Assessment Philosophy and Principles

At Sanjay Ghodawat International School we believe that assessment refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students. The focus of assessment practice is gathering and analyzing information as well as catering to the individual learning needs & requirements. At SGI School, teachers and students both collaborate to design the task as well as the tools for assessment.

Purpose for Assessment

• Assessments tap the prior knowledge and build upon the strengths of the learners in a variety of learning situations. It collaborates student learning and brings to light what the students have learnt and the areas that need further improvement. Effective assessments also enable students to reflect upon their own
• Assessments provide information to parents about the status of progress of their ward and bring to light areas where a student has excelled or done well and areas which require further
• Assessments help students gain information about what is valued and set personal academic expectations and goals
• Assessments help to gather and analyze students’ learning based on the students’ These identify what students know, understand, can do and feel at different stages in the learning process
• Assessments are embedded in the learning process and are integral to teaching/learning Assessments focus on the quality of the products of that learning. We at SGIS view assessments as essential means by which we analyze students’ learning and the effectiveness of teaching.

Assessments act as the foundation on which to base our future planning and teaching strategies

Common Assessment Practices

IBDP Assessment practices at SGIS

a) Learner Centric

b) A Collaborative Process:

• Assessment is a collaborative process, Students are aware of how they will be assessed during their learning process
• Peer assessment is one of the methods which help the teaching and learning process. In SGIS, students are given opportunity for both self-assessment and peer
• Management, teachers, students and parents are the pillars of the institution who play vital role in the learning process. Through the process of assessment they can collaborate and help to improve the learning
• Through assessment process students will become aware about their area of accomplishments and improvement in the learning
• The feedback provided will help the students to improve their learning

c) A constructive feedback:

• Feedback is must for the learners for their improvement, so effective and timely evaluation about their present levels of accomplishment and areas of improvement is done through the assessment
• Assessment in SGIS is linked with the DP aims and objectives of each subject
• Feedback helps the learners to improve their learning practice by identifying strengths and areas for improvement

To be effective, feedback after observations should be:

• Prioritized
• Specific

• Actionable
• Have a supportive tone
• Be given soon after an evaluation/assessment as possible

What is continuous assessment?

Continuous assessment is a classroom strategy implemented by teachers to ascertain the knowledge, understanding and skills attained by pupils. Teachers administer assessments in a variety of ways over time, which allow them to observe multiple tasks and to collect information about what pupil knows, understand, and can do. These assessments are curriculum-based tasks previously taught in class. Continuous assessments take place frequently during the course time, it happens as a part of regular teacher student interactions. Feedbacks are received by the learners based on their performance. These feedbacks allow them to focus more on the topics they have not yet mastered. Continuous assessments help teachers to learn which student needs more attention and remediation. They also help the teacher to identify which pupils are ready to move on to more complex work. Continuous assessment ensures that all pupils make their learning progress throughout the school cycle and help to increase their academic achievement.

Types of Assessment

A type of assessment known as criterion referencing is practiced here. In this, the performance of an individual candidate is assessed on the basis of certain rubrics. Each criterion has its descriptions clearly indicating student’s level of performance and explanations of the same.

Formative Assessments:

Formative assessments are often informal and ongoing process of assessing the students. It provides information to students and teachers that are used to improve teaching and learning. A wide range of meaningful formative assessment tasks are used to sharpen students’ skills, knowledge and understanding, culminating into summative assessment tasks.

Students acquire the skills of self-assessment, peer assessment and identify goals based on their teacher’s appraisal. The formative assessment process provides information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are still happening. It guides teachers in making decisions about future instructions. A few examples of formative assessment methods are:

1. Questioning
2. Observation
3. Discussion
4. Learning/ response logs
5. Peer/ Self assessments
6. Presentation

Summative Assessments :

Summative assessment is a cumulative assessment usually occurring at the end of a term. Summative assessments in the form of term end assessment/mock assessment replicate the IB assessment for different components in the exams. Here in SGIS, summative assessment follows from an accumulation of evidences collected over time, as in a collection of student work. These assessments are designed to provide information on students’ achievement levels and assess students’ understanding and knowledge against some standards. These standards are designed in alignment with the IB units and assessed in regard to an appropriate DP subject guides and its respective objectives. Summative Assessments in the form of term end assessments occur after every five months and mock exam occur after the end of the syllabus.

Core Elements

Theory of Knowledge

TOK encourages critical thinking and inquiring into process of knowing. It is centered on the question

`How do we know what we claim to know?’ It is designed to help students to reflect on and further develop their thinking skills, they have acquired in other subjects. The central features of the Theory of knowledge course are critical analysis questions called Knowledge questions.

