Assessment Policy

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Philosophy of Assessment

Regular, ongoing assessment of student achievement is a necessary part of planning effective instruction. Students’ potential for success is greatest when teachers, parents, and students all have a clear understanding of what constitutes proficiency and how to reach that goal. The primary purposes of assessment at W.T. Eich Middle School include the following:

  • Provide meaningful feedback to students and parents
  • Allow students to set goals for future academic success
  • Allow teachers to use data to drive instructional practices
  • Identify areas of growth and determine needs for differentiation of instruction

Common Practices

Common practices include assessments used by all teachers in a given subject area and grade level. W.T. Eich Middle School teachers will:

  • Assess MYP units using MYP criterion-related assessments and rubrics2 
  • Align assessments and rubrics with the Common Core State Standards and IB Criteria  
  • Provide students with assessment rubrics
  • Offer students the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the standard/criterion 
  • Analyze assessment data to provide students with intervention or extension opportunities
  • Provide accommodations or modifications for students identified with special needs (See Inclusion Policy)
  • Offer student initiated summative retakes. Retakes may or may not be eligible for mastery, based on the IB Criterion

Learning Behaviors

Learning behaviors are reported separately to reflect students’ work completion and engagement.

Formative

Assessment and grading practices reflect a rigorous learning environment that is supportive of practice, mistakes, learning, and ongoing feedback in a continuous cycle. Formative assessments actively involve students so they can set goals based on multiple forms of feedback.

Summative

Summative assessments are used to determine whether students have achieved proficiency according to the criterion. These assessments take place at the end of a unit of study to assess students’ knowledge and understanding.

Specific for MYP Assessments

W.T. Eich Middle School teachers will:

  • Expect students to engage and explore in increasingly rigorous assessment tasks as they progress through their MYP course studies.
  • Each MYP criterion will be assessed at least twice each year per subject area using MYP rubrics. 
  • Determine the final level of achievement for each criterion using MYP rubrics.
  • Provide Global Context for unit design that will influence unit assessments. 

Recording and Reporting to Parents and Students

W.T. Eich Middle School will:

  • Provide access to rubric descriptors on summative assignments 
  • Provide students and parents with access to the online gradebook to monitor student progress
  • Notify students of their grade status periodically (after a summative assessment)
  • Report MYP rubric grades on the district report card

Definitions

  • Assessment: A test or related activity used to determine a student’s progress toward proficiency in a criterion.
  • Rubric: A description of the criteria to be used for scoring an assessment.
  • Formative: Formative assessments are used to understand where a student is in the learning progression and the next steps to improve learning. Assignments, tasks, observations, and skills-based activities that help students perform the necessary requirements for summative tasks. Formative assessments do not count towards a student’s final grade.
  • Summative: Summative assessments are used to determine a student’s level of proficiency in a criterion. Possible assessment options include: elected response, open-ended tasks, compositions, performances, process journals, portfolios, observation, investigation, research, presentations (oral, written, graphic). Summative assessments do count towards a student’s final grade.
  • Global Context: Common themes of global significance that create relevance, inspire exploration and invite reflection of global communities as well as call for responses to real-life issues and concerns.

Revision Timeline

Review of the Assessment Policy

The plan will be reviewed every two years.

  • Original Document created 1/16/15 by: Marc Buljan (Principal), Lisa Shrider (MYP Coordinator), Debby Fasl (PHE Department Chair), Roxanne Martin (Lang/Lit Department Chair), Michael Klingensmith (Individuals/Societies Teacher), Diane Turner (Admin Secretary)
  • Revised 4/17/17 by: Marc Buljan (Principal), Lisa Shrider (MYP Coordinator), Chris Tagert (Individuals/Societies Department Chair), Rachel Henderson (Mathematics Department Chair), Michael Larsen (Arts Department Chair)
  • Revised 3/2/20 by: Mathematics & Sciences Department Teachers, Chris Ponseti (Mathematics Department Chair), Debbie Allen (Sciences Dept. Chair), Brandon Blom (Director of Educational Technologies), Rich Chandler (Assistant Principal), Shelly Nuzum (Instructional Aide)
  • Revised 2/20/25 by: Roxanne Martin (Lang/Lit Department Chair), Sara Hastie (6th Lang/Lit Department Chair), Dave Stephens (Individuals/Societies Department Chair), Cori Tomlin (Sciences Teacher), Tanya Bonifacini (Mathematics Department Chair), Kirsty Woolsey (6th Mathematics Department Chair), Tessa Main (Language Acquisition Department Chair), Jeanne Buljan (PHE Department Chair), Jenn Aldridge (Arts Department Chair), Michael Larsen (MYP Coordinator)

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