Assessment is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to determine where learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to demonstrate their learning. When formative assessment is used effectively in a student’s evaluation, student growth is always shown. The teacher shall exercise professional judgment in the assessment, evaluation and reporting of his/her students’ progress in an objective, equitable and fair manner.
All course outcomes and assessment must align fully with the Program of Studies as outlined by Alberta Education.
The FVSD Student Evaluation Requirements are accessible on the division website. The FVSD Evaluation guideline is based on the following principles:
- Grades need to be an accurate reflection of the students’ achievement.
- Grades need to be meaningful and reflect specific learning goals.
- Grades need to be consistent across teachers.
- Grades need to support learning that values the quality of learning.
- Assessment needs to incorporate a balanced approach with a variety of types.
Sound assessment incorporates the following four ideas.
- Formative assessment is essential for student growth and occurs in a support-to-independence approach.
- Reassessment - provides an opportunity to measure reteaching (see sample)
- Extension - allows more time to complete the learning and assessment
- Redirection - adjust the assignment to fit the student’s skills
Regulations - Assessment & Evaluation
- Each teacher shall submit to the principal for approval a course outline/year plan for each course taught, including a clearly articulated assessment and evaluation procedure used to determine report card marks. For Junior and Senior High, a course outline must be provided to each student within the first week of the school year, semester or quad. The clearly articulated assessment criteria must include:
- Common Assessments
- Unit Assessments if Common Assessments non-existent
- Unit Assessments if Common Assessments non-existent
- Teacher Discretion tasks 90% of final mark
- Should focus on performance based learning
- Should focus on performance based learning
- Course end assessment 10% of final mark
For students in grade 6, the Provincial Achievement Test will be the final assessment worth ten percent (10%) of the year’s mark with the exception of students who are excused from writing the Provincial Achievement Tests in accordance with the criteria established by Alberta Education.
- Common Assessments 25% of final mark
- Teacher Discretion tasks 50% of final mark
- Should focus on performance based learning
- Should focus on performance based learning
- Course end assessment 25% of final mark
- Performance or Common Assessment final (mandatory if available)
For students in grade 9, the Provincial Achievement Test will be the final examination and will be worth twenty five percent (25%) of the year’s mark. Additional components may be added to the Provincial Achievement Tests at the discretion of the principal.
- Common Assessments 25% of final mark
- Unit Assessments if Common Assessments non-existent
- Unit Assessments if Common Assessments non-existent
- Teacher Discretion tasks 50% of final mark
- Should focus on performance based learning
- Should focus on performance based learning
- Course end assessment 25% of final mark
- Common Assessment final if created
- Summative Assessments 25% of final mark
- Teacher Discretion tasks 50% of final mark
- Should focus on performance based learning
- Should focus on performance based learning
- Course end assessment 25% of final mark
- Project or written final
- Common Assessments 25% of final mark
- Unit Assessments if Common Assessments non-existent
- Unit Assessments if Common Assessments non-existent
- Teacher Discretion tasks 50% of final mark
- Should focus on performance based learning
- Should focus on performance based learning
- Summative Assessments 25% of final mark
- Quizzes, chapter tests, etc.
- No assignments that are marked for completion only shall be part of the student’s mark.
- Formative assessment strategies such as worksheets, textbook questions, fill in the blank shall not be included in the student’s grade.
- Participation, Attitude, Student Behaviour, Attendance shall not be part of a student's grade.
- A copy of each year plan/course outline is to be uploaded to the Admin Center by the end of the first month of the school year, semester or end of the first week for schools in the quad system.
- Procedures for the approval and security of Junior\Senior High final examinations include:
- A draft copy of the final examination or final project shall be submitted to the Principal for approval one week prior to the date on which the examination is to be written. All approved examinations along with a marking guide will be retained on file at the school for at least one (1) year.
- The final examination shall be administered between a minimum of one (1) hour to a maximum of two and one half (2.5) hours in each Junior/Senior High course. Extra time may be granted using the same criteria as the PATs. Exceptions must be approved by the Principal.
- Student final examination papers must be kept on file at the school for a period of at least ninety (90) days.
- Records of evaluation shall be maintained and made available to the Principal, Superintendent or designate on request. Digital records of evaluation for grades 4 through 12 will be kept by Central Office at the end of each school year.
- Student progress in ECS through grade 12 will be reported a minimum of 4 times in each school year:
- There will be a minimum of three Report Cards and one Progress Report for ECS through grade 6
- and four report cards for grades 7 through 12.
- Report Cards and Progress Reports will be issued on the same dates throughout the jurisdiction. These dates will be determined each spring for the following year.
- Student progress will be reported a minimum of two times per quad in schools following a quadmester schedule.
- Achievement in subjects will be reported using the FVSD approved PowerSchool Report Card and Progress Report templates.
- Outcomes based reporting will be used for ECS through grade 6. Cumulative reporting will be used for grades 7 through 12.
- All student assessment, with the exception of final exams, must be returned with appropriate feedback to the student within one week of submission.
Read more about Student Reporting for ECS to Grade 6 here:
FVSD Parent Guide to Reporting Student Achievement
The Board of Trustees for the Fort Vermilion School Division has endorsed an Alternatives to Zero approach for all of its schools. Current research indicates that zeros have a negative effect on student achievement. Not only do zeros not indicate what the student actually knows but also they have a discouraging effect on students and promote failure. An Alternatives to Zero approach encourages students to complete the assigned work and continue gaining knowledge and skills.
Each school in the Fort Vermilion School Division will develop an Alternatives to Zero Action Plan indicating the strategies in place to ensure students complete all assigned work and achieve to their potential. Such strategies may include but are not limited to the following:
- Communication of the school’s strategies in student agendas and newsletters
- Communication with the parent regarding homework and expectations
- Parent contact in the case of missed homework
- Extra help through the teacher, a tutor, homework room, etc.
- Modification of program to meet the student’s needs
Assessment procedures that include a penalty for late assignments are considered contrary to the intention of the Alternatives to Zero approach.
Schools will review their Alternatives to Zero Action Plan at least annually at their first staff meeting of the school year.