Assessment and Reporting of Student Learning in the MYP

Assessment Principles and Methods

Assessment is for the most part a multi-faceted tool which helps drive the learning process. It is used by teachers to make regular judgements about the effectiveness of both the teaching and learning in progress, by giving an idea of levels of student performance at given times or in particular knowledge / skill etc. areas, and helping teachers and students identify how and where further progress might be made. The vast majority of assessment carried out at TISA is designed for this purpose and does not constitute an end in itself – something which is important to remember when considering grades or scores on work and reports. The learning process is a journey, and assessment is designed to play an important role in guiding students forward towards the next stages of progress.

Assessment methods used in the course of teaching and learning within the MYP years are many and varied, and may be formal or informal; formative or summative; and include written, oral, group, peer, or self-assessments. It is worth noting too the emphasis placed by the IB on the assessment of process, whereby focus is directed “less on the actual result or product than on the thought processes leading to the desired outcome” (MYP subject guides). In such assessment, the feedback may be qualitative rather than quantitive – i.e. comprising comments and advice rather than a grade or numerical score. Focusing on the process as much as (or more than) on the final result or product helps students further develop strategies for learning.

Criterion-referencing assessment

The MYP assessment is criterion-related, as it is based upon pre-determined criteria that all students should have access to. The MYP identifies a set of objectives for each subject group, which are directly related to the assessment criteria of that particular subject group. The level of student success in reaching the objectives of each subject group is measured in terms of levels of achievement described in each assessment criterion.

Apart from specifying what the criteria should be for each subject, the IB also publishes written descriptions for each criterion. These help students to understand what each criterion means, and what the specific aspects of knowledge, understanding and skills actually are which they need to acquire in order to learn and progress within each criterion for a subject – and hence within the subject as a whole.

Grading within a Criterion-referencing System

The IB does not only specify the criteria against which performance in each subject should be measured, but it further allots a certain number of maximum marks for each criterion, and a certain number of levels a student might achieve within it.

The performance required to reach each mark level in a criterion is indicated by its accompanying written descriptors, rubrics. Teachers therefore consult these to ascertain which best describes a student’s performance in that criterion, and the mark will be given according to the level the student is deemed to have achieved. Using rubrics will be very helpful to students in achieving success in the MYP.

From individual criterion scores to an overall 1 to 7 subject grade

Final grades for a subject, as awarded on end of term report are given on the 1 to 7 scale used throughout IB programmes. This grade reflects their overall performance and level in that subject during the term or year.

Please note that Grades 1 and 2 are considered to be ‘failing’ grades.

The IB’s published General Grade Descriptors, outlining what a student’s performance in any subject should generally look like, are as follows:

Grade		Descriptor
7		A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them almost faultlessly in a side variety of situations. Consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation is shown where appropriate. The student consistently demonstrates originality and insight and always produces work of high quality.
6		A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a wide variety of situations. Consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation is shown where appropriate. The student generally demonstrates originality and insight.
5		A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a variety of situations. The student generally shows evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where appropriate and occasionally demonstrates originality and insight.
4		A good general understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them effectively in normal situations. There is occasional evidence of the skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
3		Limited achievement against most of the objectives, or clear difficulties in some areas. The student demonstrates a limited understanding of the required knowledge and skills and is only able to apply them fully in normal situations with support.
2		Very limited achievement against all the objectives. The student has difficulty in understanding the required knowledge and skills and is unable to apply them fully in normal situations, even with support.
1		Minimal achievement in terms of the objectives.

A more simplified version of this might be summarised as follows:

Grade		Criteria
7		Excellent - An extremely high standard of work, including mastery of the more difficult ideas and skills.
6		Very Good - A high standard of work, the majority of the more difficult ideas and skills have been mastered.
5		Good - A good performance. The main ideas and skills successfully mastered.
4		Satisfactory Overall a reasonable performance, although some areas of weakness have been shown.
3		Marginal - Work completed but significant areas of weakness shown.
2		Poor - Work usually completed, but lacking understanding of many important ideas and skills.
1		Very Poor - Very limited achievement shown.