Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement
Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, First Edition, Covering Grades 1 to 12, 2010 sets out the Ministry of Education’s assessment, evaluation, and reporting policy. The policy aims to maintain high standards, improve student learning, and benefit all students, parents, and teachers in elementary and secondary schools across the province. Successful implementation of this policy depends on the professional judgement of teachers at all levels as well as their high expectations of all students, and on their ability to work together and to build trust and confidence among parents and students.
Major aspects of assessment, evaluation, and reporting policy are summarized in the general “Assessment and Evaluation” section that applies to all curricula. The key tool for assessment and evaluation in language – the achievement chart – is provided below.
The Achievement Chart for Grade 1–8 Language
The achievement chart identifies four categories of knowledge and skills and four levels of achievement in Language. (For important background, see “Content Standards and Performance Standards” in the general "Assessment and Evaluation" section that applies to all curricula.)
Knowledge and Understanding – Subject-specific content acquired in each grade (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding) |
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Categories | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
The student: | ||||
Knowledge of content (e.g., morphology; syntax; text features; text forms and genres; strategies used when understanding and responding to texts and when expressing ideas and creating texts) | demonstrates limited knowledge of content | demonstrates some knowledge of content | demonstrates considerable knowledge of content | demonstrates thorough knowledge of content |
Understanding of content (e.g., concepts; opinions; facts; perspectives; relationships among facts, ideas, concepts, themes) | demonstrates limited understanding of content |
demonstrates some understanding of content | demonstrates considerable understanding of content | demonstrates thorough understanding of content |
Thinking – The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes | ||||
Categories | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
The student: | ||||
Use of planning skills (e.g., identifying the purpose for reading; identifying the topic, purpose, audience, form, and medium for writing; generating ideas; gathering information; researching; organizing information and ideas) | uses planning skills with limited effectiveness |
uses planning skills with some effectiveness | uses planning skills with considerable effectiveness |
uses planning skills with a high degree of effectiveness |
Use of processing skills (e.g., making inferences, interpreting, analyzing, identifying bias, synthesizing, evaluating, forming conclusions) | uses processing skills with limited effectiveness |
uses processing skills with some effectiveness |
uses processing skills with considerable effectiveness |
uses processing skills with a high degree of effectiveness |
Use of critical/creative thinking processes (e.g., researching; comparing and evaluating strategies and tools used by various creators; creating; considering and appreciating diverse perspectives; reflecting on their learning) | uses critical/ creative thinking processes with limited effectiveness |
uses critical/ creative thinking processes with some effectiveness |
uses critical/ creative thinking processes with considerable effectiveness |
uses critical/ creative thinking processes with a high degree of effectiveness |
Communication – The conveying of meaning through various forms | ||||
Categories | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
The student: | ||||
Expression and organization of ideas and information (e.g., clarity, logic, coherence) in oral, non-verbal, visual, and/or written forms, including digital and media forms | expresses and organizes ideas and information with limited effectiveness |
expresses and organizes ideas and information with some effectiveness |
expresses and organizes ideas and information with considerable effectiveness |
expresses and organizes ideas and information with a high degree of effectiveness |
Communication for different audiences and purposes (e.g., use of style, voice, images, gestures, prosody) in oral, visual, and written forms, including media forms | communicates for different audiences and purposes with limited effectiveness | communicates for different audiences and purposes with some effectiveness | communicates for different audiences and purposes with considerable effectiveness |
communicates for different audiences and purposes with a high degree of effectiveness |
Use of conventions (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation), vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline in oral, non-verbal, visual, and written forms, including digital and media forms | uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology with limited effectiveness |
uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology with some effectiveness |
uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology with considerable effectiveness |
uses conventions, vocabulary, and terminology with a high degree of effectiveness |
Application – The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts |
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Categories | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
The student: | ||||
Application of knowledge and skills (e.g., concepts, strategies, processes) in familiar contexts | applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with limited effectiveness |
applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with some effectiveness |
applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with considerable effectiveness |
applies knowledge and skills in familiar contexts with a high degree of effectiveness |
Transfer of knowledge and skills (e.g., concepts, strategies, processes) to new contexts | transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with limited effectiveness | transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with some effectiveness |
transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with considerable effectiveness |
transfers knowledge and skills to new contexts with a high degree of effectiveness |
Making connections within and between various contexts (e.g., between the text and their own knowledge and lived experiences, other texts, the world around them, and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives and ways of knowing; between disciplines) | makes connections within and between various contexts with limited effectiveness |
makes connections within and between various contexts with some effectiveness |
makes connections within and between various contexts with considerable effectiveness |
makes connections within and between various contexts with a high degree of effectiveness |
Requirements for Strand A
Learning and assessment related to the expectations in Strand A occurs within the context of learning related to strands B through D. Student achievement of the expectations in Strand A are to be assessed and evaluated throughout the year and may be included in the comment section of the report card.
Criteria and Descriptors for Grade 1–8 Language
To guide teachers in their assessment and evaluation of student learning, the achievement chart provides “criteria” and “descriptors” within each of the four categories of knowledge and skills.
A set of criteria is identified for each category in the achievement chart. The criteria are subsets of the knowledge and skills that define the category. The criteria identify the aspects of student performance that are assessed and/or evaluated, and they serve as a guide to what teachers look for. In the language curriculum, the criteria for each category are as follows:
Knowledge and Understanding
- knowledge of content (e.g., morphology; syntax; text features; text forms and genres; strategies used when understanding and responding to texts and when expressing ideas and creating texts)
- understanding of content (e.g., concepts; opinions; facts; perspectives; relationships among facts, ideas, concepts, themes)
Thinking
- use of planning skills (e.g., identifying the purpose for reading; identifying the topic, purpose, audience, form, and medium for writing; generating ideas; gathering information; researching; organizing information and ideas)
- use of processing skills (e.g., making inferences, interpreting, analyzing, identifying bias, synthesizing, evaluating, forming conclusions)
- use of critical/creative thinking processes (e.g., researching; comparing and evaluating strategies and tools used by various creators; creating; considering and appreciating diverse perspectives; reflecting on their learning)
Communication
- expression and organization of ideas and information (e.g., clarity, logic, coherence) in oral, non-verbal, visual, and/or written forms, including digital and media forms
- communication for different audiences and purposes (e.g., use of style, voice, images, gestures, prosody) in oral, non-verbal, visual, and/or written forms, including digital and media forms
- use of conventions (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation), vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline in oral, non-verbal, visual, and/or written forms, including digital and media forms
Application
- application of knowledge and skills (e.g., concepts, strategies, processes) in familiar contexts
- transfer of knowledge and skills (e.g., concepts, strategies, processes) to new contexts
- making connections within and between various contexts (e.g., between the text and their own knowledge and lived experiences, other texts, the world around them, and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives and ways of knowing; between disciplines)
“Descriptors” indicate the characteristics of the student’s performance, with respect to a particular criterion, on which assessment or evaluation is focused. Effectiveness is the descriptor used for each of the criteria in the Thinking, Communication, and Application categories. What constitutes effectiveness in any given performance task will vary with the particular criterion being considered. Assessment of effectiveness may therefore focus on a quality such as appropriateness, clarity, accuracy, precision, logic, relevance, significance, fluency, flexibility, depth, or breadth, as appropriate for the particular criterion.