1. Assessment and Evaluation Mission Statement
Oakwood Collegiate Institute holds high expectations for all students so they can acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and values to become responsible members of a democratic society. The main purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Information gathered through this process helps teachers to determine how students are performing in relation to the Ontario Curriculum expectations. Teachers also use this information to adapt their teaching to meet individual student needs. Ongoing assessment and evaluation reflect Oakwood’s strong commitment to accountability, quality programming, and continuous improvement.
2. Principles of Assessment and Evaluation
There are four principles which guide the assessment and evaluation of student learning:
Principle 1: Assessment, evaluation and reporting practices are fair and equitable for all students.
Principle 2: Assessment, evaluation and reporting are based on the Ontario Curriculum and
Ministry Policy.
Principle 3: Assessment, evaluation and reporting practices are clear, accurate and timely.
Principle 4: Assessment, evaluation and reporting practices require the partnership of students, parents/guardians, teachers, principals and partners in education.
3. Reporting on Student Achievement
(a) Reporting on Student Achievement of Curriculum Expectations
The Final Report Card grade out of 100% is calculated by adding the grade for the 70% term and the grade for the 30% summative evaluation.
The final grade on the report card must be fair, valid, and reliable.
�� To be fair, evaluations must be created and administered in a manner that accommodates the needs of students, including those with IEPs and those who are learning English.
• To be a valid indicator of performance:
- A grade must be based solely on the achievement of curriculum expectations;
- A grade must be referenced to clear and established standards of quality (i.e. exemplars and achievement levels).
• To be a reliable indicator of performance:
- A grade must be based on sufficient evidence to permit confident judgements about achievement;
- Teachers of the same course must ensure consistency of performance criteria and standards.
(b) Reporting on Demonstrated Learning Skills
There are five clusters of Learning Skills:
1. Works Independently 4. Work Habits/Homework
2. Teamwork 5. Initiative
3. Organization
Teachers will report achievement in learning skills by using letter symbols:
E = Excellent G = Good S = Satisfactory N = Needs Improvement
The letter assigned for each learning skill will reflect the teacher’s documented observations of student work.
Learning skills affect levels of achievement, but they are not part of the evaluation of achievement. Comments may link achievement and learning skills, but learning skills may NOT be used to evaluate achievement, except where they are part of the curriculum expectations of the course (i.e. Learning Strategies: GLS/GLE). Learning skills such as completion of homework and regular attendance affect achievement, but they are not evaluated as achievement of the course expectations.
(c) Communication
• Detailed course outlines containing the course of study and a list of all student performance tasks to be completed, and the method of final evaluation will be handed out during the first two weeks of class.
• Provincial report cards will be issued in Nov., Feb., and June. An interim report will be issued in April.
(d) Missed Deadlines / Late Submissions
For each evaluation, the teacher will inform students of the due date and the ultimate deadline. The ultimate deadline is the last opportunity for students to submit an assignment for evaluation. All the teachers of a particular course will agree on the amount of time allowed from the due date to the ultimate deadline. For example, the ultimate deadline could be the date a marked assignment is returned to the students if viewing a marked assignment would benefit the student who has yet to hand it in.
Students are expected to submit their work on time (i.e. by the assigned due date.). Students may be able to negotiate extensions prior to the assignment due date where there are compelling extenuating circumstances. Teachers may also use a variety of other methods for dealing with late and missed assignments – detentions, counselling, peer tutoring, mark deduction, and parent conferences. Marks can be deducted as a last resort for work submitted late when all other strategies have been tried; if this is the case, up to 10% may be deducted from the value of the assignment.
If a student has missed both the deadline and the ultimate deadline for a particular evaluation item, a “zero” may be assigned as “zero evidence” of the student’s knowledge or skills related to the expectations evaluated for that item. Whether the zero stands depends on whether the curriculum expectation(s) addressed in that assignment have been adequately evaluated through another evaluation task within the 70% term, and/or whether there are a significant number of curriculum expectations have not been evaluated. There must be enough evidence to ensure that the 70% term mark is an authentic reflection of the student’s achievement of the course
expectations, and that the grade is justifiable. Many zeros constitute lack of evidence of achievement, and these zeros are incorporated in the student’s final grade. If a significant number of the overall and related specific expectations have not been met, the student has failed the course.
(e) Missed Assessments
Teachers expect that all students will complete and submit all assignments for evaluation. These include in-class and out-of class tests, essays, assignments, etc. Occasionally, students do not submit assignments however, and teachers sometimes have gaps in their record of achievement.
Assigning a mark of zero means one of two things:
1. The student assignment reveals no knowledge or skills related to the expectations evaluated. This is possible, although unlikely.
