Saskatoon Public Schools

Secondary Assessment Handbook

What does the Ministry say about student assessment and evaluation?
(Excerpted from our renewed curriculum) Assessment and evaluation require thoughtful planning and implementation to support the learning process and to inform teaching. All assessment and evaluation of student achievement must be based on the outcomes in the provincial curriculum. Assessment involves the systematic collection of information about student learning with respect to: achievement of provincial curriculum outcomes effectiveness of teaching strategies employed student self-reflection on learning. The three inter-related purposes of assessment:

Assessment as learning
Actively involves student reflection on learning, monitoring of her/his own progress, and: is student-driven with teacher guidance supports students in critically analyzing learning related to curricular outcomes occurs throughout the learning process.

Assessment for learning*

Involves the use of information about student progress to support and improve student learning, inform instructional practices, and:

Assessment of learning
Involves teachers use of evidence of student learning to make judgements about student achievement and: provides opportunity to report evidence of achievement related to curricular outcomes occurs at the end of a learning cycle, using a variety of tools provides the foundation for discussions on placement or promotion.

is teacher-driven for student, teacher, and parent use occurs throughout the teaching and learning process, using a variety of tools engages teachers in providing differentiated instruction, feedback to students to enhance their learning, and information to parents in support of learning.

*what we now refer to in SPS as formative assessment

What is required by the division?

Saskatoon Public Schools Administrative Procedures Manual regulates the daily practices of

schools and the various individuals who coexist within them. As such, they clearly state the boundaries within which schools and individuals are expected to operate. Correspondingly, these Procedures clearly articulate the bounds outside of which schools and individuals cannot operate. SPS Assessment Principles* include:
Commitment to Good Practice Research-based: Assessment and evaluation procedures are based on current, generally recognized and effective practices which help promote student learning and engagement. Examples of this research are provided in the reference section of all renewed curriculum. Consistency: Students learn in settings where these principles are publicly, conscientiously, and consistently adhered to. Response to Diversity: Equitable assessments give all students a fair opportunity to be successful regardless of their gender, socioeconomic, cultural, academic or linguistic background.

Students Engagement: Engaged learners are able to self-assess and define their own learning goals and evaluate their own achievement; they know how to learn and are able to transfer knowledge to solve problems creatively. Responsibility: Students clearly describe where they are on their learning journey, what evidence they have of their progress and how they will continue to produce evidence of success and growth. Academic and Personal Excellence: Students strive for excellence in their learning and in their ability to communicate that learning. Assessments and evaluations are designed to measure and describe that excellence.

Parents Home-School Partnership: Parents/Caregivers are invited to be actively involved in the homeschool partnership and are aware of intended learning, their students progress and the priorities for continued learning.

Teachers Clear Communication: Students receive consistent, clear and appropriate descriptive feedback that will assist them on their learning journey. Communication with parents and students is not limited to progress reports but occurs whenever it is appropriate . Separation of Academic and Non-academic Evidence: As indicated in all renewed curriculum documents, assessments collect information about student achievement of curriculum outcomes. Personal and social behaviours are important and are reported separately from academic behaviour. Balance: Students experience a number of opportunities to demonstrate successful learning. There are opportunities to practice and opportunities to demonstrate achievement. Classroom assessments and, where available, standardized (CAT/4) and large-scale assessments (provincial AFL) are used as a part of this balanced assessment. Quality Evidence: Evidence of student success is gathered over time and includes products, observations and conversations.

*From page 126 of the Administrative Procedures Manual. 2

Much of SPS Administrative Procedures align directly with Ministry Guidelines. Administrative Procedure 360, which includes the Assessment Principles, is a direct reflection of Ministry statements that are part of every new curriculum. Paramount among these are the following two statements: All assessment and evaluation of student learning is based on the outcomes of the provincial curriculum. Personal and social behaviours are important and are reported separately from academic behaviour.

This Assessment handbook is intended to bring clarity around the above two statements for the purpose of providing consistent practices across all our collegiates. Our Ministry documents, our Administrative Procedures, and the pages that follow, reflect widely accepted and current research in assessment and evaluation.

What does research say about student evaluation and assessment?

