1. An Introduction for the School Community
GROWING SUCCESS
Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting
in Ontario Schools
First Edition
Covering Grades 1-12
An Introduction for the School Community *

2. Implementation: September 2010
Growing Success:
The Assessment, Evaluation & Reporting Policy for Ontario Schools, Grades 1-12, came into effect in September 2010.

3. Growing Success: Purposes
Update
Clarify
Improve Consistency
Growing Success is designed to:
Update and clarify existing policies and to provide greater consistency in the way students are assessed, evaluated and graded across all schools in the province.

4. Growing Success: Process
Consultations with parents, students, teachers, principals, superintendents, faculties of education
A review of policies already established by school boards
A review of policies in other provinces
A review of current research
A research project looking at the design of the elementary report card
Consultations were conducted with focus groups involving parents, students, teachers, principals, superintendents, faculties of education. In addition, the ministry conducted a review of policies established by school boards, a review of policies in other provinces, a review of current research on effective practices in assessment, and a research project looking at the design of the elementary report card

5. Growing Success: Recognizes……
…the current state of our evolving
knowledge about learning
…policies and procedures need
to develop over time
...new approaches to assessment
provide opportunities and
challenges to all educators for the benefit of students
As well, the policies in Growing Success reflect the current state of our evolving knowledge about learning. It recognizes that policies and procedures need to develop over time as we learn more about how students learn. And it acknowledges that new approaches to assessment, evaluation and reporting will provide educators with new challenges and new opportunities to benefit students.

6. Growing Success: Promotes…
Some flexibility for boards to develop local policies
Consistency among schools within a board
Growing Success also attempts to strike a balance between the need for provincial consistency and the recognition that the needs and circumstances of individual boards may vary. The policy outlined in Growing Success provides flexibility for boards to develop local policies but within clear ministry limits. Those limits include the need for greater consistency and coordination among schools within a board.

7. Fundamental belief……….
The primary purpose of
assessment
and evaluation is
to improve
student learning
The policies in Growing Success are based on the proposition that the primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning;

8. Fundamental belief……….
The primary purpose of
assessment
and evaluation is
to improve
student learning
Not:
X Rank
X Compare
X Label
X Separate
It is not the primary purpose to simply produce a mark or grade, or label students, or compare them to one another, or rank them, or separate . It is to improve the learning of all students.

9. Fundamental Principles…
Fair, Transparent, Equitable
Support all students
Carefully planned
Clearly communicated
On-going & varied opportunities & feedback
Promote self-assessment
Consistent with that premise, the first chapter of the document lays out fundamental principles that form the foundation of all policy outlined in the remaining chapters. Included among them is the belief that teachers use practices and procedures that are:
Fair
Transparent
Equitable
Carefully planned and
Clearly communicated
They must be designed to support all students and
Provide all students with on-going feedback and multiple and varied opportunities to demonstrate their learning,
And they must help students develop the ability to self assess and set their own goals.

10. Fundamental Principles…
Fair
Support All Students
- All students should be able to show what they have learned regardless of social or ethnic background, learning style, special needs
Looking at some of them more closely, what do they look like in practice?
To be Fair and to support all students:
all students should be able to show what they have learned regardless of social or ethnic background, learning style, special needs.
Being fair , does not always mean treating different students all the same way.

11. Fundamental Principles…
Transparent
Evaluations are based on clear
criteria & standards.
When we say transparent we mean evaluations are based on clear content standards which are listed as curriculum expectations in the curriculum documents for each subject or course & performance standards outlined in the achievement chart criteria, which we will explain further during this presentation.

12. Fundamental Principles…
Clearly communicated
Parents & students know what is expected & how learning will be assessed & evaluated
Should be continuous (e.g. interviews, portfolios, informal reports)
Help students to set goals; help parents to support children at home
When assessment, evaluation and reporting is being clearly communicated, parents and students know at the beginning of the school year or course what is expected and how learning will be assessed and evaluated. This communication takes place throughout the year or course.
Communication should be continuous, for example through interviews, portfolios, informal reports.
Clear communication helps students to set goals and helps parents support their children at home.

