FHS Assessment Policy

Section One: Guiding Philosophy of Assessment at FHS As students face an ever-changing and increasingly complex world, we know that we must prepare them with the balance of content knowledge and critical thinking skills which will prepare them for life after high school. We believe that all students have the ability to learn and expect all students to achieve at a high level. As a school, we guarantee that we will provide students with an aligned and cohesive program, as much expert instruction in our subject areas as needed to achieve success, and authentic performance tasks to demonstrate mastery. We require that students come to class prepared, put forth their best effort, demonstrate initiative when seeking out assistance and do their utmost to develop the Learner Profile in themselves. To that end, this document outlines the policies, practices and philosophy surrounding the assessment of learning and achievement of the students at Fresno High. The policies outlined reflect the commitment to the principles and practices of the IB and our school’s efforts to increase access to the program for all students. These policies serve as guidelines for our faculty, staff, parents and students alike. We want to ensure that at Fresno High, Success is not a Secret.

General Expectations of Assessment Assessments are hereby defined as any activity that allows a teacher to determine a student’s current understanding and anticipate next steps for instruction. Assessments can be both formal, such as exams, essays and projects, or informal such as classroom discussion, response to direct questions, class polls, etc.. Assessment at Fresno High is utilized to ensure students master content and skills, are able to apply their learning in new contexts, develop connections between subject areas, orient their knowledge to authentic real-world experiences and become accurate judges of their own strengths and areas of growth. We assess students not to grade or sort them, but to create indicators of instructional need. Through assessments, further instruction is designed based on student needs. Additionally, students will use assessments to refine their skills, hone their understanding and extend their own learning in the subject areas. In order to achieve these aims, formative and summative assessments, criterion-referenced rubrics and the student’s best consistent effort will be used to determine success in a course. Students’ own reflections are a meaningful part of this process. Teachers and students will work together to create an accurate picture of a student’s progress. Assessment will also reflect the core belief that learning is an application of higher-level thinking skills, not rote memorization or a series of disconnected tasks. Through the use of rubrics, both internal and those of IB, teachers will balance the content area knowledge necessary for mastery of the subject and the skills necessary for the demonstration of this knowledge. As such, we recognize that all teachers are teachers of literacy.

To ensure students are successful in all courses, classroom assessment will reflect the practice and principles of the formal assessment administered by IB or model performance-based tasks. These practices will be supported by the use of criterion, aims, and objectives agreed upon through collaboration by subject area Accountable Communities (AC). Assessment will be deemed effective when:

Students are able to self-reflect on their learning and create their own plans for improving their understanding.

The use of formative assessment is integral to the planning and aligned to the aims and objectives of the course.

The use of classroom formative assessment is an accurate indicator of performance on end of course summative assessments.

When students consistently show improvement in the course aims and objectives.

When self-selected enrollment in honors and IB classes increases and pass rates on IB exams and upcoming Common Core Assessments mirrors classroom success.

When teacher marks on criterion-based references are moderated no more than 2 points up or down. (IB DP only)

When students have achieved expected levels of mastery and are informed of their progress through the assessment practices.

Recording and Reporting of Grades The process of grading a student and recording the grade as part of their permanent record will be done with great contemplation and care. Final marks will reflect our school-wide belief that all students have the ability to learn and achieve at a high level. A student’s final mark in a course will be based on multiple measures of their learning and reflect their overall attainment in the subject. Teachers will convert rubric scores into points which will then be used to create the letter grade required by the state of California. Teachers will move away from pure averaging of grades, working to include holistic measures of attainment. Grading Schedule Students at Fresno High will receive eight official grade notices: four progress reports and for end-of-quarter reports. Progress reports will be issued approximately five weeks into each quarter. Students will be given these reports to take home for their parent or guardian’s signature. End of quarter reports in second quarter and fourth quarter will be recorded as end of semester transcript grades and be maintained as part of the student’s final, permanent record. These report cards will be mailed directly to the address on file. First and third quarter report cards will be given to parents or guardians at Grade Distribution, held from 4 to 7 pm the Wednesday after the quarter closes. This event will allow parents to discuss their student’s progress with teachers, speak to counselors and learn about school support services. For ongoing progress and to keep track of a student’s attendance, parents should use the Atlas

