The Assessment Department
The Assessment Department
Assessment Department Mission
Enhance student achievement while simultaneously closing all identifiable gaps by providing timely and accurate data about student performance on school-based, system-wide, and standardized assessments: National and International.
Foreword
Our philosophy is to support the learning process and encourage student success. This support is enacted by ensuring that the learning outcomes achieved are the ones assessed. We decline to assess learning outcomes that are never realized albeit intended. Our grading system is a mere measurement of student’s mastery of achieved outcomes. Below is an embellishment on this philosophy…
By and large, assessment at any educational institute serves two key functions. First, it certifies that students have attained the knowledge and competencies identified in the course learning outcomes. In other words, it testifies that internationally recognized standards are met. The successful completion of assessments to an acceptable degree may be used for progression through higher grade levels and even the selection of other clusters. Assessments that are used to measure student performance on the completion of a course are referred to as summative assessments. Secondly, assessments can be used as a valuable tool for teaching and learning. They inform the teachers of the capacities and limitations of their students. In this case, feedback associated with these assessments is important since it indicates to students the extent to which they have attained expected learning goals and advise them on what needs to be done to steer their efforts in the proper direction. Such assessments can be referred to as formative assessments. All assessments must be aligned with course learning outcomes and ultimately with the cluster.
Philosophy
Our philosophy is to support the learning process and encourage student success. This support is enacted by ensuring that the learning outcomes achieved are the ones assessed. We decline to assess learning outcomes that are never realized albeit intended. Our grading system is a mere measurement of student’s mastery of achieved outcomes. Below is an embellishment on this philosophy
By and large, assessment at any educational institute serves two key functions. First, it certifies that students have attained the knowledge and competencies identified in the course learning outcomes. In other words, it testifies that internationally recognized standards are met. The successful completion of assessments to an acceptable degree may be used for progression through higher grade levels and even the selection of other clusters. Assessments that are used to measure student performance on the completion of a course are referred to as summative assessments. Secondly, assessments can be used as a valuable tool for teaching and learning…
Assessment
Assessment is strongly tied to learning and only proper assessment can inform whether the learner has or has not achieved the intended learning outcomes. Students may learn in different methods but not all methods produce the same retention rate. To what extent do students retain the information they learn when exposed to different learning methods is depicted in what is termed as the learning pyramid figure.
Assessment is concerned with how learning is going or how it is taking place. Primarily, it is process-oriented and involves learning, teaching, and outcomes as they are happening. Assessment gives information for improving learning and teaching and is an interactive procedure between students and teachers that inform the latter how well their students understand and learn what they are being taught.
Assessment Factors
There are many factors to consider when thinking about the importance of assessment. At any given school, students are assessed for a large variety of reasons. Not all teachers may be aware of this , but assessment definitely goes beyond grades. Researchers agree that assessment is used to motivate, create learning opportunities, give feedback (to both students and instructors), to grade, and to serve as a quality assurance instrument for internal and external systems. The way assessment improves learning depends on five key factors:
01 Feedback
The specification of effective feedback to students
02 Involvement
The keen involvement of students in their own learning
03 Teaching
Modifying teaching to take account of the results of assessment
04 Motivation
Identifying the immense influence assessment has on the motivation and confidence of students, both of which are decisive influences on learning
05 Assess
The need for students to be able to assess themselves and understand how to improve
