Edgewood Middle/High School Assessment Policy

*This comprehensive policy contains aspects which apply to the Edgewood Middle Years
program as well as to the Edgewood Diploma program. Please note commonalities as
well as relevant distinctions.

Mission Statement:
Edgewood is a candidate IB MYP school, committed to building a globally aware community of
lifelong learners who achieve high academic standards.

Edgewood provides a diverse, challenging curriculum that is student-centered and develops

inquisitive, knowledgeable, and empathetic students who actively engage in and contribute to
their family, community, and the world around them.

Philosophy of assessment that supports student understanding:

The Assessment Policy is a working document developed by Edgewood Middle/High School
staff. Consistent with the standards and practices of International Baccalaureate Middle Years
Programme (IB MYP), California Common Core State Standards, and the West Covina Unified
School District, this document provides an overview of Edgewoods beliefs and practices
regarding the purpose and use of assessment. The goal is to make assessment practices and
guidelines clear to students, parents/guardians and staff.

Rationale for Assessment:

The MYP assessment standards are consistent around the world. In order to maintain the rigor
for which the IB is known, the MYP assessment model is criterion-related. Teachers structure
varied and valid assessment tasks so that students can demonstrate achievement according to
objectives defined by the IB. Tasks are assessed against established criteria, not against the
work of other students.
In each subject, the International Baccalaureate Organization recognizes four main criteria to
provide students with progress monitoring information. Assessments are created using the IB
criteria to assess what a learner understands and can do in relation to skills, concepts, and
content of the subject area. Students are given authentic tasks based on the IB criteria that
foster critical and creative thinking skills. Teachers assess students using a variety of tasks to
identify student needs and to inform teacher planning and practice.

Assessments are created using the following IB guidelines:

1. Assessments are necessary to the learning process

2. Assessment is formative and summative.
3. Assessment is aligned with MYP aims and subject-group objectives.
4. Assessment is based on evidence of student work.
5. Assessment offers informative feedback.
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6. Assessments are age appropriate and reflect the development of the student within
the
subject.

Why do we assess?

To check for student understanding of concepts and skills

To measure progress
To drive instruction and strengthen teaching practice
To differentiate instruction
To evaluate the effectiveness of the program
To determine areas of student strength, growth, development, and need
To advise placement for intervention
To allow for student reflection on their learning
To inform stakeholders to maintain accountability

What do we assess?

Student progress and performance in all subject areas: language; mathematics; social
studies; science; visual and performing arts; design and technology; foreign language;
and personal, social and physical education
Demonstration of the attributes of the IB learner profile
Prior knowledge, key concepts, related concepts, essential skills, approaches to
learning, listening, and speaking

When does assessment take place in a MYP school?

Assessment is a continuous process that allows teachers, parents, and students to identify
areas of strength and areas that need improvement, as well as, the effectiveness of the
program.

Types of Assessments:
Pre-Assessments are given at the beginning of a unit to assess prior knowledge and
experiences. Results of pre-assessment are used during lesson design and planning so that
teachers can capitalize on students prior knowledge and be responsive to their previous
experiences. Pre-assessments may be formal, such as pre-quizzes on content, or informal,
such as KWL charts, pre-writes or brainstorming discussions.

Formative Assessments are interwoven with daily learning in order to help teachers and
students find out how the students are progressing in order to plan the next stage in learning.
The goal of formative assessments is to provide a genuine reflection on how each student is
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progressing so that a teacher may make critical choices in the direction of the class or
differentiate for individuals prior to the summative assessment.

Summative Assessments occur at the end of each unit in which students are given an
opportunity to display what it is that they have experienced and learned. The Middle Years
Program promotes the use of a range and balance of school-based assessment and feedback
techniques including student/teacher/parent conferences, writing samples, structured
observations, and performance tasks assessed by teachers and by the students themselves.
The format of this assessment may be a test, project, essay or some other assignment that
allows students to show the maximum extent of their achievement. Many summative
assessments are designed to allow a student to apply what they have learned in unfamiliar and
authentic situations, conveying not only their mastery of content knowledge, but also their ability
to apply it.

What are the characteristics of effective assessments in the MYP?

Meaningful Provide multiple opportunities to

Promote reflection show and apply understanding (Pre,
Targeted Formative, and Summative)
Immediate Differentiated assessments based
Use rubrics or criteria on student need
Able to measure progress over time Offer a variety of tools and
Provide feedback strategies
Provide evidence of student growth Specific and aligned to an objective
Authentic Formal and informal
Allow for creativity

How do we collect and record data

Checklists Mastery tracker/gradebook

Benchmarks Progress reports and report cards
Anecdotal records (in student file) Open-ended responses
Reflections Presentations
Student work/writing samples Portfolios (Grade Level Portfolio and
Illuminate (district benchmark) Multi-year Portfolio)
DIBELS (measures literacy skills)
Community Project in 8th grade
CAASPP (state testing)
Personal Project in 10th grade
CELDT (California English
Language Development Test) Teacher observation form
Oral presentations Rubrics (student and teacher
Unit tests created)

When do we analyze and share data?

Department meetings
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Grade level meetings

Collaboration meetings
Staff professional development meetings
Parent-teacher conferences
Professional learning community meetings
MYP meetings
School Loop

Communicating IB MYP Grades with Families

In enacting the MYP fundamental concept of communication, it will not only be important to
communicate changes in grading practices to students, but also to their families. At family
events, there will be presentations that give an overview of the MYP and explain how
assessment will be changing for students. Information is also available on the website, in
newsletters that are sent home, and through School Loop.

Relationship of MYP assessment principles and practices with required systems for
grading and reporting:

Teachers at Edgewood Middle School generally use a traditional grading system aligning with
our feeder high school and report grades through School Loop on a quarterly basis. We will be
using Aeries as our MYP gradebook and export the data as an Excel/Google Sheets file to
organize the reporting of MYP scores to students and parents. Teachers will rate summative
assessments using the MYP Assessment Criteria. These ratings will be transferred into the
traditional grade book using the following scale:

Grade Conversion:

IB Grade (0-8) Letter Grade (A-F) Percentage (0-100%)

8 A+ 100%

7 A 93%

6 B+ 88%

5 B 83%

4 C+ 78%
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3 C 73%

2 D+ 68%

1 D 63%

0 F 0%

When reporting MYP Achievement, teachers will look at the ratings from the course holistically,
using a best fit approach (Strands are not graded separately then averaged. The work is
graded as a whole).

Students with learning support needs will receive accommodations and modifications as needed
through Individual Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan, or EL Services. Please see Edgewood
Middle/High Schools Inclusion Policy for more information.

Review of Principles and Protocols

Each year, the schools leadership team will review this document and provide input into the
revision of the protocols and practices.

Modified on May 8th, 2017

Modified on October 16th, 2017

References

Making the MYP Happen: A curriculum framework for international middle education; IBO
(2012)

Cameron Elementary PYP Assessment Policy; (2016)

Orangewood Elementary PYP Assessment Policy; (2016)