the subject, Learner Profile and the ATLs Specific references to work done, excellence and areas of improvement are important Focus the comment on the student’s individual growth as a learner – avoid making comparisons to the class Balance negatives with positives

Example 1: Emelie did a particularly good job on her 3D art project this semester. Her “environmental box” demonstrated artistic growth and development. Emelie was curious, self-motivated and she took some great risks. She came up with a clever idea to leave the back of her box open and use twigs to form spooky tree branches as the background. It was a unique and brave idea. At any time Emelie could have stopped trying to attach the branches and given up as she didn’t know how things would turn out. She persevered and had exceptional results. Emelie also worked in a more focused and independent manner on this project. An area for improvement is in verbal participation. Emelie continues to be unwilling to speak or participate verbally in class. This means that she is unable to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the art form studied in relation to societal, cultural, historical and personal contexts. Although her artwork appears to communicate understanding, it is guess work because Emelie does not verbally share.

Example 2: Andy showed improved engagement at times this second semester. This allowed him to make progress with the different facets of the subject over the course of the year. Andy’s essay on the value and impact of open pit mining revealed his ability to see a project from start to finish. His work revealed some development of his research skills and his approach to thinking analytically, especially in terms of framing and supporting an argument. Moving forward in his studies, Andy should look for opportunities to seek and evaluate different points of view, to understand the importance of an intellectual balance in his academic career, and to practice creative and critical thinking skills in his studies. Additionally, Andy will need to find an approach to learning that will allow him to manage the specific content demands of the course and the transfer skills necessary to fully appreciate the concepts explored by the material. Example 3: Suzy has shown definite strengths in this course – she finds learning most engaging when topics are discussed and debated. During these lessons she is open-minded and practices excellent collaborative and communication skills. Through this Suzy has acquired a sound, broad understanding of the topics addressed thus far. When the studies take a more quiet turn, requiring sustained reading and note taking, she finds it challenging to acquire new knowledge and understanding with the same ease. As a result her assessments have not consistently communicated the specific content of the subject when asked to use precise terminology and detailed examination of case studies. Suzy will need to maintain detailed revision notes and arrive to class with questions on the assigned readings and other homework in order to begin to take steps towards improving in these regards.

I hope this document provides clear direction for our assessment practices at WISS, and as a first attempt I think it does well to remain true to IB philosophy and to how we apply this to our programme at WISS. That being said, there is always room for improvement so please share your feedback so that next year’s version can be even more useful. Andrew VanderMeulen Nov 2014

F. Further reading on assessment

Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). 2010. This We Believe: Keys to educating young adolescents. Westerville, Ohio, USA. Boix-Mansilla, V. 2012 Teaching the disciplines in the MYP: Nurturing big ideas and deep understanding. Cardiff, UK. Interational Baccalaureate Organization. Biggs, J. 2003. Aligning Teaching and Assessment to Curriculum Objectives. Imaginative Curriculum Project, LTSN Generic Centre. Brookhart, S, Moss, C and Long, B. 2009. “Formative assessment that empowers”. In Scherer, M. Challenging the Whole Child: Reflections on Best Practices in Learning, Teaching and Leadership. Alexandria, Virginia, USA. ASCD Publications. Harlen, W. 2006. On the relationship between assessment for formative and summative purposes. In J. Gardner, ed., Assessment and learning. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. Harlen, W., & Deakin Crick, R. 2003. Testing and motivation for learning. Assessment in Education, 10 (2), 169–207. Hayden M C and Thompson J J (eds). 2011. Taking the MYP Forward, Woodbridge: John Catt Educational Ltd Marzano, RJ. 2009. Designing and Teaching Learning Goals and Objectives. Bloomington, Indiana, USA. Marzano Research Laboratory. Ontario. Ministry of Education. 2010. Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools. Toronto: Author. Ritchhart, R, Morrison, K and Church, M. 2011. Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding and Independence in All Learners. San Francisco, California, USA. Jossey-Bass Publishers. Tarras, M. 2005. “Assessment—Summative and Formative—Some Theoretical Reflections”. British Journal of Educational Studies, 53(4). Pp 466–478. Wiggins, G. 1998. Educative Assessment. Designing Assessments to Inform and Improve Student Performance. San Francisco, California, USA. Jossey-Bass Publishers.