Our Purpose
The primary purpose of assessment is to support and improve student learning. As all students have different learning styles, experiences and abilities, hence the assessment and evaluation of their learning must be fair and demonstrate a full range of best practices.
The purposes of assessment at Oasis International School encompass the following:
- provision of feedback on the learning process
- recording and celebrating learning and success
- enabling students to practise skills, and facilitating the learning process
- enabling teachers to adapt to the needs of their students
- enabling the identification of effective teaching strategies and informing future teaching
- informing school policy and enabling the identification of training needs
- serving as a basis for communication with parents and outside institutions
- provision of information to facilitate the transition of students between sections within the school, between schools, and between school and university
Perspective on Assessment
At Oasis International School, assessment is aligned with the taught curriculum. It serves as the means by which we monitor student learning and focus on providing our students with effective feedback on their learning and development. The use of a variety of assessment tools demonstrates our belief that students learn in different ways, at different rates, and at different times. We believe that the objective of an assessment is to guide our planning and instruction and direct our efforts in engaging students in meaningful learning. Assessment provides our learners with a better opportunity to improve knowledge and understanding, engage in thoughtful reflection, develop the capacity for self-assessment, refine the various skills developed across their academic subjects, and recognize the criteria for success.
Assessment Practices
The assessment component in the school’s curriculum is subdivided into three closely related areas:
- Assessing – Determining what the students know and have learned.
- Recording – How we choose to collect and analyse data.
- Reporting – How we choose to communicate information.
Assessing – Determining what the students know and have learned.
The school will have two terms for grades 1-10 and AS/A Level. Students will be assessed for the demonstration of their knowledge, development, and achievement.
Formative Assessments (FA): Formative assessments will be continuous over each term. These are assessments that are conducted in class during the course of each unit/chapter and hence, constitute the assessment for learning. This includes collaborative work and projects. The purpose of these assessments is to allow the teacher and the students to understand how they are progressing through the unit/chapter. FAs should be reviewed immediately to determine which students need support so that re-teaching of certain topics and differentiation can be affected.
Each subject will conduct a minimum of two/three formal (recorded) assessments during a planning period. Scores out of 10 will be recorded and will be discussed with students.
Summative Assessments (SA): Each term will culminate with an end-of-term examination. Summative are formal written and graded assessments that assess a student’s learning achievement across multiple consolidated topics. This includes a pen-and-paper test, an oral component, and practical knowledge in some subjects. The SAs must be utilized to provide quantitative and qualitative feedback to students and parents and to bridge any gaps in learning after the SA is conducted. Marks and grades will be recorded and feedback shared with the students.
Assessment Tools
- Rubrics: Rubrics are established sets of criteria used for scoring or rating student’s tests, portfolios, or performances. The descriptors tell the student and the assessor what characteristics or signs to look for in the work and then how to rate that work on a predetermined scale.
- Mark Schemes/ Answer Keys
Reporting – How we choose to communicate information.
The School uses an assessment tracker which every teacher updates on the completion of the assessments. This will be reviewed by the head of the department before it is communicated to parents via the report card
Report cards: Communicating student achievement to parents is of utmost importance. The school year will have two terms which culminate in a parent-teacher meeting to review the student’s achievement and reports will be sent home every term. A PTM is also held after the Unit Tests and Examinations.
The Examination Department at Oasis International School consists of two internal committees namely
- Internal Examination Committee and the External Examination Committee
- Both committees will report to the Cambridge examination officer and the Principal.
Regulation for Internal Exams:
- Dates and deadlines for the tests/exams will be set by the Examination Department and informed to teachers.
- An excel sheet will be shared by the Internal Exam Coordinator with all subject teachers wherein the portion will be filled by the Subject Teachers.
- The class teacher will then send it to the parents at least 2-3 weeks before the examination.
- Approved question papers, marks schemes, and blueprints should be submitted to the Examination committee as per the deadlines set.
- To maintain the confidentiality and security of question papers, subject heads are instructed to upload the question papers and mark scheme after the completion of exams.
- The Examination committee will communicate the timetable of the exams.
- The timetable along with the Invigilator duty list is shared with all teachers prior to the commencement of the exams.
Weightage
For Grades 1-5:
- Progression Test First Term: 50% Formative Assessment and 50% Summative Assessment
- Progression Test Second Term: 50% Formative Assessment and 50% Summative Assessment
For Grades 6-9:
- First Terminal Examination-60%, Formative Assessments and Unit Tests-40%
- Annual Examination- 60%, Formative Assessments and Unit Tests-40%
Regulations for dealing with absence from assessments.
Attendance for exams is mandatory for all students. If a student misses a formative assessment, they will be allowed to retake the assessment at a later date scheduled by the teacher. In the case of summative assessment, if a student (Grade 9 and above only) misses an assessment, he/she will be allowed to re-take the exam only if a medical record is submitted or under special consideration due to unavoidable circumstances at the discretion of the respective academic Coordinator/ Deputy Principal
Regulations to Conduct External Exams
For Cambridge External Exams the Cambridge Examination Handbook will be followed which is updated every December. https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/700835-cambridge-handbook-2024.pdf
The point of Contact will remain the exam officer Ms. Shahina K.
Review
The policy will be reviewed frequently by the steering committee and its findings shared with staff, parents, and students.
Informing the stakeholders
The assessment policy will be posted on the school portal, and included in the Faculty handbook and student and parent handbook so that there is complete awareness and clarity on the policy.
References and resources
Legacy School, Assessment Policy, Bangalore
Srinidhi International School, Assessment Policy, Hyderabad, 2014.
Appendix
Grade Descriptors
Grade A* (Excellent): Produces high-quality, frequently innovative work. Communicates a comprehensive, nuanced understanding of concepts and contexts. Consistently demonstrates sophisticated critical and creative thinking. Frequently transfers knowledge and skills with independence and expertise in a variety of complex classroom and real-world situations.
Grade A (Very good): Produces high-quality, occasionally innovative work. Communicates extensive understanding of concepts and contexts. Demonstrates critical and creative thinking, frequently with sophistication. Uses knowledge and skills in familiar and unfamiliar classrooms and real-world situations, often with independence.
Grade B (Good): Produces generally high-quality work. Communicates a secure understanding of concepts and contexts. Demonstrates critical and creative thinking, sometimes with sophistication. Uses knowledge and skills in familiar classroom and real-world situations and, with support, some unfamiliar real-world situations.
Grade C (Satisfactory): Produces good-quality work. Communicates a basic understanding of most concepts and contexts with few misunderstandings and minor gaps. Often demonstrates basic critical and creative thinking. Uses knowledge and skills with some flexibility in familiar classroom situations, but requires support in unfamiliar situations.
Grade D (Mediocre): Produces work of an acceptable quality. Communicates a basic understanding of many concepts and contexts, with occasionally significant misunderstandings or gaps. Begins to demonstrate some basic critical and creative thinking. Is often inflexible in the use of knowledge and skills, requiring support even in familiar classroom situations.
Grade E (Poor): Produces work of limited quality. Expresses misunderstandings or significant gaps in understanding for many concepts and contexts. Infrequently demonstrates critical or creative thinking. Generally inflexible in the use of knowledge and skills, infrequently applying knowledge and skills.
Grade U (Very poor): Produces work of very limited quality. Conveys many significant misunderstandings or lacks understanding of most concepts and contexts. Very rarely demonstrates critical or creative thinking. Very inflexible, rarely using knowledge or skills.