Purpose
The purpose of assessment is to provide information for teachers, students, parents and administrators regarding the efficacy of the learning program and to provide analysis of the students’ performance, and guide future planning and practice.

Summary of General Principles

All MYP schools are responsible for organizing relevant assessment and reporting procedures according to the objectives of the programme.  The IB provides no external examinations in the Middle Years Programme, however a wide variety of assessment activities are carried out by the teachers, who rely on their professional expertise making judgments based on prescribed assessment criteria. Each subject area has criterion-based assessment requirements laid down by the MYP. The assessment criteria are used in two ways:

Formative: During the course of each quarter, criteria are used as part of the learning process by students to judge their own (and each other’s) work, and by the teacher giving students feedback on the quality of their work.

Summative: At the end of each quarter, summative assessment is used to reach the final subject grade. The teacher will make an overall assessment of the student’s performance against each criterion during the term. The results of the summative assessment are converted onto the familiar IB 1-7 scale, which is what appears on the report card at the end of each term. There are some descriptors accompanying each number on the scale. For the purpose of transcripts, an equivalent US letter grade will also be displayed for the American Diploma.

 

Assessment and Criteria

Language and Literature

Criterion A	Analysing	Maximum 8
Criterion B	Organizing	Maximum 8
Criterion C	Producing Text	Maximum 8
Criterion D	Using Language	Maximum 8

For each assessment criterion, a number of band descriptors are defined. These describe a range of achievement levels with the lowest represented as 0.
The descriptors concentrate on positive achievement, although failure to achieve may be included in the description for lower levels.

Language Acquisition

Criterion A	Comprehending spoken and visual text	Maximum 8
Criterion B	Comprehending written and visual text	Maximum 8
Criterion C	Communicating in response to spoken and visual text	Maximum 8
Criterion D	Using language in spoken and written form	Maximum 8

For each assessment criterion, a number of band descriptors are defined. These describe a range of achievement levels with the lowest represented as 0.
The descriptors concentrate on positive achievement, although failure to achieve may be included in the description for the lower levels.

Mathematics

Criterion A	Knowledge and understanding	Maximum 8
Criterion B	Investigating patterns	Maximum 8
Criterion C	Communicating	Maximum 8
Criterion D	Applying mathematics in real-life contexts	Maximum 8

For each assessment criterion, a number of band descriptors are defined. These describe a range of achievement levels with the lowest represented as 0.
The descriptors concentrate on positive achievement, although failure to achieve may be included in the description for the lower levels.

Individuals and Societies

Criterion A	Knowing and understanding	Maximum 8
Criterion B	Investigating	Maximum 8
Criterion C	Communicating	Maximum 8
Criterion D	Thinking critically	Maximum 8

For each assessment criterion, a number of band descriptors are defined. These describe a range of achievement levels with the lowest represented as 0.
The descriptors concentrate on positive achievement, although failure to achieve may be included in the description for the lower levels.

Physical and Health Education

Criterion A	Knowing and understanding	Maximum 8
Criterion B	Planning for performance	Maximum 8
Criterion C	Applying and performing	Maximum 8
Criterion D	Reflecting and improving performance	Maximum 8

For each assessment criterion, a number of band descriptors are defined. These describe a range of achievement levels with the lowest represented as 0.
The descriptors concentrate on positive achievement, although failure to achieve may be included in the description for the lower levels.

Arts

Criterion A	Knowledge and understanding	Maximum 8
Criterion B	Developing skills	Maximum 8
Criterion C	Thinking creatively	Maximum 8
Criterion D	Responding	Maximum 8

For each assessment criterion, a number of band descriptors are defined. These describe a range of achievement levels with the lowest represented as 0.
The descriptors concentrate on positive achievement, although failure to achieve may be included in the description for the lower levels.

Design

Criterion A	Inquiring and analysing	Maximum 8
Criterion B	Developing ideas	Maximum 8
Criterion C	Creating the solution	Maximum 8
Criterion D	Evaluating	Maximum 8

For each assessment criterion, a number of band descriptors are defined. These describe a range of achievement levels with the lowest represented as 0.
The descriptors concentrate on positive achievement, although failure to achieve may be included in the description for the lower levels.

Personal Project

Criterion A	Investigating	Maximum 8
Criterion B	Planning	Maximum 8
Criterion C	Taking action	Maximum 8
Criterion D	Reflecting	Maximum 8

For each assessment criterion, a number of band descriptors are defined. These describe a range of achievement levels with the lowest represented as 0.
The descriptors concentrate on positive achievement, although failure to achieve may be included in the description for the lower levels.

 

Grading System

Students are concurrently evaluated by both the MYP and the American System for grading to be applicable to their transcript. The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) put special emphasis on formative and summative assessment during different stages of the students’ learning process. As such, formative and summative assessment, coupled with a letter grade, will show the progress of the student at the end of each quarter.

American Diploma Grade Equivalent	Grade	Descriptor
	NE	The topic / skill has not been explored during this reporting period.
(A+, A)	7	A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them almost faultlessly in a wide 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.
(A-, B+)	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.
(B, B-)	5	A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills, and the ability to apply them in a wide variety of situations.  The student generally shows evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where appropriate and occasionally demonstrates originality and insight.
(C+, C)	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.
(C-, D+)	3	Limited achievement of 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.
(D, D-)	2	Very limited achievement of all 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.
(F)	1	Minimal achievement in terms of the objectives.

 

Grade Reporting

Reporting Time Line at JKS

Quarter 1	Quarter 2	Quarter 3	Quarter 4
1st Quarter	Midyear Report	3rd Quarter	Year End Report
Teacher Conferences		Teacher Conferences