13. Fundamental Principles…
On-going & varied opportunities & feedback
Students will have on-going feedback on what they are doing well, where improvements are needed & how to improve
Students will have a variety of ways & opportunities to demonstrate their learning
As well, Students will have on-going feedback identifying what they are doing well, where improvements are needed and how to improve
Students will have a variety of ways and opportunities to demonstrate their learning

14. Assessment FOR [to improve] Learning
Terms and ideas used by students and teachers:
Learning Goals
Success Criteria
Feedback
Self Assessment
Parents in conversations with their children and teachers about the new policies will be hearing terms such as
Learning Goals
Success Criteria
Feedback
Self Assessment
Being used more frequently.

15. Assessment FOR Learning
Learning Goals
Students understand clearly
what they are supposed to learn
Success Criteria
Students understand clearly what
successful achievement looks like
– what is expected of them
In its most basic terms, Assessment For Learning means:
Students understand clearly what they are supposed to learn
Students understand clearly what
successful achievement looks like – what is expected of them

16. Assessment FOR Learning
Feedback
Students understand clearly how to improve
& learn how to give & receive feedback
Self Assessment
Students learn to become independent learners
Students clearly understand how to improve & learn how to give & receive relevant feedback
Students learn to become independent learners

17. Learning Skills & Work Habits
Six Learning Skills and Work Habits will be reported on for all Grades 1 to 12
Revised from the nine on previous Elementary Report Cards and five on previous Secondary Report Cards
Now common for all Grades
Six revised Learning Skills and Work Habits will now be common for all grades, 1 to 12. Previously, elementary schools listed 9 and secondary schools listed 5 and they were not all the same.

18. Learning Skills & Work Habits
Assessed, evaluated, reported as:
Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Needs Improvement
The learning skills and work habits will be assessed and reported as “Excellent” “Good” “Satisfactory” “Needs Improvement”

19. Learning Skills & Work Habits
Evaluated &
reported separately
from achievement of
the curriculum expectations
As much as possible, it is intended that the evaluation and reporting of learning skills be evaluated & reported separately from achievement of the curriculum expectations

20. Learning Skills and Work Habits in Grades 1 to 12
Six learning skills and work habits:
Responsibility
Organization
Independent Work
Collaboration
Initiative
Self-regulation
Emphasized on progress report card and provincial report cards
“Sample behaviours” given on all Report Cards
The six learning skills and work habits are:
Responsibility
Organization
Independent Work
Collaboration
Initiative
Self-regulation
They have also been moved from the bottom half of the elementary report card and far right side of the secondary report card and are given more prominent placement because of their importance to student success.
The Report Cards will also list samples of what those learning skills and work habits could look like in terms of student behaviour.

21. Heightened emphasis in policy and all Report Cards
This heightened emphasis and clarity both in the policy document and on all Report Cards reflect their importance in the view of all education stakeholders for the education and success of our students.
(NOTE TO PRESENTER: sample templates should be provided)

23. Performance Standards: Categories & Levels of Achievement
Four Levels of Achievement
4, 3, 2, 1
Four Categories for assessment and evaluation:
Knowledge & Understanding
Thinking
Communication
Application
Growing Success emphasizes the need for greater consistency in the way students are assessed and evaluated. Parents in all grades will hear their children and teachers talk about four levels of achievement (4,3,2,1) and four categories (knowledge & understanding, thinking, communication and application).

24. Levels & Letter Grades on Report Cards for Grades 1 to 6
The revised Elementary Report Card clearly explains for parents the meaning of each level and how each level aligns with the letter grade.

25. Levels & Percentage Marks on Report Cards for Grades 7 to 12
The revised Secondary Report Card clearly explains for parents the meaning of each level and how each level aligns with the percentage grade.

