Assessment is a crucial aspect of an IB education, and it plays a vital role in helping students to understand their strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to improve. The assessment policy plays a critical role as it provides the framework for evaluating student progress and understanding. It guides teachers in assessing student learning and understanding in a way that is meaningful, accurate, and aligned with the school's curriculum.
The assessment policy also ensures that students receive ongoing feedback throughout the learning process, which is essential for identifying areas of difficulty and making adjustments to teaching and learning strategies.
In this article, we will look at the key components of PYP assessment policies and discuss how they are implemented in practice.
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What we mean by "assessment"
Assessment. Here is a word that can strike fear into the hearts of many teachers. The thought of extra work, report writing, and long hours can be overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be that way! (well, it partly has to... but) In the PYP, assessment is more than writing reports. It is about gathering data to measure student performance. It's about understanding how students are progressing towards learning goals and using that information to inform instruction.
In the PYP, assessment is an ongoing process that involves a variety of methods such as observations, interviews, self-assessments, and written work. These methods are used to gather data on student understanding and progress, and to guide next steps in teaching and learning. By looking at this data, teachers can determine what students know and are able to do, and how well they understand the concepts being taught.
This is where assessment becomes an essential tool for differentiation. By understanding where students are at in their learning journey, teachers can tailor their instruction to meet the needs of individual students. For example, if a student is struggling with a concept, the teacher can provide additional support, resources, and learning experiences to help them understand. On the other hand, if a student is excelling, the teacher can challenge them with more advanced material and concepts.
But assessment isn't just something that happens at specific times during the unit or the school year. It's an ongoing process that happens all the time. Every time a teacher speaks with a student, observes their play, or looks at their written work and drawings, they are assessing their understanding and progress. For example, a teacher might observe a student playing with a toy lion, and realize that they have a good understanding of life cycles and living things needs (the toy lion was eating meat and growing healthy in his "shelter" - what a big word!). But, their understanding of how animals reproduce might be inaccurate (the toy lion then layed eggs before going to sleep). This observation can lead the teacher to check in with other students and review the concept as a class later in the week if necessary.
In simpler terms, assessment is the act of monitoring, documenting, measuring, and reporting student understanding and progress on an ongoing basis.
By embracing this approach to assessment, teachers can help themselves and their students achieve their full potential and make the process of assessment less daunting.
So, what should an assessment policy include?
It's not uncommon for teachers to feel a little lost when it comes to school policies, but when they have no idea what's in the school assessment policy (or in any of the school policies, as a matter or fact), this is a strong indication that the policy is not effective and needs to be reviewed and updated.
I am a strong believer that an effective assessment policy should act as a guide to assessment in your school. It should provide clear directions on how assessment should be conducted, what types of assessments should be used, and when assessments should take place.
The assessment policy should emphasise the use of authentic and meaningful assessments that are age-appropriate, closely connected to the curriculum, and reflect the program's focus on inquiry-based learning.
It should also promote assessment as an ongoing process and include good assessment practices with real examples that teachers can use in their classroom.
The assessment policy should answer the following questions:
What to assess?
How to assess?
When to assess?
By addressing these questions, the assessment policy provides teachers and the school community with a clear understanding of the types of assessments that are used at the school, the methods that are employed, and the timing of assessments. This will enable teachers to conduct assessments in a way that is consistent with the IB philosophy and the school's curriculum.
In addition, the IB Guide to programme evaluation > Appendix 1: Documentation for preliminary review states that it is required that the assessment policy:
clearly states the school’s philosophy of assessment that supports student learning
is aligned with the IB philosophy concerning learning and assessment
describes the rights and responsibilities of all members of the school community
states what constitutes good assessment practice
has been reviewed within the last five years
includes evidence of a review process such as the date of the most recent review
What to assess
In the PYP, the focus of assessment is on the process of learning rather than the outcome. This means that it is important to assess what young students are learning and how they are learning, rather than just evaluating their final product or performance.
Here are some things that could be assessed with young students.
Understanding of key concepts and ideas: assessing the students' understanding of key concepts and ideas related to the central idea and lines of inquiry for the unit.
Engagement and curiosity: assessing the students' level of engagement and curiosity during activities and discussions. This can give you insight into their interests and areas of strength.