system at http://m.fresnou.org/parents/. Passwords will be sent home with students in approximately the second week of school. Assistance with Atlas will be provided at Grade Distribution or through contacting the counseling. Parents and students are also encouraged to contact their teachers if a question or issue arises. Teachers can be reached by calling (559)-457-2780 or through email. Grade Scale and Grade Point Average Generally speaking, students can expect a standard grading scale in their classes overall with those scores linked to criterion based rubrics. Any teacher not using the standard grading scale will note it in their course syllabus and include an explanation of the scale and their grading practices. Standard Grading Scale A = 90 – 100% B = 80 – 89% C = 70 – 79% D = 60 – 69% F = less than 60% Calculating GPA A student’s grade point average (GPA) will be calculated at the end of each quarter, with the semester GPA becoming the final mark on the transcript. GPA points are calculated as follows: As = 4 pts. Bs = 3pts Cs = 2pts D = 1 pt F = No points To calculate a GPA, points are added and then divided by the number of courses. GPAs in IB, AP and Honors courses receive a .04 augmentation in the final calculation of their GPA, but only for 8 semesters, per district policy. Assessment in International Baccalaureate Middle Years Classes Performance-based student work in the Middle Years Programme classes will be assessed using the subject guide rubrics provided by IB. Scores will reflect students’ ability to achieve the grade descriptors for each rubric band. Assignments in which one rubric is used in the assessment:

0 0-59 F

1 60 D-

2 69 D+

3 70 C-

4 79 C+

5 80 B-

6 89 B+

7 90 A-

8 100 A+

Assignments in which two rubrics are used in the assessment

0 0-59 F

1 60 D-

2 63 D

3 66 D

4 69 D+

5 70 C-

6 73 C

7 76 C

8 79 C+

9 80 B-

10 83 B-

11 86 B+

12 89 B+

13 90 A-

14 93 A-

15 96 A+

16 100 A+

Assessments in which three rubrics are used in the assessment:

0 0 F

1 56 F

2 57 F

3 58 F

4 59 F

5 60 D-

6 63 D-

7 65 D

8 67 D+

9 69 D+

10 70 C-

11 73 C-

12 75 C

13 77 C+

14 79 C+

15 80 B-

16 83 B-

17 85 B

18 87 B

19 89 B+

20 90 A-

21 93 A-

22 95 A

23 97 A+

24 100 A+

Assessment in which all four rubrics are used:

0 0 F

1 50 F

2 53 F

3 55 F

4 57 F

5 59 F

6 60 D-

7 63 D

8 67 D+

9 69 D+

10 71 C-

11 72 C-

12 73 C-

13 74 C-

14 75 C

15 76 C

16 77 C

17 78 C+

18 79 C+

19 80 B-

20 83 B

21 85 B

22 87 B+

23 89 B+

24 90 A-

25 92 A-

26 93 A-

27 94 A

28 95 A

29 96 A+

30 97 A+

31 98 A+

32 100 A+

Diploma Classes Marking Scale Unlike the standard grade scale described above, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme used the following numerical scale in each individual subject area.

