Good Day Bloggers!
In my assessment class EDBE 8Y01 at Brock University for Teacher's College, we are analyzing assessment tools that are proven to work in our classrooms today. The Ontario government, and educators in both private and public sector are committed to students reaching their potential, and that is why these Growing Success documents exist: to help facilitate to the needs of students at both the elementary and secondary level. Today, this blog will discuss the policies and practices described in Growing Success (2010), and in Growing Success – The Kindergarten Addendum (2016), and how Growing Success has impacted my beliefs about assessment!
Policies/ Practices in Growing Success:
The policies outlined in Growing Success is to move as a province towards unity: to promote fairness, transparency and equity, as well as consistent practice. Growing Success Success in implementing this policy is a direct reflection of professional educators contributing to the best of their ability and recognizing that parents play a crucial role in their students learning. As such, this document outlines the importance of creating an energized professional learning community that communicates with parents to individualize assessment to meet the needs of every student.
Growing Success recognizes that the needs and circumstances of individual boards vary widely, the policy outlined in this document provides flexibility for boards to develop some locally focused guidelines and implementation strategies within the parameters for consistency set by the ministry. Indeed, it is important to keep in mind that each student is unique; that success in education must be based on individual interest, abilities and goals, and evaluated to reflect student success.
The principles and policies outlined in this document apply to assessment, evaluation, and reporting
practices in all programs, including Specialist High Skills Major programs, cooperative education, and
dual credit programs, and in specific policy areas, such as prior learning assessment and recognition
(PLAR) and the secondary school literacy graduation requirement. Growing Success
While this document does not include specific procedures and practices, it provides links to all the sources that do include these specifics, such as the Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8.
The Seven Fundamental Principles are as follows:
• Are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students
• Support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit
• Are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students
• Are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or course
• Are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning
• Provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement
• Develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.
Fundamental Principles:
This resource notes that the primary purpose for assessment is to improve student learning; where seven fundamental principles apply to enrich student education experiences. They are to ensure that assessment is reliable and accurate, and that the purpose of them are to improve learning for all students.The Seven Fundamental Principles are as follows:
• Are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students
• Support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit
• Are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students
• Are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or course
• Are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning
• Provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement
• Develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.
Impact on Personal Beliefs About Assessment:
My personal beliefs about assessment after reviewing these documents have not differed a great degree. The main focus I have seen in regards to assessment is that it is important to individualize assessment rather than to review assessment that fits to the needs and learning styles of each and every student. While - at times - providing students with grades is necessary, learning can also be exemplified to students through anecdotal notes, charts, rubrics, etc., that create the detailed assessment required for students to advance; knowing exactly what they have accomplished as well as the goals they are wishing to improve on. It is my hope that in my future classroom, that I will be able to utilize the various forms of assessment for the purpose of enhancing student learning, and delving deeper to create true understanding for each individual, rather than to have students simply re-iterate the information taught to them.