26. Levels of Achievement Level 3 (B) (70-79%) Provincial Standard
“Parents of students achieving
at Level 3 can be confident that
their children will be prepared for
work in subsequent grades/courses”
“There is no expectation that a certain number or percentage of students must be allocated to any one level”
Level 3, which would appear on a Report Card as a a (B) or as (70-79%) is the Provincial Standard.
“Parents of students achieving at Level 3 can be confident that their children will be prepared for work in subsequent grades/courses”
Are there any guidelines about how many students in a class can receive an A or B?
“There is no expectation that a certain number or percentage of students must be allocated to any one level”

27. Categories of Achievement
Evaluations are based only on curriculum content
and skills set out in policy documents
Based on:
Knowledge & Understanding of Content
2. Thinking: Critical and Creative Thinking Skills
(e.g.: plan, analyse, problem solve, research)
Communication: oral, visual, written forms
Application: ability to use their knowledge
& skills
All students are to be evaluated on the same curriculum and based on the same standards. Curriculum is not just knowledge of facts and content. Teachers must also evaluate students ability to think, communicate and apply their knowledge and there must be a balance in the amount of emphasis given to each category.

28. How will my child’s work be evaluated and graded?
Teachers look at many types of evidence which will show that a student has learned the required curriculum content and skills:
How will my child’s work be evaluated and graded?
Teachers look at many types of evidence which will show that a student has learned the required curriculum content and skills:

29. How will my child’s work be evaluated and graded?
Teachers look at many types of evidence which will show that a student has learned the required curriculum content and skills:
demonstrations
projects
How will my child’s work be evaluated and graded?
Teachers look at many types of evidence which will show that a student has learned the required curriculum content and skills, for example:
assignments, essays, tests, portfolios, demonstrations, projects,
portfolios
essays
tests
assignments

30. How will my child’s work be evaluated and graded?
Teachers look at many types of evidence which will show that a student has learned the required curriculum content and skills:
conversations
observations
demonstrations
projects
as well as conversations and observations.
portfolios
essays
tests
assignments

31. How will my child’s work be evaluated and graded?
2. Teachers will pay particular attention to:
the quality & level of work students have done ‘most consistently’ over the course of the term, year or semester
the quality and level of work students are doing by the end of the term, year, semester
2. Teachers will pay particular attention to:
the quality & level of work students have done ‘most consistently’ over the course of the term, year or semester
the quality and level of work students are doing by the end of the term, year, semester

32. How will my child’s work be evaluated and graded?
3. For Secondary Grades 9 to 12
to determine the final grade:
70% based on evaluations done throughout course
30% based on final evaluation
at or near end of course
using one or a combination of methods (e.g. exam, performance, essay, etc…)
3. For grades 9 to 12, a final grade is determined as follows:
Seventy percent will be based on evaluations conducted throughout the course. Again, this should reflect the student’s most consistent and more recent quality and level of work.
Thirty percent is based on a final evaluation conducted at or near the end of the course. A teacher will use one or a combination of methods such as an examination, performance, essay or other methods suitable for that course.

33. Report Cards: Grades 1-8 New Elementary Progress Report Card
* October 20 – November 20
Revisions to Provincial Report
Cards
* January 20 – February 20
* End of Year
There will be changes to the Elementary Report Cards beginning in the fall of 2010
There will be a new Progress Report Card issued between October 20 and November 20
There will now be two revised Provincial Report Cards issued between January 20 and February 20 and at the end of the school year.

34. New Elementary Progress Report Card
Focus: learning skills and work habits
Focus: assessment For learning; feedback; steps for improvement.
Focus: discussions with students and their parents to establish a positive tone for the remainder of the school year.
The Progress Report Card will:
Focus on learning skills and work habits
It will focus on assessment For learning; feedback; steps for improvement.
And it will focus on discussions with students and their parents to establish a positive tone for the remainder of the school year.