Participation and communication: assessing the students' participation and communication skills during class discussions and activities. This might include their ability to share their ideas, ask questions, and engage with their classmates.
Learning and Teaching > Assessment > What to assess also indicates the following:
Inquiry: PYP assessment recognizes the importance of monitoring and documenting the process of inquiry. Through careful observation of the inquiry process, teachers monitor students’ ability to make connections across subjects and to apply skills to construct new knowledge. When monitoring and documenting student learning, the teacher considers the nature of students’ inquiry over time, how students demonstrate and develop subject knowledge, how students apply their conceptual understandings to further their inquiries successfully, how students demonstrate and develop the approaches to learning, and how students demonstrate both independence and an ability to learn collaboratively.
Conceptual understanding and approaches to learning (skills): assessing conceptual understandings focus on how concepts are recalled, explained, applied and transferred through a range of learning experiences. Skills are monitored and documented for growth over time; they manifest at different points in time and in different ways, are closely interconnected and are open to interpretation. It is, therefore, important that teachers allow for flexibility to monitor and document conceptual understandings over time.
When to assess
What about formative and summative assessment?
Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about whether or not to use the words "formative" and "summative" in assessment. With the recent revision of the PYP (enhanced PYP), the focus of assessment has shifted to ongoing assessment. This has led some to question whether the terms "formative" and "summative" are still appropriate.
When we look closely at IB documents, the words "formative" and "summative" are still used as a alternate words to "assessment for learning" (formative) and "assessment of learning" (summative). Some might even argue that this is simply a change of words.
In my opinion, as long as the assessment policy promotes assessment as an ongoing process, there is no reason why the terms "formative" and "summative" can't be included in the policy. While the terms "assessment for learning" and "assessment of learning" may be preferred by some educators, the phonetic similarity of these terms might lead to confusion, which is why many educators still prefer the terms "formative" and "summative".
Before the unit: Pre-assessment
Pre-assessment is conducted at the beginning of a new unit of inquiry to identify what students already know about the subject and to identify any gaps in their knowledge. Teachers use this information to tailor instruction and ensure that every student's unique needs and abilities are met. For young children, pre-assessment might involve open-ended questions, small group discussions, or hands-on activities that allow them to explore and discover new concepts and materials on their own.
Throughout the unit: Formative assessment/ Assessment for learning (ongoing assessment)
Formative assessment is an ongoing process that happens throughout the learning cycle. It helps teachers understand what students know, what they are struggling with, and what they need to learn next. Teachers use formative assessment to make adjustments to their teaching approach and to provide timely feedback to students about their progress. Formative assessment might take the form of quizzes, discussions, projects, or other activities that allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the material.
At the end of the unit: Summative assessment/ Assessment of learning
Summative assessment is conducted at the end of a unit of inquiry to evaluate student learning and understanding. Teachers use summative assessment to determine what students have learned and how well they have achieved the learning objectives of the unit. Summative assessment is often more formal than formative assessment and might include tests, essays, or other assignments that require students to demonstrate their understanding of the material.
It's important to remember that assessment is ongoing and that summative assessments should be used in combination with formative assessments to get a complete picture of student learning.
By understanding the unique needs and abilities of their students, teachers can tailor their teaching approach to meet those needs and ensure that every student is supported in their learning and development. Assessment is a continuous part of the teaching process, and teachers should use it to inform their instruction and provide students with the feedback they need to succeed.
How to assess
Assessment is an essential part of the teaching and learning process, regardless of the age of the students. However, young children may not be able to express their understanding of key concepts and ideas in the same way as older students. This is why it's important to use assessment tasks that are appropriate for their age and development level.
Remeber that young students in their early years may not have the same ability to express their understanding as older students. Therefore, it is crucial to be patient and provide them with supportive and scaffolded learning opportunities to help them develop their comprehension.
Final words
The assessment policy is an important aspect in ensuring that students receive the best education possible. A well-crafted policy will provide clear direction on how assessment should be conducted, what types of assessments should be used, and when assessments should take place.
As educators, it is important to remember that assessment is not just a one-time task, but an ongoing process that helps us understand our students' learning journey. By embracing this approach to assessment, we can ensure that our students receive the support they need to achieve their full potential. So take the time to review your assessment policy, and make sure that it aligns with the IB's philosophy and promotes ongoing assessment. This will help you support your students' learning in the best way possible.
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