Mission

At Learning Skills International School, we are a community of learners whose intentions are to produce lifelong learners who are globally competent and global minded. It is a place where the joy of learning is practiced and celebrated daily. Our teachers and students strive to be well versed in the tenets of 21st Century education such as: creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. It is a place where instructional practices are guided by standards-based rigorous curricula that allows for successful completion of Units of Inquiry. Underpinning all that we do is our expectation that our students will continue to demonstrate the Learner profiles of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme of Inquirers, knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open – Minded, Caring, Risk – Takers, Balanced and Reflective.

At LSIS the purposes of assessment are to:

  • Promote student learning
  • Provide information about student learning
  • Assist teachers and the community to better understand the progress of our learners and
  • Contribute to the successful implementation of the PYP instructional program

Through assessment, LSIS is able to identify what students know, understand, can do and value at different stages in the teaching and learning process.

In the PYP, learning is viewed as a continuous journey, where teachers identify students’ needs and use assessment data to plan the next stage of their learning.
Teachers use a wide range of assessment strategies to collect information on each of the elements represented in the PYP written curriculum:

  • The understanding of concepts;
  • The acquisition of knowledge;
  • The mastering of skills;
  • The development of positive attitudes and
  • The ability to take responsible action.

How we assess

Formative

Assessment for learning

This is assessment that informs planning. It leads teachers to adjust lessons or teaching either through differentiation or changes to planning to better meet the needs of students.

Assessment as learning

This is assessment that improves learning. It leads students to adjust what they do or how they do something to achieve greater success.

Summative

Assessment of learning

Assessment that sums up learning, either at the end of learning or an overawe of the whole process (e.g. skills development- How much has my performance improved?) Summative assessments can be external, school or teacher designed.

The Assessment Record Report philosophy, tools and practices we adhere to at LSIS

Why – These are our beliefs about different aspects of assessment, recording and reporting
What – this is what we do
How – This is how this looks at LSIS
We believe that the learning/teaching cycle starts with assessment. This helps to inform planning and refine teaching to enhance student learning.
We need to use a range of tools and strategies to assess learning.
We understand that there are many possible ways for a student to show their understanding
Use a variety of pre-assessment tasks at the start of a new unity of inquiry, Math strand etc. to give students opportunities and choice in how to share ideas around what they already know/understand.
Ensure assessment is frequent, ongoing, varied (both formative and summative, including self, peer and teacher assessments).
  • Graphic organizers
  • Rubrics
  • Continuum
  • Benchmark/exemplars
  • Checklists
  • Observations, discussions, performances
  • Anecdotal notes
  • Records of student action
  • Quizzes/tests
Assessment needs to address all of the essential elements of the PYP.
For every Unit of Inquiry we plan learning engagements which allow teachers and peers to formatively assess student achievement against the essential elements (Concepts, Skills, Attitudes, Action, Knowledge) and the IB learner profile.
  • Scoring (1-4) for student achievement against skill descriptors
  • Scoring (1-4) for student conceptual understanding
  • Unit report comments include student achievement in relation to attitudes, action, knowledge acquired and the IB learner profile

Assessment should provide opportunities for teachers to provide feedback on the learning process and for students to participate in, respond to and act on the feedback they are given, in order to inform and improve learning.

Teachers provide students with feedback to aid progress. Students participate in and reflect on the assessment of their work.
  • Graphic organizers
  • Co-constructed success criteria
  • Targets
  • Re-drafting
Assessment should evaluate the learning at the end of a unit of work or set amount of time.
We believe analysis of assessment data informs planning an supports setting class/curriculum/whole school targets.
Use of summative assessment tasks at the end of a unit of inquiry, Math strand.
Data analyzed to provide information for class groupings; set class or year group/curricular targets; track student progress
  • Write a letter, explanation, report
  • Create a diorama, poster, poem
  • Perform a play, debate
We provide and share evidence of student learning over time across the curriculum.
Use marking books, portfolios, student journals to record information of student achievement over time.
  • Termly marking books of teacher records of student achievement in Math, writing (IB phase levels), reading (PM benchmarks) essential elements of the pyp (units of inquiry, two times per term)
  • Samples of student work for each unit including transdisciplinary links in:
  • Portfolio folders
  • Online student portfolios
  • Student workbooks/journals
Assessment data and student achievement information are important for all involved.
Report to parents every term on a range of aspects of student learning.
  • Parent teacher conferences
  • 3-way/Student led conferences
  • Online reports for Math, English, Units of Inquiry, social/behavior, music P.E. (teacher comments and scoring 1-4)

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