The purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. The Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board believes that assessment and evaluation should be redemptive in nature rather than punitive. We ensure this by using an asset-based lens when monitoring students’ learning and achievement. We use ongoing descriptive feedback to provide all students with meaningful, multiple opportunities for success.
Assessment and Evaluation
Assessment is the process of gathering information from a variety of sources to accurately reflect how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectation in a subject or course. There are three types of assessment:
- Assessment for Learning: Using diagnostic tools to see what students already know.
- Assessment as Learning: Helping students monitor their own progress (self-assessment).
- Assessment of Learning: The final evaluation (grades) that happens at the end of a unit.
Evaluation is a judgment made about the assessments of student learning, based on established and shared success criteria. Teachers gather evidence of student learning taken from observations, conversations, and student products (such as reports, projects, tests, exams and assignments) over time and use this evidence along with informed professional judgment to determine students’ grades using each curriculum’s achievement chart according to the four categories:
- Knowledge and Understanding: Subject-specific content acquired in each grade or course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding).
- Thinking: The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes.
- Communication: The conveying of meaning and expression through various forms.
- Application: the use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts.
In Ontario, we assess using levels rather than just percentages. This helps students and parents understand learning and achievement in relation to the provincial standard.
- Level 1 represents achievement that falls much below the provincial standard. The student demonstrates the specified knowledge and skills with limited effectiveness.
- Level 2 represents achievement that approaches the standard. The student demonstrates the specified knowledge and skills with some effectiveness.
- Level 3 represents the provincial standard for achievement. The student demonstrates the specified knowledge and skills with considerable effectiveness.
- Level 4 identifies achievement that surpasses the provincial standard. The student demonstrates the specified knowledge and skills with a high degree of effectiveness.
Reporting
Determining a report card grade involves teacher interpretation of evidence and should reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement, with special consideration given to more recent evidence. Report cards are one part of continuous communication that provides students and parents with descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful and timely to support improved learning and achievement.
Report cards are sent home during the same months each year:
- November:
- Kindergarten Initial Observation Report
- Elementary Progress Report Cards
- Secondary Semester 1 Midterm Report Cards
- February:
- Kindergarten Communication of Learning
- Elementary Provincial Report Card 1
- Secondary Semester 1 Final Report Card
- April:
- Secondary Semester 2 Midterm Report Cards
- June:
- Kindergarten Communication of Learning
- Elementary Provincial Report Card 2
- Secondary Semester 2 Final Report Cards