HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes 10-05 WA Primary Assesment and Grade Reporting policy WESTLAKE ACADEMY
RESOLUTION NO. 10-05
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WESTLAKE ACADEMY
ADOPTING A POLICY PERTAINING TO PRIMARY ASSESSMENT AND
REPORTING
WHEREAS, the Westlake Academy Board of Trustees has considered the proposed
policy establishing Board parameters pertaining to Primary Assessment and Reporting,
WHEREAS, the Westlake Academy Board of Trustees finds that this policy will
enhance student achievement by assisting all members of the school community to understand
and use educational assessment in a consistent and successful way;
WHEREAS, the Westlake Academy Board of Trustees finds that the passage of this
Resolution is in the best interests of the Academy;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
WESTLAKE ACADEMY:
SECTION 1. That the Board of Trustees of Westlake Academy hereby adopts the
proposed policy related to Primary Assessment and Reporting which is attached as Exhibit A to
this resolution.
SECTION 2. That this Resolution shall become effective upon the date of its passage.
PASSED AND APPROVED ON THIS 5th DAY OF April, 2010
ATTEST: Laura Wheat, President
Kelly Edwards, Secretary Tom Brymer, ief xecutive Officer
APPROVED S TO F .
L. nton L , S ttorney
TOWN OF WESTLAKE
WESTLAKE ACADEMY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES POLICY
Policy No. 10-05:
Date Board Adopted: April 5, 2010
Date Board Amended: NIA
Effective Date: April 5, 2010
Policy Name: Primary (K-G6) Assessment and Grade Reporting Policy
Policy Category: Student Achievement
Policy Goal: Definition and Transparency in the Primary (K-G6) Student
Assessment and Grading Policy
Policy Description:
The purpose of this assessment policy is to help all members of the school
community understand and use educational assessment in a consistent and
successful way. Our goal is to create a community that embraces assessment as
a valuable and essential part of the learning cycle.
1) Our Purposes for Using Assessment
a) For learners, assessment does the following:
i) Promotes efficient learning by focusing the student's attention on
what is important
ii) Promotes understanding and life-long learning
iii) Promotes self-evaluation and self-monitoring by the use of well-
defined
expectations and criteria
iv) Motivates learning by communicating progress concerning what
a student
knows and is able to do
v) Helps understand how school learning relates to present world
and futuregoals.
b) For teachers, assessment does the following:
i) Provides formative and summative data about student learning
ii) Provides diagnostic data to improve learning
iii) Assists instructional planning by providing informed feedback
iv) Helps to determine teaching effectiveness - what approaches
and methods work
Resolution 10-05
Exhibit A
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v) Helps to determine whether the program is achieving desired
goals (program accountability)
vi) Is a tool for communicating to others
c) For administrators, assessment does the following:
i) Assists in determining the effectiveness of programs
ii) Assists in determining school and grade-level learning goals
iii) Assists in allocation of resources, including professional
development
iv) Monitors student achievement and supports student learning
d) For parents, assessment does the following:
i) Provides formative and summative data about student learning
and attainment.
ii) Provides information about the child's learning experience in
school.
iii) Provides information about future educational opportunities.
iv) Helps provide information of the strengths and weaknesses of
both the instructional program and the individual learner.
In consideration of the need to establish relevant and comprehensive grade
reporting and assessment policies for the student body of Westlake Academy,
the following numerical grades will be utilized by the Staff to indicate academic
performance with regard to critical concepts, content and skills on primary report
cards.
Grade 4 Meets with Excellence
Grade 3 Meets with Proficiency
Grade 2 Developing Proficiency Independently
Grade 1 Requires Support to Meet Proficiency
In addition to the abovementioned, the following descriptors and rubric will be
utilized by the Staff to indicate academic performance with regard to higher
order, conceptual understanding, These descriptors and rubric will be used to
indicate the level of understanding for each of the six grade level units of inquiry
that are implemented each academic year.
Primary Deport Unit of Inquiry Descriptors for Understanding K-3
Accomplished:
• Interprets information (data, ideas, or concepts) accurately, appropriately,
and in-depth in a variety of contexts
• Applies formulas, procedures, principles, or themes accurately, appropriately,
and/or creatively in a variety of contexts
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Exhibit A
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• Explains—accurately and thoroughly—possibly using multiple solutions,
positions, or perspectives that balance opposing points of view
• Creates a detailed conclusion or complete solution that is well-supported,
logically consistent, and often unique
• Integrates ideas or develops solutions that are clear, coherent, and cohesive
• Reflects independently and thoughtfully by using supporting details and
examples. Uses the reflective process to set goals and targets.
• Perceives and approaches problems in a number of different ways, often
exhibiting clever, unique or unusual ideas.
Competent/Consolidating:
• Presents information (data, ideas, or concepts) accurately and appropriately
in familiar contexts
• Applies formulas, procedures, principles, or themes accurately and
appropriately in familiar contexts
• Describes a solution, position, or perspective accurately
• Organizes a conclusion or solution that is complete, logical, and consistent
with evidence presented
• Connects ideas or develops solutions in a clear and coherent order
• Reflects thoughtfully by using some supporting details and examples. Uses
the reflective process to set general goals.