7 – Excellent 6 – Very good 5 – Good 4 – Satisfactory 3 – Mediocre 2 – Poor 1 – Very Poor Additionally, the assessments for the Theory of Knowledge course as well as the Extended Essay follow a letter grade system as seen below: A – Excellent B – Very good C – Satisfactory D – Mediocre E – Elementary Determination of IB Score IB scores are determined through the criterion-referenced rubrics established by IB’s standards and practices in each content area. Multiple components are assessed to specific criterion and are then combined to determine the final mark. Each subject area has its own defined internal and external assessments in addition to the subject area examination, administered in May of each year. Student in the Fresno High IB Diploma Programme may find they earn higher grades in school than they in their IB subject areas; the reverse may also be true. There are a variety of reasons for this discrepancy, including classroom policies, student effort and completion of course work, attendance, and the use of formative assessment tools which may focus on single aspects of a rubric and more may account for this variance between IB scores and school based grades. At no time should a class grade be used as a prediction of an IB awarded mark. Types of Assessment: Internal Assessments (IA) Each IB Diploma Subject has mandatory assessments that must be completed during the 11th and 12th grade years. The specific due dates for these assessments are published in the assessment calendar. The internal assessment is graded by the teacher using a rubric provided by IB, with samples sent to the IB Organization for moderation. The IA is focused on both skills and content in the subject area and allow students to demonstrate an understanding of the course at a deeper level. Internal Assessments vary by subject area and might be a lab report for science, a research paper for history, a literary commentary for English or an oral exam for World Languages. Internal Assessments also are classroom assignments and become part of the student’s final grade. Performance on an IA is one of the ways in which a student’s progress towards the exam is communicated to parents. Additionally, teachers will identify drafts or steps towards completion of the IA in the assessment calendar. These “checkpoints” are significant grades which demonstrate a student’s success on the assessment. As a final note, failure to complete an Internal Assessment by the due date might prevent a student from passing the IB exam.

External Assessments School, District and State In the 9th and 10th grade, students are given the Degrees of Reading Power test which measures a student’s lexile level to ensure that instruction is aligned to a student’s needs. Parents are provided a DRP report for their child to track their growth and progress. The test is taken online and electronically scored by an external source. In English and Math, Fresno Unified administers the Illuminate benchmarks which internally track student achievement for the district and school site. The data is used to determine areas of need and growth for further instruction. The test is taken electronically and scored by an external source. Results are distributed to teachers and on the student’s Atlas account. In 11th grade, students at Fresno High take one state level test, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Test, to determine proficiency on the Common Core State Standards in Math and English. The results on these tests are mailed directly home to parents from the state. Schools are given a testing window by the state that runs from April 15th to May 30th and schools are given the flexibility to administer the tests when appropriate. At FHS, the SBAC is usually administered in May. International Baccalaureate There are some external assessments in IB that are completed over time, at the school level and then submitted to IB for grading. This includes the Written Assignments for Literature and World Languages and the Extended Essay. While teachers can advise on these assignments, the grades are given by IB and reported as part of their final IB score in the subject area. In the 12th grade, in May, any student taking an IB Diploma Level Course will take the related exams for their course. The exams schedule is published as part of the assessment calendar. Unlike the AP exams, there is no alternative date for IB exams. The majority of the subjects have two papers, with a few subjects having one or three. These exams are mailed to the IB for assessment. Scores are returned to students electronically through the IBO Candidates website in July. Students are given their passcode and pin in February in anticipation of external assessment. Formative Assessment Formative assessments are used on a daily basis to inform instruction and provide students and parents with information regarding progress towards mastering skills related to the IB assessments. Teachers use a variety of written and verbal assessments to determine student’s understanding of content and achievement of skills. IB Rubrics and descriptors are used during formative assessments to provide students with specific feedback about performance and progress. Teachers share their feedback with students and parents through a variety of means, including informal conversations and formal grades that are part of the Atlas reporting.