Virtually all commentators agree with the statements above -- the necessity that all evaluation and grades indicate the degree to which students are attaining curricular outcomes. Parallel to that understanding, however, is the common agreement about the fallacy of the zero. All agree that a zero produces inaccuracies in evaluation and is indefensible mathematically when used in a 100-point scale. Furthermore, though often intended as an important and productive life lesson for students, the end result is often the opposite a zero has a negative effect on student achievement and motivation. The best lesson for the student, all agree, is to learn to complete all work. The following sources, among others, address this topic. Damian Cooper, Redefining Fair: How to Plan, Assess, and Grade for Excellence in MixedAbility Classrooms (Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree, 2011), especially 85-88. _____, Talk About Assessment: High School Strategies and Tools (Toronto: Nelson, 2010), especially Chapter 9, 182-223.
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Tom Guskey and Jane Bailey, Developing grading and reporting systems for student learning (Thousand Oakes, CA: Corwin Press, 2001). Grant Wiggins, Educative Assessment: Designing Assessment to Inform and Improve Student Performance (San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass, 1998), especially Chapter 10, 241-288.

Given the expectations, how should I assess, evaluate, and grade my students?
Nowhere in either our Administrative Procedures, or our renewed curricula, does it explicitly state, for example, a teacher may not give a student a grade of zero, or a teacher cannot penalize a student for submitting a late assignment. However, both sources implicitly state this to be the case. If all evaluation must be based upon the extent to which a student achieves curricular outcomes, any behaviour, like not handing in an assignment, or missing many classes, should not result in a penalty. There are some very practical considerations, however. Below are several dilemmas frequently faced by classroom teachers, followed by helpful resolutions. The key emphasis in our Ministry documents, within Administrative Procedure 360, and within current literature, is that our assessment and evaluation must not be punitive. While teachers will want to accommodate a variety of student needs through flexible assessment practices, assessment must be manageable and efficient for teachers. We continue to depend on the professional discretion of our teachers when dealing with issues of academic integrity, including plagiarism.

Some answers to frequently asked questions:

What do I do when a student doesnt submit an assignment, or several assignments? The following list of interventions is outlined in the Ministrys Academic Integrity and Student Responsibility Guidelines (July, 2011). http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/AcademicIntegrity Enforced deadlines are applicable. If an assignment is missing, behavioural consequences can be applied to help students take responsibility, including: o meeting with the student and parent/guardian to discuss the reasons for non-completion and developing a plan to complete the work; o developing an agreement with the student to complete the assignment; o having the student complete the work outside of school hours such as lunchtime or after school; o providing peer support for the student; o providing an alternative assignment to accommodate a diverse learning need; o determining a mark that reflects the level of achievement demonstrated by the student on that particular assignment; o and/or, including late assignments as part of extended reporting as a complement to the reported achievement related to the curriculum outcomes.

We know from brain research that some students simply take longer to complete work and assignments. Submitting work late may, for example, be a reflection of impaired processing speed. What do I do if, despite the above interventions, I still dont get the work? Student and teacher may negotiate the timely submission of late or missing work. However, students should not assume they can complete work far beyond a due date, particularly when the work is entirely divorced from the original learning. There will come a time, preferably agreed upon between teacher and student, when work must be submitted. When work is missing at the end of a term, and evidence of meeting outcomes is lacking, this lack of evidence results in a reduced grade.
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An assignment that is not handed in (NHI within Maplewood) stands as a zero within the grade book until the student hands it in. An NHI may be used as a temporary indicator of missing work. This may produce an artificially low grade for the student. Omit stands as if the assignment never happened, and may produce an artificially high grade for the student. When a report card mark is affected by a missing assignment or assignments, this should be reflected in a comment. Following attempted interventions, if an assignment, or assignments, is/are still missing, and there is a lack of evidence the student has met one or more outcomes, the final grade is negatively affected.

What should I not do when a student doesnt submit an assignment, or several assignments? Establish deadlines that, if not met, immediately result in a final grade of zero for the missing work. Penalize students (i.e. 10% deduction/day late) for late assignments.

