Assessment

MYP: Middle Years Programme (International Baccalaureate’s program for students aged 11-16, based on principles of intercultural awareness, “whole child” development, and concept-based learning)

DP: Diploma Programme (International Baccalaureate’s rigorous, two-year college preparation course of study for 16-18 year olds)

Criteria are the “categories” of assessment for students. They are the broad skill areas that are important in each subject. Assignments are assessed in one or more of these “categories” in each subject.  

Each subject has FOUR criteria, which are labeled A, B, C and D.  There is also a “formative performance” criterion, which is labeled E. Please see FAQ #4 for an explanation of how these work.

All criteria have scores between 1-8. 

On any given assignment, the highest score a student can earn is an 8; the lowest score is a 1. 

We use criteria because it is more equitable than the traditional grading (0-100 scale, percents, etc).

Since traditional gradebooks can include things like extra credit, class participation, behavior “grades,” etc.  AND since traditional gradebooks can be weighted in any way that a teacher wants (tests, quizzes, homework, participation, etc can be weighted differently in different classes), serious inconsistencies can occur. Inequitable grading practices and significant grading variations from class to class often occur in traditional grading systems.

At International, students see the same criteria in each subject over the course of years, and teachers in a given subject score student work using the same criteria. This gives students, families, and their teachers a more consistent picture of their achievement over time.

There are three types of scored assignments: formative, formative performance, and summative.  We use a sports analogy to explain their differences:

Formatives are practices - Formative performances are scrimmages - Summatives are games

A bit more detail:

Each subject’s four criteria (A-D) and the “formative performance” category (E) have a maximum level of 8.

Assignment scores of 7 and 8 are excellent; 5 and 6 are really good; 4 is OK; 3, 2, 1 are causes for concern.

The final level of achievement for both MYP and DP courses is 7.

To determine the overall grade in a given course, add up a student’s levels of achievement in criteria A-D and the AIS formative performance category (E).

Then, apply the following AIS grade boundaries to that total to determine the final level out of 7:

No. It is not in the students’ best interests to have unlimited time in which to hand in late work. First, that can cause a “snowball effect” of work that piles up on a student, and second, it is in direct conflict with developing the skills of time management and organization.

There are two ways to check on student work completion:

• PowerSchool – scored assignments are listed in PowerSchool. You can check work completion and scores in this software program.
• Schoology – teachers use Schoology to post assignment descriptions, due dates, and resources. To see what’s coming up for a student, Schoology is a good place to go.

If you have questions about how to access PowerSchool or Schoology, please go to CREC Tech Tools.

If you have questions about your child’s progress, please contact individual teachers.

For general questions about MYP/how MYP assessment works, contact the AIS MYP Coordinator, Emily Wright.

For general questions about DP/how DP assessment works, contact the AIS DP Coordinator, Stacey Pagliaro.

For questions about accessing and understanding PowerSchool, contact your child’s school counselor.

For questions regarding accessing Schoology or assignments that you see on Schoology, contact your child’s individual teachers.

Yes. GPA is reported on report cards four times a year.  GPA is not final until June’s report card each year.

Honor roll is also reported four times a year, both in middle school and high school.

Colleges are aware of (and esteem) IB programmes and scoring. We consulted a range of colleges and universities when we changed our grading practices from averaging to criterion-related assessment. Those schools reported that they appreciate the criteria that we use at AIS, as they help reduce grading inconsistencies from class to class or teacher to teacher.

Remember that colleges and universities review transcripts from schools from all over the US and the world, and that there is no standardized way that those schools calculate grades. Even when a school uses percentages and letter grades, individual teachers in those schools can calculate grades in many different ways. College admissions officers recognize and understand a variety of grading systems.

The IB Diploma Programme is considered one of the best college preparatory programs in the world, and college credits are awarded to students who successfully complete DP courses and score at certain levels on the end-of-course exams.