The assessment model in Theory of Knowledge has two components, both of which should be completed within the 100 hours designated for the course. TOK is assessed through an essay of 1600 words on prescribed titles by the IB and an exhibition on one of 35 prescribed prompts. Both the essay and the exhibition are assessed using global impression marking. The essay contributes 67% of the final mark and the exhibition contributes 33% of the final mark. TOK inculcates all the learner’s profiles in the students and develops international mindedness.

Extended Essay

An Extended Essay is intended to be an academic-style research on a topic chosen from one of the IB subjects. The maximum word count is 4,000 (plus an additional 500 words for the reflections) on Reflection on Planning and Progress form [RPPF] that is submitted with the Extended Essay. It is mandatory to submit three compulsory reflections to the supervisor. The reflections should be focused on conceptual understanding, decision-making and engagement with data, the research process, time management and methodology, appropriateness of sources and successes and challenges.

IB recommends approximately 40 hours accomplishing the task. It is a mandatory requirement that all essays are academically honest, all the work is genuinely stemming from your own efforts.

Students should receive three to five hours in-school supervisory support towards the completion of Extended Essay. A supervisor is expected to provide advice and support but not prescribe questions or edit any work produced.

Creativity Activity Service

Creativity – Activity – Service is at the heart of the Diploma Programme. It enables students to live the IB learner profile in real and practical ways, to grow as unique individuals and to recognise their role in relation to others. CAS is organized around the three strands of Creativity, Activity and Service:

Creativity – Arts and other experiences that involve creative thinking.

Activity – Physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the IB Diploma Programme.

Service – an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student.

Students of SGIS will be involved in CAS experiences and projects, regularly for 18 months in their diploma programme.

All students are expected to maintain and complete a CAS portfolio as evidence of their engagement with CAS. The CAS portfolio is meant to be a collection of evidence that showcases the overall experience and will be a source of pride for the student. Students should include reflections in their CAS portfolio that give evidence to achieving each of the CAS learning outcomes.

School Examinations-Internal and External

Within the IB Diploma classes, assessment provides feedback to the students and teachers and thus modifies both the teaching and learning process. It is built into the lessons, such that the process is embedded in all aspects of learning. The continuous feedback that is obtained as a result is essential for goal setting and establishing future targets.

i. Internal and External Assessment

The internal assessment is internally marked by the teacher in-charge of the subject and externally moderated. All IBDP subjects have an internal assessment component (whether written or oral), which student must complete during the course of two years.

The SGIS calendar provides the timeline for the completion of internal assessment. Students are expected to follow the calendar strictly as this document is collaboratively agreed by all the teachers and management.

Teacher assessment in different subjects includes:

• oral work in languages
• fieldwork in geography
• laboratory work in the sciences
• investigations in mathematics
• Artistic

ii . External or Written Assessment/s

At the end of diploma programme students will appear for IBDP external examinations according to the IB guidelines. The dates of the examinations are decided by IBO.

DP assessment procedures measure the extent to which students have mastered advanced academic skills in fulfilling these goals, for example:

• Analyzing and presenting information
• Evaluating and constructing arguments
• Solving problems

Basic skills are also assessed, including:

• retaining knowledge
• understanding key concepts
• applying standard

Other written tasks, written assignments in languages, Extended Essays, etc., DP Coordinator will discuss and finalize the submission dates for the same with respective subject teachers, TOK teachers and EE team. DP coordinator will send these assessments to IB examiners who will then grade these externally. The result of final IBDP examinations will be declared on 5^th July.

IBDP programme is a two year programme. In SGIS each year is divided into two semesters. At the end of each semester, students take assessments apart from the internal assessments.

Assessment Structure:

School Grading System

Following are the current Grading system followed by the school. The school has its own grading system which is applicable to the current running program in the school from classes 1 to 10. For assessment of the students of 11 and 12 following grades will also be used. This will help students and parents to know the progress of their wards from time to time. These are different than the official IBDP grading system. These are aligned with the grades 1-7 as per IBO.

IBDP Grading System

• All subjects in the Diploma Programme are assessed both internally and
• The Internal Assessment of different subjects are marked by the respective in-charge subject teachers and then sent to the IB for further
• In IBDP 2, the External Assessment happens at the end of the academic year. April-May are the months where final IB exams have been scheduled by IB.
• The time table for the same is provided by IB almost a year before to the
• All the IBDP subjects are marked on a range of 7 to 1
• 7 is the highest level of score in any subject offered by school/IB.
• Each subject has its own grade descriptors that qualify the

• A minimum grade of 3 points is required to clear a subject at the Standard
• A minimum of 4 points is required to clear the subject at the Higher Level
• The Core components are grades in a different way:

For TOK and EE, the IB has provided a predetermined grid which interprets the grades into points. It shows 3 points in total. These are based on the combination scores of TOK and EE.

