Assessment is a continuous process of gathering and interpreting evidence to make judgments about student learning. Assessment identifies what students know, understand and can do at different stages in the learning process. It also identifies skills and knowledge which students are yet to master.

Assessment assists teachers to plan, guide and implement learning.

The Avi-Cenna International School recognizes that teaching, learning and assessment are fundamentally interdependent. Teachers gather evidence and exercise sound interpretation and judgment to make:

• formative assessments of student learning (assessment for learning) or
• summative assessments of student learning (assessment of learning).

Assessment for learning

Assessment for learning informs ongoing decisions about teaching and learning. Assessment at the beginning of a teaching and learning sequence, course or program is used to determine students’ prior knowledge, understandings and skills. During the teaching and learning sequence, assessment provides information about students’ progress towards learning goals.


Assessment for learning:

• is part of teaching and learning
• requires clear identification of learning goals and communication of these to students
• involves ongoing collection of relevant data about student learning
• involves feedback to students
• involves student self-assessment
• is built on beliefs about learning and learners
• is enhanced through teacher collaboration.

Assessment of learning

Assessment of learning informs judgements of student learning achievement at the end of a teaching and learning sequence, course or program. Such assessment is used to prepare reports of student achievement and to evaluate the teaching and learning programs to inform future planning.

BEST PRACTICE IN ASSESSMENT

At the Avi-Cenna International School, teachers ensure that:

• assessment is ongoing through a variety of assessment tasks and strategies, both formal and informal, so that sufficient evidence is gathered to make sound judgements about individual students’ learning

• assessment is valid and that, collectively, the assessment tasks and strategies encompass the breadth and depth of planned learning goals for the student

• assessment tasks and strategies promote high levels of intellectual quality, are soundly based on promoting a quality learning environment and make explicit to students the significance of the task or strategy

• collectively, assessment tasks and strategies are fair and enable all students to demonstrate their learning achievements consistently, autonomously and over a range of learning contexts.