Assessment

Assessment and Personal Development

At ISSH assessment is used to provide feedback for teaching and learning. It also supports us in providing next steps for the students and to define new areas of development. 

Portfolios

These are collections of student’s work designed to demonstrate growth, thinking, creativity and reflection. A portfolio is a celebration of learning and also a tool for assessment and reflection. We use an online application, Seesaw to create our learning journals and portfolios. 

At the end of each unit of inquiry, summative assessments are carried out in each of the core subject areas. These assessments form part of the portfolios. 

Reporting Progress

Information on the student’s progress is given in a bi-annual progress report. The progress reports are usually sent out at the beginning of February and at the end of June. The exact dates can be found on the school calendar.

Twice a year there are formal opportunities for students, parents and teachers to meet, usually in November and April. The first meeting will take the form of a Student, Parent, Teacher Conference (SPTC). During this 15 minute meeting, students present a selection of their school work and parents get a chance to discuss this with both the student and teacher. The second meeting is broken down into 2 parts; the first an opportunity for the student to share their learning independently with the parents in a Student Led Conference (SLC) and the second, a brief meeting between just the teacher and parents.

Common Assessments

Common assessments are whole school assessment strategies that are repeated every year:

At the beginning of the year or when a new child comes in, we assess the basic reading age using formal reading tests that look at reading fluency and comprehension.

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Students in each grade are required to produce a piece of unaided writing which is then assessed using the 6 Traits of Writing rubrics.

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In mathematics, we use assessment tools to evaluate students in order to better assess and understand learning strengths and areas for improvement.

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Annually, students are asked to draw a self-portrait in Art during our first Unit of Inquiry. This is used to assess self-image, fine motor control and special awareness.

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Once a year the students in grade 3 and 5 take part in the ISA (International Schools’ Assessment) tests. These are Mathematics and Language tests that are administered in international schools across the world.