Growing Success Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools, Grades 1-12

1. Growing SuccessAssessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools, Grades 1-12 Overview for Parents and Guardians Elementary Version

2. What is Growing Success?

3. Purpose In May 2010, the Ontario Ministry of Education released the 1st edition of Growing Success. The purpose of this new policy document is to: • update, clarify, consolidate, and co-ordinate policy; and • achieve fairness, transparency, equity, and consistency across the province in the assessment, evaluation and reporting of student learning.

4. Fundamental Belief of Growing Success The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Growing Success, p. 6

5. Key Themes of Growing Success • Renewed commitment to clear communication when reporting to parents • Focus on Assessment for and as learning • Student’s roles and responsibilities with respect to providing evidence of learning • Six common Learning Skills and Work Habits for grades 1-12

6. Elementary Reporting Timelines • The school year is divided into two terms. • There are three formal reporting periods within the two terms. • The reporting schedule is as follows: • Elementary Progress Report Card – November (Middle of Term 1) • Elementary Provincial Report Card – February (End of Term 1) • Elementary Provincial Report Card – June (End of Term 2) • Learning skills and work habits appear first on each report card. • Greater emphasis on student involvement in the assessment process.

7. Classroom Assessment Today Assessment plays a critical role in teaching and learning. In today’s classroom, assessment is used for the purpose of: • improving learning; • informing instruction; • guiding next steps; and • helping students to monitor their own progress towards achieving learning goals. Growing Success, p.28, 29

8. What is Assessment for and as Learning? Some classroom examples are: • learning goals and criteria are shared • feedback is given and used • self-assessment and goal setting are ongoing • Practice Time! • Skill building • Coaching

9. What is Assessment of Learning? • Some classroom examples of assignments for evaluation are: • Projects • Tests • Presentations • Performances Game Time! • Evaluation and Reporting • End of term provincial report cards

10. What we should remember… Physician’s Creed: Above all do no Harm Educator’s Creed: Above all, do nothing to diminish Hope

11. Student Roles and Responsibilities

12. Student Role and Responsibilities Students are: • important partners in the assessment process • responsible for providing evidence of their learning within the time frame specified by the teacher, and in a form approved by the teacher.

13. Growing Success:Understanding the Elementary Progress Report Card

14. Purpose The purpose of the Elementary Progress Report is to: • communicate a student’s development of learning skills and work habits and general progress in working towards the achievement of the curriculum expectations * in all subject areas; and • establish a positive tone for learning for the remainder of the school year. Growing Success, p. 50 & 66 * Or expectations in the IEP

15. Page 1 – Progress Report Rating Scale for Reporting Learning Skills and Work Habits 1. Responsibility 2. Organization 3. Independent Work 4. Collaboration 5. Initiative 6. Self-Regulation E - Excellent G - Good S - Satisfactory N - Needs Improvement Growing Success, p. 55

16. Home-School PartnershipLearning Skills and Work Habits “It is expected that teachers work with students and parents to ensure that they understand these learning skills and work habits and their importance.”Growing Success, p.13 Students will develop learning skills and work habits when teachers: · discuss and explicitly teach these skills; · explain how these skills will be assessed and evaluated; and · work collaboratively with parents to help develop these skills. Growing Success, p.13

17. Page 2- Progress Report Rating Scale for Reporting Academic Progress Teachers describe general progress in working towards the achievement of the curriculum expectations*. • Progressing • Very Well • Progressing • Well • Progressing • With Difficulty Growing Success, p. 50,56 * Or expectations in the IEP

18. Interpreting the Progress Report The progress report is a spring board for the parent-teacher interview. • It answers the question, “How is my child doing?” • When reading the report, consider both the letter symbol/check mark and the comment. Together they tell the whole story of your child’s progress. • The comment describes in overall terms, your child’s strengths and next steps for improvement.

19. Definitions  Progressing Very Well The student's work most consistently demonstrates progress towards the achievement of curriculum expectations that surpasses the provincial standard (or the learning expectations outlined in a modified program on the I.E.P.)  Progressing Well The student's work most consistently demonstrates progress towards achievement of curriculum expectations at the provincial standard  Progressing With Difficulty The student work is NOT progressing well towards achievement of curriculum expectations at the provincial standard

20. “Parents have an important role to play in supporting student learning.”Growing Success, p.8