LA CANADA HIGH SCHOOL

ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES

 

Produced from 7-12 teacher input at school-wide faculty meeting.

Compiled and edited by Leadership Support Team.

 

 

Philosophy

 

·        The purpose of assessment is to determine if the student has demonstrated mastery, shown acquisition of material, understood and applied skills, and demonstrated critical thinking and other higher order thinking skills.

·        Assessment is part of the teacher’s job of delivering curriculum and measuring mastery in accordance with the state and/or national content standards and the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results of LCHS.

·        Assessment is a learning experience for students and teachers.  Assessments should be used to improve the quality of instruction.

·        Assessment varies in rigor and/or weight and is found in many different formats.

·        Multiple measures are the most effective way to assess student strengths.  Various forms of assessment are used to address different learning styles and content areas, e.g. semester exams, tests, quizzes, oral presentations, listening, participation, projects, portfolios, demonstrations, cooperative work, labs, research papers, essays, observation, effective time management, improvement, homework, class work, organization, self-reflection, and/or self-evaluation.

·        Regular completion of homework is preparation for all other kinds of assessments and can be a form of self-assessment.

·        Parent involvement is crucial to a student’s learning, but must not preclude the student taking responsibility for his/her own learning and organization.

·        Students’ responsibility for their learning should increase as students mature.

 

 

Communication

 

·        Teacher made sample tests and/or questions and rubrics that are representative of the tests students take and the rubrics that are used in assessment are sent home with the classroom policies at the beginning of the year.

·        Teachers are encouraged to send home tests when possible.

·        Assessment guidelines, including make-up procedures and weighted grading scales, are outlined in the classroom policies distributed at the beginning of the school year.

·        Performance assessment rubrics and study guide information will be created with students for most assessments to help students understand how they will be evaluated.

·        Types and quantity of assessments assigned are reviewed periodically by teachers at each subject or grade level to ensure consistent coverage of the course curriculum.

·        Regular communication among the teachers, students and parents takes place though venues, such as course guidelines, Back-to-School Night, Open House, parent conferences, notes, e-mails, telephone calls, grade print-outs, grade postings by student number, progress reports, report cards, IEP or SST conferences, and/or counselor intervention. 

·        Parents, students and teachers are encouraged to maintain an open line of communication at all times.  Conferences among the teacher, student, and/or parents are encouraged to review assessments given.

·        All assessments are reviewed with students on a timely basis.  Students use test correction items or a learning log to identify areas of weakness for further study. Students should keep notes, agendas, learning logs, informational materials, handouts, contracts, and calendars. Semester exams, final exams, publisher-produced or copyrighted tests, and some other standardized tests are generally retained at the school site and will be available for parental review for six weeks after grades are recorded.

·        In a sequential class, the previous assessment is graded and reviewed prior to the next major assessment.

 

Time Management

 

·        Tests and other assessments are graded and reviewed in a timely manner. The amount of time spent grading the assessment depends on the type of assessment given.

·        Acquiring good study and organizational skills is an on-going process.  Students should not wait until the night before a test or other kind of assessment to begin studying.

·        Students should take their extra-curricular activities into consideration and allow enough time to prepare for classroom assessments.

·        When a student has a legal excused absence, he/she is allowed one day more than the number of days absent to complete work missed.  Failure to make up assessments according to this schedule will result in a failing grade on each quiz or test, and failure to complete the missed homework on schedule will result in a zero.