Education and Early Childhood Learning

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessment and Grading

Determining Grades

Following are guidelines for assessment and evaluation and for the use of the achievement profile to determine student grades.

Foundations of Assessment

• Learning outcomes expressed in curricula are the primary reference for evaluation and grading.
• Student grades should be based on evidence selected by the teacher based on the teacher’s professional judgment as to which evidence best reflects the students most recent and consistent learning in relation to curricular learning goals.

The Grading Scale

• Achievement levels 1 to 4 (‘Limited’ to ‘Very good to excellent’) all illustrate interaction with grade-level content where there is learning and progress by the student.
• A grade of 4 is not equivalent to exceeding grade level.
• A grade of ‘ND’ (less than 50% on the percentage scale) applies when a teacher observes that the student is not engaging with grade-level content in a way that supports growth. ‘ND’ is not equivalent to achieving at a lower grade level.
• The grade scale ‘Limited’ (‘1’ on the ordinal scale; 50% to 59%) is a passing grade; that is, the student is engaging with grade-level outcomes and is progressing, albeit with limitations requiring significant attention and support. For working with percentage grades, including in combination with the ordinal scale, the report card policy and support document illustrates how percentage grades may be determined, which can then be converted to grades on the ordinal (ND, 1-4) scale.
• The percentage scale is not a tally of the proportion of outcomes achieved, but rather a reflection of overall achievement across the curriculum as described in the report card grading scale and the profiles.

Interpreting the Report Card Grading Scale and the Profiles

• It is normal for students to demonstrate characteristics from different achievement levels – professional judgement is required to identify which achievement level profile best captures a student’s overall performance when determining grades.
• Academic grades reflect learning with respect to the learning trajectory designed by the teacher as developmentally appropriate for the point in time that report card grades are determined. High interim academic achievement grades (‘4’ or over 80%) are applicable at any time to a student demonstrating competence and on track, in the judgement of the teacher, to attaining end-of-year learning goals¹ .