Summative Assessment Academic Support and Assistance At Fresno High, the faculty is committed to teaching and supporting all students. To this end, curriculum is modified to address gaps in understanding and mastery when assessment of students show there is need for differentiation and re-teaching. End of unit assessments, end of course assessments and IB assessment data from the preceding year is used to determine the curricular needs. Teachers will use the aims and objectives to insure that the appropriate academic supports are in place. All teachers provide academic support by aligning course objectives to IB assessments or relevant performance tasks. A portion of our support of students includes modeling our assessments throughout the course and creating performance-based tasks as part of the everyday teaching experience. Fresno High school teachers take their responsibility towards ensuring student success very seriously and work to connect struggling students to appropriate supports. Teachers are available on most Wednesdays for office hours, which are intended to support students with additional help on assignments and time to make up work. Additionally, FHS provides a number of supports outside the traditional classroom. The DELTA afterschool program is also available to provide tutoring and materials to students, free of charge. The DELTA coordinator contracts tutors based on FHS student need. The program operates daily, usually until six o’clock in the evening. In order to help students balance academics and extra-curricular activities, our coaches provide tutorial and assistance to our athletes throughout their active season. FHS also uses America Corp volunteers to pair with at risk students. During exams and finals, teachers at FHS hold study sessions. These include subject specific sessions on Saturdays, school-wide “Cookies and Cram” study sessions and after-school one-on-one meetings. Ensuring Effective Use of Criterion-Referenced Rubrics at Fresno High School All teachers at Fresno High School use criterion-referenced rubrics that reflect the aims and objectives of their subject as determined by the Common Core standards, state subject area standards and/or the IBO when appropriate. . Accountable Communities (ACs) create rubrics for use with their common assessments as a way to calibrate and align expectations around student achievement. While some teachers receive training in rubrics through the IBO, ongoing professional development and discussion of rubrics occurs through the ACs. IB Criterion referenced rubrics will be used for all summative assessments and the summative assessments will be in common between teachers teaching the course. The rubrics for common summative assessments will also be the same to ensure teachers are able to effectively reflect on their practices and improve their instruction. Students themselves are given the opportunity to use the rubrics as part of their reflective process. Teacher use exemplars of student work to define the criterion for students. Rubrics are

an integral support for student achievement as they underpin the belief that all students are capable of rigorous work and meeting high expectations. Teachers at FHS will be provided with yearly opportunities to receive professional development on assessment in general and the use of rubrics specifically. Academic Honesty Policy Integrity is one of the most highly regarding of the IB attitudes and is expected of all students who attend Fresno High. The concept of academic honesty extends from the belief that all students must be responsible for their own learning as the learning process demands our own, unique efforts. Fresno High expects that students will not cheat, lie, plagiarize, or commit other acts of academic malpractice. The student who is academically honest produces their own original work through their own efforts and abilities. Though a student may receive help on an assignment from a tutor, family member or peer, integrity demands that the work presented as the final product be the student’s own creation. At FHS promoting academic honesty is the responsibility of the total school community. Only when there is a commitment on the part of all concerned can a school’s academic environment facilitate a healthy respect among students for the value of academic honesty. In such an environment, students will know that teachers will not ignore or condone cheating, plagiarism, or other acts of academic dishonesty. Students will also know that teachers, administrators, and parents/guardians will hold them accountable for any act of academic dishonesty. Key Terms Plagiarism, simply put is when a student represents someone else’s writing; work, or ideas as his or her own. Even someone else’s ideas paraphrased into one’s own words without proper citation is a violation of the academic honesty policy. This definition includes writing obtained from a commercial source (such as the internet), passages copied word for word from books without acknowledging the original source, phrases taken from another source without proper citation, or simply copying the work of another student. Plagiarism is also utilizing an expert’s ideas or research without proper citation and credit, even if it has been rewritten it in new language. Cheating is both an extension of plagiarism and its own offense. It is the practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving a grade or obtaining course credit. While “cheating” typically occurs during tests/quizzes/examinations, this definition is not limited to testing situations but extends to include the following:

Using a “cheat sheet”

Claiming participation in a group project when no contribution was made

Getting test questions in advance of the test

Turning in another person’s work for credit/grade

Text messaging in a testing situation

Using cell phones as a calculator when no aides are allowed

Submitting work done previously for a different class but claiming it as original for the assignment in question

Copying the work of another student (see plagiarism)

Having someone so heavily revise/edit a piece of writing that it no longer represents the work of student in question

Stealing or, in some fashion, obtaining the “key” for grading a test/assignment

For class assignments, copying from another student’s paper (will result in an “F” for all students involved on the specific assignment).Using any electronic device to give the student an unfair advantage over the other students. If a student copies the work of another student with their permission, both students will be subject to discipline. Disciplinary action: Any student(s) caught plagiarizing/cheating is subject to the following discipline: 1st offense-