Developing:
• Reports information (data, ideas, or concepts) in familiar contexts with minor
inaccuracies, irrelevancies, or omissions
• Uses appropriate formulas, procedures, principles, or themes in familiar
contexts with only minor inaccuracies
• Identifies a simple solution or a perspective with only minor inaccuracies
• Offers an abbreviated conclusion or simple solution that is mostly consistent
with the evidence presented, with minor inconsistencies or omissions
• Arranges ideas or solutions into a simple pattern
• Reflects thoughtfully with some assistance.
Beginning/Novice:
• Copies information (data, ideas, or concepts)
• Labels formulas, procedures, principles, or themes
• Names a single solution, position, or perspective
• Attempts a conclusion or solution that is consistent with evidence presented
• Lists ideas or expresses solutions in a fragmentary/random manner
• Reflects with support and assistance
Primary Report Unit of Inquiry Descriptors for Understanding Grades 4-6
Accomplished:
• Interprets information (data, ideas, or concepts) accurately, appropriately,
and in-depth in a variety of contexts
• Applies formulas, procedures, principles, or themes accurately, appropriately,
and/or creatively in a variety of contexts
• Explains—accurately and thoroughly—multiple solutions, positions, or
perspectives that balance opposing,points of view
• Creates a detailed conclusion or complex solution that is complete, well-
supported, logically consistent, and often unique
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Exhibit A
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• Integrates ideas or develops solutions that are exceptionally clear, coherent,
and cohesive
• Reflects independently and thoughtfully by using supporting details and
examples. Uses the reflective process to set goals and targets.
• Perceives and approaches problems in a number of different ways, often
exhibiting clever, unique or unusual ideas.
Compe fen t/Consolida ting:
• Presents information (data, ideas, or concepts) accurately and appropriately
in familiar contexts
• Applies formulas, procedures, principles, or themes accurately and
appropriately in familiar contexts
• Describes two or more solutions, positions, or perspectives accurately
• Organizes a conclusion or solution that is complete, logical, and consistent
with evidence presented
• Connects ideas or develops solutions in a clear and coherent order
• Reflects thoughtfully by using some supporting details and examples. Uses
the reflective process to set general goal
Developing:
• Reports information (data, ideas, or concepts) in familiar contexts with minor
inaccuracies, irrelevancies, or omissions
• Uses appropriate formulas, procedures, principles, or themes in familiar
contexts with only minor inaccuracies
• Identifies simple solutions, over-simplified positions, or perspectives with only
minor inaccuracies
• Offers an abbreviated conclusion or simple solution that is mostly consistent
with the evidence presented, with minor inconsistencies or omissions
• Arranges ideas or solutions into a simple pattern
• Reflects thoughtfully with some assistance
Beginning/Novice:
• Copies information (data, ideas, or concepts)
• Labels formulas, procedures, principles, or themes
• Names a single solution, position, or perspective
• Attempts a conclusion or solution that is consistent with evidence presented
• Lists ideas or expresses solutions in a fragmentary/random manner
• Reflects with support and assistance
Staff will administer a variety of authentic assessments to measure student
understanding and progress throughout the year
IBPYP Attitudes — Students, in collaboration with teachers, will assign a letter
indicator to at least six (6) IBPYP Attitudes per quarter to communicate the
following:
C = I practice consistently the following attitudes
W = I am working on the following attitudes
The IBPYP Attitudes are as follows:
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Exhibit A
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• Appreciation: appreciating the wonder and beauty of the world and its
people
• Commitment: being committed to their learning, preserving and showing
self-discipline and responsibility
• Confidence: feeling confident in their ability as learners, having the
courage to take risks, applying what they have learned and making
appropriate decisions
• Cooperation: cooperating, collaborating and leading or following as the
situation demands
• Creativity: being creative and imaginative in their thinking and in their
approach to problems and dilemmas
• Curiosity: being curious about the nature of learning and the world, its
people and cultures
• Empathy: imaginatively projecting themselves into another's situation, in
order to understand his/her thoughts, reasoning and emotions
• Enthusiasm: enjoying learning
• Independence: thinking and acting independently, making their own
judgments based on reasoned principles and being able to defend their
judgments
• Integrity: having integrity and a firm sense of fairness and honesty
• Respect: respecting themselves, others and the world around them
• Tolerance: feeling sensitivity towards differences and diversity in the world
and being responsive to the needs of others
Specialist Grades — Specialist Teachers (Art, Strings, P.E., Music, and Spanish)
will grade according to discipline specific criteria.
Each of the aforementioned categories will be graded utilizing the following
indicators:
Grade 4 Meets with Excellence
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Exhibit A
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Grade 3 Meets with Proficiency
Grade 2 Developing Proficiency Independently
Grade I Requires Support to Meet Proficiency
Report Cards - Westlake Academy will send home four (4) primary report cards
each year. The report cards will be sent home at the end of each nine (g) week
grading period.
Parent Teacher Meetings - Staff will conduct two (2) parent/teacher conferences
per year - one (1) each semester, and one (1) student-led conference - in
semester two (2). This will allow parents to meet with teachers to briefly discuss
their child's progress, and, in the case of student-led conferences, witness the
demonstration of understanding firsthand. Additional concerns will be addressed
at individually scheduled conferences available at any time during the school
year.
Resolution 10-05
Exhibit A
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