Ultimately we want to avoid discouraging student learning by penalizing, as an immediate default, late assignments with a reduction in grade, or by stating students will receive a zero for an assignment if a deadline is not met. If a teacher chooses to not use an average to determine the final grade (see Evaluating and Grading with Outcomes), but instead looks to the most consistent performance, then extreme values, like one from a missing assignment, can be discarded. How does poor attendance influence my assessment or grading? Attendance is neither penalized nor rewarded. A student who misses class is penalized by missing learning. A student who attends is rewarded with learning. In almost all circumstances, poor attendance correlates with poorer performance.

How should I grade homework? (Homework we define here as work assigned for completion outside class time, usually for the next day. It is intended as practice, such as solving math equations following the teaching of a new concept, or as preparation for the next lesson, for example, asking students to complete a reading and several questions to direct their learning. This is different from an out-of-class assignment intended to show evidence of learning, the result of which is included in a final grade).

You shouldnt grade homework. In general, practice (like homework) should be assessed but not graded. Students who dont complete homework, or dont complete assignments intended as practice, are penalized by not receiving your feedback, or simply failing to learn. Minus that feedback or important learning, the penalty comes in the summative evaluation when the student is unable to complete the tasks the practice, or homework, intended to improve. To penalize students for not completing homework, therefore, becomes a double penalty.

Is it acceptable to give bonus marks? Please do not give bonus marks. Inaccuracy in evaluation occurs when you reward early submission with a higher grade. Similarly, giving bonus marks of any sort also produces inaccurate results.

How best do I deal with plagiarism? Saskatoon Public Schools does not condone plagiarism in any form, or for any reason. The classroom teacher ultimately exercises professional discretion when dealing with plagiarism and issues related to academic integrity, while keeping the following in mind: Plagiarism should not result in an immediate final grade of zero for the assignment. Students commit plagiarism for a host of reasons, including as a means to avoid completing the work. Giving an immediate final grade of zero for a plagiarized assignment simply meets the need of the student to not complete work. Ministry Guidelines provide guidance on how to intervene when faced with plagiarism (see p. 5 above). The end result of plagiarism, however, if not resolved by the student following attempted interventions, may be a grade of zero for the plagiarized work. This may also be true when plagiarized work is re-submitted at a time long distant from the original learning. When a student commits plagiarism, or some other breach of academic integrity, a NHI may be entered into Maplewood, until such time as the student has made amends by showing alternative evidence to meet the desired outcomes. Where possible, we want our students to complete the work and learn from their mistakes.

The student can negotiate completing the original assignment, or may negotiate an alternative assignment. This should be agreed upon by the teacher, student, and ideally the parent. Student work that is submitted late in a term (often, these are heavily-weighted major assignments) that is plagiarized, may result in the inability on the part of the student to remedy the problem in a timely manner. Persistent acts of plagiarism or breaches in academic integrity, despite attempted intervention from the classroom teacher, inevitably result in a substantially reduced grade since the student is unable to produce evidence of his or her learning. Finally, it may be appropriate to give the student credit for meeting some of the components of a particular assignment, while receiving no credit for those portions plagiarized.

Final Thoughts:
When a report card mark is affected by a missing assignment or assignments, this should be reflected in a comment. A teacher and student may mutually agree that work will be submitted following the completion of a course. A teacher can submit a mark change for any final mark given (Grades 10, 11, and 12). Similarly, NM can be recorded within Maplewood, and appear on the report card. This essentially means that no mark is forwarded to the Ministry of Education. There is a 120 day window during which time a mark may be assigned by the division to replace the NM. Beyond that period, schools must appeal to the Ministry, directly, to submit a mark change. Provide opportunities for student to re-submit work to enhance their learning and improve their grade. This should be done for the benefit of student learning, but not to the detriment of the classroom teacher. Allowing several subsequent, piecemeal re-submissions is discouraged. Remember, while teachers will want to accommodate a variety of student needs through flexible assessment practices, assessment must also be manageable and efficient for teachers. Communicate clearly and frequently to students and parents/care-givers regarding your assessment and grading practices.

We depend upon our teachers to exercise professional discretion when dealing with issues related to missing assignments and academic integrity. If you are unclear about these procedures, or are uncertain if your practice adheres to Ministry guidelines or our Administrative Procedures, please speak to your in-school administrator(s).