TOK is graded on a scale of A to E, A being the highest. Extended Essay is also graded on the same scale.

CAS is assessed by the completion of the seven learning outcomes specified by the IB in the CAS guide. Description is given below.

TOK -EE MATRIX

Feedback and Reporting

For the purpose of reporting and feedback, the assessment criteria will be shared with all students and parents before first term of IBDP-1. A regular meeting with parents will be scheduled where parents will be invited to discuss the progress and development of their wards. Teacher will share the feedback, reflections and comments on the progress of students. A report card will be issued to every parent of IBDP after each term. Every component of subjects will be evaluated strictly as per their subject guides and rubrics. The student is given a comprehensive feedback about his/her level of achievement as per each grade descriptor.

Role of teachers in giving feedback on Internal Assessment

The school will adhere to the IB guidelines for internal assessment and feedback. Once the written comments are given to the students for their work, they are expected to submit the final version to the teacher. The teacher must not provide any written comments, in any situation after giving the first draft comments.

Different forms of student’s works such as internal assessment, Extended Essay must not be aimed at major editing by the teacher. The teacher’s feedback aims only to encourage students to think, explore further and come up with their own views. The teacher’s feedback must be indicative in nature. SGIS strives to make students independent learners and empower them through feedback.

Exam report

• At the beginning of the academic session of DP 1, parents and students are briefed about all the assessment
• The report of each internal examination will be send to the parents along with the feedback from the subject
• Open parent day will be arranged after each terminal The examination reports of terminal examinations will be issued during this meeting. Parents can interact with class teacher, subject teachers and the DP coordinator during this meeting.
• The report of each terminal examination will also be sent through Parents can download the same from the school website.
• Feedback form is filled by parents mentioning the areas/subjects in which their child needs more coaching.
• Mock exam for DP 2 is conducted in March/April and evaluated strictly as per the assessment criteria provided by the IB. The results are shared with parents. Each student is briefed about his/her achievements as per each grade descriptor and they are suggested the areas of

Condition for award of the Diploma

The IB Diploma will be awarded to a candidate provided all the following requirements have been met:

• CAS requirements have been
• The candidate’s total points are 24 or
• There is no “N” awarded for theory of knowledge, the extended essay or for a contributing

subject.

• There is no grade E awarded for theory of knowledge and/or the extended
• There is no grade 1 awarded in a subject/level.
• Grade 2 has been awarded not more than two times (HL or SL).

• Grade 3 or below has been awarded not more than three times (HL or SL)

Assignments and Homework

Assignments and homework are integral part of academic where students are expected to work diligently. Students have to complete subject assignments, Internal Assessment tasks, Extended Essay, TOK exhibition and Essay and CAS requirements to gain the Diploma Programme. Students have to work independently under the guidance of subject teachers. They have to finish the assignments and submit their work on or before the given deadlines by maintaining academic honesty. Usually students get time to finish their work / assignments during available free time in school but they can take the work home if not finished or not completed in school hours. It is the sole responsibility of the students to manage his/her time at home and make sure that student meets all the deadlines. Parents are expected to provide an appropriate work environment as their contribution in completing their assignments.

Assessment of SEN students

Special Education Needs refers to the students who are differently abled. It’s a child centered approach depending on the needs each child has. The Psychological Assessment of these children varies with the different development issues. Confidentiality of these children along with maintenance of legal and assessment records is mandatory. Psychologist has to conduct family therapies for these children with special needs in assisting them in different activities to be conducted by parents and teachers. The module for these children is activity oriented.

Coordinators and teachers are responsible for submitting requests for special arrangements. The assessing of SEN students will be as per the guidelines given by IBO as well as SGIS Inclusive Education Policy document-2022.

 Review and Monitoring of Assessment Policy

Bibliography

IBO Diploma Programme Assessment Principles and Practice. Cardiff,: International Baccalaureate Organization, Nov. 2010. PDF.

IBO. Handbook of Procedures for the Diploma Programme. Geneva: International Baccalaureate Organization, Mar. 2022. PDF.

IBO. Handbook of Procedures for the Diploma Programme 2017. Geneva: International Baccalaureate Organization, Nov. 2016.

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