35. New Elementary Progress Report Card
Focus: student’s progress towards achievement of the curriculum
Progressing Very Well
Progressing Well
Progressing With Difficulty
Before evaluations are completed
Highlights strengths, areas to improve
Personalized, clear, specific comments
It will focus on student’s progress towards achievement of the curriculum, letting parents know if they are
Progressing Very Well
Progressing Well
Progressing With Difficulty
This takes place before evaluation which takes place after the teacher has gathered additional information and is reported on at the end of the first term.
It will highlights strengths, areas to improve and includes personalized, clear, specific comments.

37. Revised Elementary Provincial Report Card
Focus: Learning Skills and Work Habits
Focus: Student’s achievement level based on the curriculum standards
Letter grades for Grades 1-6
Percentage marks for Grades 7-8
The two provincial report cards have an increased emphasis on the learning skills and work habits. Unlike the progress report card, the grades entered on these reports reflect the evaluation of student learning at that point in the school year, based on the content and performance standards identified in the curriculum and the achievement chart.

38. Revised Elementary Provincial Report Card
Language, four strands reported
French, three strands reported
Native Language, equal space is provided
Mathematics, five strands reported
Health Education and Physical Education, both are reported
The Arts, four strands reported
This slide provides some detail on how the report card grades will be reported in each subject.

39. Revised Elementary Provincial Report Card
Language, all four strands are reported for both reports
French, three strands are reported as appropriate
Native Language, a space is provided to indicate the native language, one mark, no strands are reported
Mathematics, at least four of the five strands are reported for each report, each strand is reported at least once per year
History and Geography, history and/or geography may be reported for each report; each is reported at least once per year
Health Education and Physical Education, both are reported for both reports
The Arts, at least three of the four strands are reported for each report, each strand is reported at least once per year
OPTIONAL DETAIL AVAILABLE TO BE PROVIDED

40. Revised Elementary Provincial Report Card
Median (grade 7-8)
50 per cent of the students have a higher percentage mark and 50 per cent of the students have a lower percentage mark.
R (grade 1-8)
achievement that falls below D-/50-%; additional learning is required; need for the development of strategies to address the student’s specific learning needs
I (grade 1-8)
insufficient evidence is available to determine a letter grade or percentage mark (e.g. late enrolment, illness)
Other notes you should be aware of on codes you will see on the Report Card:
Median (grade 7-8)
This is the point at which 50 per cent of the students have a higher percentage mark and 50 per cent of the students have a lower percentage mark.
R (grade 1-8)
This signifies achievement that falls below D-/50-%; additional learning is required; need for the development of strategies to address the student’s specific learning needs
I (grade 1-8)
This signifies that insufficient evidence is available to determine a letter grade or percentage mark. This may occur, for example, due to late enrolment or extended illness.

41. Revised Report Cards: Grades 9-12
Semestered Schools:
October/November
January/February
March/April
June
Non-Semestered Schools:
In grades 9 to 12 there are no changes to the report card schedules
For Semestered Schools:
There will be a mid term report in October/November
And a final report in January/February
For the next semester there will be a mid-term report card in March/April
And a final issued in June
For Non-Semestered Schools:
There will be an interim report in October/November
A mid term report in March/April
And a final report in June

42. Revised Report Card: Grades 9-12
Focus: Learning Skills and Work Habits
Moved to more prominent position with sample behaviours provided
Focus: Student’s achievement level based on the curriculum standards
Percentage marks
The provincial report cards focus on the learning skills and work habits. The percentage marks are based on formal evaluations and reflect a student’s level of achievement based on the curriculum standards.