Student(s) receive an “F” or “zero” grade on assignment

Suspension from all field trips/extra-curricular activities for a 2-week period

Parent contact/conference

If student drops the class for any reason s/he will receive a W/F

Copy of assignment is kept by appropriate party (VP, Coordinator)

Offense becomes part of permanent record/portfolio 2nd offense-

In addition to 1st offense disciplinary action:

Possible suspension from school time spent in the

Suspension from all field trips/extra-curricular activities for 9 full weeks

“F” for the semester in the class

Parent conference with teacher and counselor

If the assessment is an official IB assessment, the assessment will not be submitted and student will receive an “N” grade for the subject area.

Appeals of all decisions will be made to a panel comprised of an administrator, the Chair of Chairs, and a teacher at large. Appeals of this decision will then go to the Principal. Use of Turnitin.com Turn It In is an online resource that teachers will utilize to ensure assignments are original. Students may be required to submit whole assignments or drafts on the site. Teachers and students are expected to use the site regularly as a means of assessment, self-reflection and to insure the originality of work. Process for Policy Review All policies will be reviewed yearly by the staff. Any revisions for accuracy will be made by the Coordinators and approved by the faculty. Copies of the policies will be translated and made

available to parents on a yearly basis. The policies will also be included for distribution in the student handbook and on the school’s website.

Assessment Calendar for 2013 – 2014

MONTH SUBJECT and ASSESSMENT DEADLINE

AUGUST (School typically begins two weeks before Labor Day)

CORE – CAS, EE and TOK Extended Essay – Completed Draft

Last Thursday in August (EE Advisor/Coordinator)

GROUP 1 – ENGLISH A1 HL Written Assignment w Reflective Statement

August 30th

SEPTEMBER

CORE – CAS, EE and TOK Extended Essay – Revised Draft

September 19th (EE Advisor/Coordinator)

ALL GROUPS All Assessments – Work Day in Library

September 28th

CELDT – All ELD Students September 16th – 26th

OCTOBER OCTOBER (con’t)

CAHSEE – Juniors/Seniors October 1st – 2nd (VP Messing)

ALL GROUPS All Assessments – Work Day in Library

October 12th (Coordinators)

ALL GROUPS All Assessments – Work Day in Library

October 26th (Coordinators)

GROUP 3 – INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY PSYCHOLOGY - Ethics Review Board

October 4th (Barron)

CAHSEE – SENIORS/JUNIORS October 1st -2nd (Messing)

NOVEMBER NOVEMBER

CORE – CAS, EE and TOK TOK – Essay Rough Draft TOK – Presentations

November 18th (Spongberg/Klassen) November 18th – 22nd (Spongberg/Klassen)

ALL GROUPS All Assessments – Work Day in Library

November 16th (Coordinators)

GROUP 3 – INDIVDUALS AND SOCIETY PSYCHOLOGY HL IA Rough Draft CAHSEE – SENIORS/JUNIORS

November 22nd (Barron) November 5th – 6th (Messing)

DECEMBER CORE – CAS, EE and TOK TOK – Essay Rough Draft TOK – Essay Final Draft TOK – Presentations

December 2nd December 9th December 9th – 20th

GROUP 1 – ENGLISH A1 HL Individual Oral Commentary

December 11th – 14th

GROUP 3 – INDIVDUALS AND SOCIETY History– Research Investigation RD

December 9th

GROUP 5 – MATHEMATICS Mathematics SL – Step One Due Math Studies – Portfolio Due

December 19th (Spongberg) December 20th (Tarango/Branham)

GROUP 6 – ARTS Theater – Research Investigation RD

December 6th (Pullinger)

JANUARY JANUARY

GROUP 1- ENGLISH A1 HL Individual Oral Presentation

January 14th – 30th (Dossetti/Kalssen)

GROUP 3– INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY PSYCHOLOGY – IA Final Draft Due