2. The teacher has no evidence of the student’s knowledge or skills related to the expectations evaluated. In such cases, students miss tests, do not hand in assignments, or are absent for presentations. The zero represents the student’s absence of submitted evidence of that learning.
• Responsibilities of the Student
Students should:
- do their best to meet the deadlines for submission of all of their assignments.
- provide their teachers with evidence of their learning based on the curriculum guidelines.
- communicate with the teacher prior to the day that an assignment is due when circumstances indicate that they may miss a deadline.
- submit evidence of having tried to complete the assignment on time.
- provide acceptable documentation, for example a note from a doctor, to arrange to submit the assignment or write the test.
• Responsibilities of the Teacher
Teachers should:
- establish clear deadlines and due dates for assignments.
- make every effort to encourage students to submit work and to be present for evaluations.
- engage the student directly to determine if he or she is having difficulty understanding the assignment.
- provide extra help.
- contact student’s parent/guardian and enlist support if necessary.
- give the student another opportunity to demonstrate his or her understanding of the curriculum expectations.
- review student marks on a regular basis and remind students about missing assignments.
However, despite these strategies, in some cases, assignments are not submitted, and tests are missed. Some students have attendance patterns that impede their successful completion of evaluation tasks. In these cases, a teacher may give a placeholder designated by zero indicating lack of evidence of a student’s achievement of particular expectations.
To determine what to do about the zero placeholder, teachers must ask the key question “Do I have sufficient evidence of this student’s achievement to determine a justifiable grade?”
If the answer to this question is, “No,” then students should be given an opportunity to demonstrate that they have met the curriculum expectations. When the student does not take advantage of extended opportunities to demonstrate his or her achievement of the curriculum expectations, the teacher will make a note of the expectations not met, as well as the opportunities that were provided to demonstrate the student learning. In situations such as these, a mark of zero will be assigned.
(f) Missed Summative Evaluation(s)/Course Culminating Activities
All students must take part in the course-culminating activities that make up the 30% final evaluation mark.
If a student misses part or all of the culminating activities:
• The student will receive a mark of zero in the part that was missed because of lack of evidence of achievement.
• Where the absence is justified (i.e. medical certificate) the zero will not automatically stand. If time allows, the student will be given another opportunity to complete the missing part. If time or circumstances do not allow, the principal, in consultation with the teacher, will determine an appropriate mark.
• If the absence is unjustified (i.e. leaving on a family vacation, summer job) the teacher has no obligation to give the student another opportunity and the mark of zero for that part of the summative evaluation/culminating activity will stand.
(g) Academic Integrity
Students are expected to be academically honest by submitting their own original work. Academic dishonesty in any form is a serious offence.
Plagiarism
This form of academic dishonesty is usually defined as presenting someone else’s words or ideas as one’s own. It can take many forms, including the following:
• Submitting work written by someone else (i.e. buying an essay on-line, downloading an essay from a free website, having someone else complete one’s assignment, or copying or using work done by another student (including homework);
• Piecing together material from one or several sources and adding only linking sentences;
• Quoting or paraphrasing without citing the source of that material, including books, magazines, journals, websites, newspapers, television / radio programs, movies, videos, photographs, and drawing in print or electronic form;
• Copying and pasting from the Internet or other electronic sites without citing the source.
• Not providing quotation marks for direct quotations – even if the sources have been cited.
Consequences of Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism
When plagiarism is detected, the following process will be followed:
• Investigation: When there is evidence of plagiarism, the teacher will discuss the matter with the student(s) involved.
• Communication:
If the teacher confirms that plagiarism has occurred:
- The teacher will inform the Vice-Principal with specific details; and
- The teacher will inform the parent(s)/guardian(s), document, and inform the Vice-Principal
• Minimum consequences for plagiarism:
- A mark of zero will be awarded for the assignment in question;
- At the discretion of the teacher, there may be an opportunity at another time for the student to demonstrate evidence of proper research skills;
- depending on the nature of the offence, the student’s other teachers will be alerted.
The severity of the offence and the number and nature of previous offences will be taken into account when determining the consequences of second, and any subsequent, offences. Students accused of plagiarism have the right to appeal the teacher’s decision to the vice-principal only after they have first discussed the matter with their course teacher.
(h) Role of the Parent/Guardian
Students need to know that their parents and their teachers are working together to help them to succeed. Parents are encouraged to develop and maintain a strong open dialogue with their child, teacher and school in general. Oakwood acknowledges the importance of support from the home and realizes that this is an important ingredient for student success. Parents are encouraged to speak to teachers regularly about their child’s progress. Assessment and evaluation policies and procedures should be open, transparent and clear.
Oakwood reports on student progress to students and parents as follows:
Mid November Interim first term report
Late November Parent/Teacher Interviews
Early February First term report
Mid-February Parent/Teacher Interviews
Mid-April Interim second term report
June Year end report card
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