How do we benchmark the assessment & reporting to match the requirements for other countries?
Assessment and Reporting are done differently in different countries and will continue to be different for various regional reasons. Many of the parents who ask about this are concerned about travelling to countries with International Schools and the curriculum in those countries. Typically, other Asian countries follow a traditional British based one. Typically, those schools will send a request for information to the principal of the school about the child and their ability to learn: socially & academically.
Many of these schools in different countries are aware of the great work in teaching and learning that is happening in B.C. and Canada. P.I.S.A. (Programme for International Assessment) the organization that monitors world education (http://www.oecd.org/pisa/ ) highlights the success that Canada and particularly, B.C. & Alberta are having with student learning from a global perspective. We are lucky to live in a place that is one of the highly successful countries in educational learning for students.
Is the change of reporting only happening in elementary? Or just Chaffey? How would it affect the students continuing to secondary?
This change is currently being piloted in various districts, where schools are ready to move in different direction of reporting. In consultation with the school district, our school and a few others are looking at reporting to parents in a different way. We believe that with the direction of the Ministry of Education and information about reporting and assessment that the method we are trying to use, is a much best way to change reporting practices in a more authentic way that include parents in the process of their child’s learning.
During this school year, various reporting practices are being piloted in various places. The Ministry will then take feedback from those schools and districts on what the “BEST PRACTICES” are for reporting and create a new order that will be implemented during the next school year from a provincial perspective.
How it is learning different from the past, specifically more about assessment?
Learning is different because learning meets the needs of our society and employment opportunities. Much of learning now looks at the various & varied skills and concepts that we need for current world employment. One large example is technology, computers, phones and other communication devices are common and require another skill set that was not required even 20 years ago. Assessment is more focused on formative learning and how to guide students while they are in the middle of learning, changing direction and a focus to better teach skills required. Summative assessment, memorization and test taking (still used, but less emphasis) only shows what you have remembered now how to apply your learning! This shift from cumulative to ongoing learning is the largest shift in teaching and learning.
The skills of, engagement, communication and self-assessment are required to make a child take on much more ownership of their own learning. Through reflection and feedback, students now adapt quickly to learning situations and understand more what the criteria (learning expectations) are, rather than just complete a test and move on because the (Summative assessment) understanding has been taught and we are done.
**It should never be a surprise as to what grade (subjectivity or not) the child is getting (parent comment)