January 13th (Barron)

GROUP 5 – MATHEMATICS Mathematics SL – Step Two Due

January 24th (Spongberg)

FEBRUARY

CORE – CAS, EE and TOK TOK – Essay First Draft TOK – Essay Final

February 14th (Spongberg/Klassen) February 21st (Spongberg/Klassen)

GROUP 2 – LANGUAGE B French – Written Assignment Spanish – Written Assignment Latin – IA Due

February 10th – 14th (Rivera/Aranzazu/Delgado) February 10th – 20th (Crum) February 28th (Spencer)

GROUP 3 – INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY History – Research Investigation FD

February 7th (Ochs)

GROUP 5 – MATHEMATICS Mathematics SL – Project Due

February 10th (Spongberg)

GROUP 6 – ARTS Theater – Ind. Project Portfolio RD

February 24th (Pullinger)

CAHSEE – SENIORS/JUNIORS February 4th 5th (Messing)

MARCH

CORE – CAS, EE and TOK TOK – Presentations

March 24th – March 31stth (Spongberg/Klassen)

GROUP 2 – LANGUAGE B Spanish SL – Oral Exam French SL – Oral Exam

March 11th – 14th (Rivera/Aranzazu/Delgado March 20th – 21st (Crum)

GROUP 4 – SCIENCES Biology SL – Group 4 Project Chemistry SL – Group 4 Project

March 7th (Haug/Hernandez) March 7th (Anderson)

GROUP SIX – ARTS Theater – Ind. Project Portfolio FD Theater – Oral Presentations Theater – Pitch Proposal RD Theater – Pitch Proposal FD Film – Presentations Film – Independent Study Due

March 10th (Pullinger) March 10th – 14th (Pullinger) March 24th (Pullinger) March 31st (Pullinger) March 11th – 14th (Bocanegra) March 28th (Bocanegra)

CAHSEE – WHOLE SCHOOL March 18th – 19th (Messing)

APRIL CORE – CAS, EE and TOK TOK – Presentations CAS – Portfolio Complete

April 1st – 4th (Spongberg/Klassen) April 15th (Brooks/Coordinators)

GROUP SIX – ARTS Visual Art SL/HL – Review and Show Music HL – Musical Links Investigation

April 1st – 4th (Roberts) April 4th (Sandersier)

MAY MAY (con’t)

GROUP 1 – ENGLISH A1 HL Literature - Paper 1 Literature - Paper 2

May 5th - Morning May 6th – Afternoon

GROUP 2- LANGUAGE B French – Paper 1 French – Paper 2 Spanish – Paper 1 Spanish – Paper 2 Latin – Paper 1 Latin- Paper 2

May 21st - Morning May 21st – Morning May 23rd - Morning May 23rd – Morning May 5th -Afternoon May 6th – Morning

GROUP 3 – INIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY History – Paper 1 History – Paper 2 History – Paper 3 Psychology – Paper 1 Psychology – Paper 2 Psychology – Paper 3

May 14th – Afternoon May 14th – Afternoon May 15th - Morning May 7th – Afternoon May 8th – Morning May 8th – Morning

GROUP 4 – SCIENCES Biology – Paper 1 Biology – Paper 2 Biology – Paper 3 Chemistry – Paper 1 Chemistry – Paper 2 Chemistry – Paper 3

May 9th – Afternoon May 9th – Afternoon May 12th – Morning May 19th – Afternoon May 19th – Afternoon May 20th – Morning

GROUP 5 – Mathematics Mathematics SL – Paper 1 Mathematics SL – Paper 2 Math Studies – Paper 1 Math Studies – Paper 2

May 13th – Afternoon May 14th – Morning May 13th – Afternoon May 14th – Morning

GROUP 6 – ARTS Music HL – Paper 1

May 23rd – Afternoon

CAHSEE – NON PASSERs May 13th – 14th

This schedule represents all major assessments at Fresno High School. This schedule is

revised each spring and is utilized to ensure balance and fairness to all students.