43. Revised Secondary Provincial Report Card
Median
- 50 per cent of the students have a higher
percentage mark and 50 per cent of the students have a lower percentage mark.
I (grades 9-10)
insufficient evidence is available to determine a letter grade or percentage mark (e.g. late enrolment, illness)
Explanatory Information Provided
Teacher Interview Request Box
Other notes you should be aware of regarding codes you may see on the Report Card.
Median
This is the point at which 50 per cent of the students have a higher percentage mark and 50 per cent of the students have a lower percentage mark.
I (grades 9-10)
This signifies insufficient evidence is available to determine a letter grade or percentage mark. This may occur, for example due to late enrolment or illness.
Additional information is provided with each report explaining the various codes plus a box for the teacher to request an interview after the first report.

45. Report Card Comments Grades 1-12
What the student has learned
Strengths
Next steps for improvement
Comments should provide personalized, clear, precise, and meaningful feedback.
Teachers should also strive to help parents understand how they can support their children at home.
Teachers may choose to write personalized comments on report cards.
Report Card Comments for all grades must include the following information:
What the student has learned
Strengths
Next steps for improvement
Comments should provide personalized, clear, precise, and meaningful feedback.
Teachers should also strive to help parents understand how they can support their children at home.
Teachers may choose to write their own personalized comments on report cards

46. Issue: Dealing with late & missed assignments:
Boards must develop policies within Ministry guidelines:
Behaviours are reported in Learning Skills/Work Habits section of the Report Card.
Variety of strategies to be used:
to help prevent late and missed assignments
as consequences (may include mark deduction)
There are some clarifications in Growing Success around some issues.
To deal with late assignments or work not submitted:
The ministry sets out some policy direction; boards develop specific policies which meet local needs. Schools within a board must follow the board policies.
For all grades, these behaviours may be reported as part of the Learning Skills and Work Habits
Ministry policy states that teachers should use a variety of strategies to prevent students from developing poor time management habits, and to provide clear consequences for students who do not fulfill their responsibilities.
One strategy for grades 7 to 12 which a teacher may choose is mark deduction up to an including the full value of the assignment.

47. Issue: Dealing with late & missed assignments:
Boards must develop policies:
Policies should be designed to:
motivate and help students to complete work
Timelines and consequences
must be clearly communicated
The strategy used by the school or teacher should motivate students to complete work
Consequences and timelines for students must be clearly communicated

48. Issue: Dealing with late & missed assignments:
Boards must develop policies:
Teacher responsibility:
to set timelines (preferably in collaboration with students)
Student responsibility:
to meet timelines
Teachers have the responsibility to establish timelines – preferably with students
Students have responsibility to meet timelines

49. Issue: Dealing with cheating & plagiarizing
Boards must develop policies:
Cheating and plagiarism will not be condoned
Board policies must deal with how to prevent it, how to detect it, and consequences
Board policies must consider the grade and maturity and individual circumstances of the student and how frequently it has occurred
To deal with cheating and plagiarizing:
The ministry sets out some policy direction; boards develop specific policies which meet local needs. Schools within a board must follow the board policies.
Ministry policy states that board policies must deal with how to prevent cheating and plagiarizing, how to detect it, what the consequences should be.
Policies must consider the grade and maturity and individual circumstances of the student and the frequency of the occurrence.

50. Additional topics covered in the Growing Success document for individual focused discussions:
Students with Special Education Needs:
Modifications, Accommodations, and Alternative Programs
English Language Learners:
Modifications and Accommodations
E-Learning (Grades 9-12)
Credit Recovery (Grades 9-12)
Additional Topics Covered in the Growing Success document.
These topics will be covered with parents who are affected by these particular programs and grades:
Students with Special Education Needs:
Modifications, Accommodations, and Alternative Programs
English Language Learners:
Modifications and Accommodations
E-Learning (Grades 9-12)
Credit Recovery (Grades 9-12)

51. www.ontario.ca/ EDUparents Growing Success policy
Information for parents
EDUparents
For more information, including the full policy document “Growing Success’

52. Thank You !
For more information, including the full policy document “Growing Success’