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Vernon School Assessment Policy

Purpose for assessment:

• Assessment guides teaching and learning.
• Assessment measures performance and growth.
•  Assessment prompts students to reflect and act on what they have learned.
• Assessment informs parents, students and teachers on student progress and performance.

Principles of assessment:

• Assessment  should address a variety of learning styles.
• Assessment should be authentic and allow students to show what they know and have learned.
• Students should be aware of how they will be assessed at all stages of the learning process.

Assessment practices:

• Assessment is aligned with Oregon State and/or Common Core State Standards.
• There is a balance between formative and summative assessment.
• Formative Assessment happens during teaching and learning, guides instruction and ensures that students are gaining the skills they need in order to complete the summative tasks. Formative assessment is used solely to monitor student progress, and tasks completed by students for formative assessments are not counted in a student's final grades.
• Summative Assessment happens at the end of a unit of study and measures student achievement and understanding. A student's grades are solely determined by his or her performance on summative assessment tasks.
• Assessments are aligned horizontally across subjects and vertically from grade to grade to ensure consistency and fairness.
• Formative assessments are returned in a timely manner to students in order to facilitate learning
• Assessment will be communicated to parents and students formally through quarterly report cards, midterm progress reports, parent-teacher-student conferences, student-led conferences and informally through phone calls, email and conversations.

Examples of Types of Assessments

• Formative Assessments can include: class discussions, homework, observations, check-ins, journaling, lab activities, and quizzes.
• Summative Assessments can include: real-world problem-solving, written tests, extended writing assignments, speeches and other presentations, projects, service actions and portfolios. 

A Note About Assessment in the Middle Years Programme (MYP)

• In the MYP, all summative tasks are assessed against the criteria articulated in the Subject Guides for the Arts, Humanities, Language A (English), Language B (Spanish), Math, Physical Education, Science and Technology/Design.
• It is expected that student achievement levels will rise as they progress through the programme. 
• Teachers will create a unique rubric for each summative assessment that includes achievement levels appropriate to the students' place in the programme.
• Students in the MYP will receive quarterly report cards that communicate to parents the students' achievement levels for each of the students' core classes.
• Students with low achievement scores, significant amounts of missing formative work, or other causes for concern will also receive a mid-term progress report.
• Additionally, student progress will be communicated with parents informally through email, ParentVue, face-to-face conversations and over the telephone.