Assessment Types Used at AIS/D

Internal

Teachers will assess student performance and understanding in relation to standards and benchmarks that apply to their subject or course. They will collect evidence of student understanding by administering a balanced variety of assessments. These assessments fall under the following seven categories:

Selected Response
Pre-determined responses provide evidence of students’ knowledge and skills.

• Multiple Choice
• True/False
• Matching

Constructed Response
A brief written response that provides evidence of basic knowledge and skills.

• Short answer, Define
• Fill in the blank
• Open-ended questions
• Diagram

Essay
A written response to an academic prompt that assesses understanding or reasoning by using knowledge and/or skills. It involves the use of process links to other concepts, the use of evidence, and the assessment of several standards and benchmarks.

• Narrative
• Development of an argument
• Compare and contrast
• Literary analysis: journal/reading/writing log
• Graphic organizers/mind maps, Sequence
• Research project

School Related Product or Performance
A task where a student makes or does something for an audience at school. It assesses multiple skills or knowledge within a context to evidence big understandings.

• Visual art
• Performing art

Contextual Product or Performance
A task where a student makes or does something for a particular audience and purpose beyond school. The task is authentic and meaningful, having real world application and assesses knowledge of big understandings.

• Editorial for local paper
• Model for special audience
• Speech for specific community organization (e.g., School Board, CARE, Red Cross)

Observation/Anecdotal Records
The deliberate act of looking at individual actions or behavior to assess student work, processes, dispositions or other ongoing tasks. It includes the use of criteria and documentation tools.

• Teacher checklist
• Teacher rubric
• Teacher anecdotal notes

Self/Peer Assessment
Students reflecting on their own learning or the learning of their peers, with the use of criteria and documentation tools.

• Rubric
• Reflection
• Learning goal
• Peer editing

External

This form of independent assessment means that the assessment is done by an organization other than the one which is teaching or training the student. It doesn’t have to take the form of a traditional written exam, though that is the most common.

International Schools Assessment (ISA)
The International Schools’ Assessment (ISA), developed and scored by the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER), is taken once a year by all students in grades 3-9. It is aligned with internationally endorsed reading and mathematical literacy frameworks developed by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Programme of International Student Achievement (PISA). The ISA addresses a broad cultural base and measures student performance in the areas of mathematical literacy, reading literacy and writing. An individual student report is provided to parents. A copy is kept in the student’s file.

AIS/D also receives a complete school report consisting of a record of individual results by grade level and sub-group. This feedback is used by the school to address curriculum and improve instruction.

Advanced Placement (AP)
The College Board and the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey have developed the Advanced Placement (AP) Exams to be taken in May after completion of specifically designed coursework. There is a fee for each exam. The exams are externally assessed using a grading scale of 1-5. A student must usually earn a 3 or higher in order to qualify for college credit. Students in Grades 11 or 12 may take the exams and scores are sent from New Jersey in July.

International Baccalaureate (IB)
Students take the individual IB Exams in May after their two-year course of study in Grades 11 and 12. There is a fee for each exam. These assessments are externally assessed and moderated which means there is a greater degree of objectivity and reliability provided by the standard examination environment. The grading scale of 1-7 is criterion-based (results are determined by performance against set standards, not by each student’s position in the overall rank order). The score of 7 is considered “excellent.”

Requirements for a full IB Diploma include a minimum passing score of 24 out of 45. This represents an average of “4” in six courses, plus (0-3) bonus points for the Theory of Knowledge class, and the Extended Essay. The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) provides exam results in early July. Students may complete individual IB courses and receive an IB Certificate with a score of 3 or above. IB courses are often recognized for college credit in the selective colleges and universities.

Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test (PSAT)
The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) is given in October. Students register in advance for this Saturday exam which is designed to help Grade 10 and 11 students prepare for the SAT Reasoning Test. There is a fee for this exam. In grade 11, the PSAT results can be used by U.S. students to qualify for National Merit Scholarships.

Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT and SAT II)
The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is administered to 11th and 12th grade students. There is a fee for this exam which requires advance registration.

It is a measure of the critical thinking skills needed for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well a student can analyze and solve problems. The exam includes a Critical Reading, Mathematics and a Writing section, with a specific number of questions related to content. Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200—800, with two writing sub-scores for multiple-choice and the essay. The SAT II exam is an additional subject specific assessment sometimes required for college admission applications.

American College Test (ACT)
The ACT is a college entrance exam. It assesses Grade 11 or 12 students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. There is a fee for this exam which requires advance registration. The multiple-choice tests cover four areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science. The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.

ACT identifies the number of correct answers on each test and converts that number to a scale score. Scale scores have the same meaning for all the different versions of the ACT Assessments even though they may be administered on different test dates. A student’s Composite Score and each Test Score (English, Math, Reading, Science) ranges from 1 (low) to 36 (high). The Composite Score is the average of the four Test Scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.

ACT/ Plan
The ACT/Plan test is administered to students in Grade 10 as a career planning and achievement assessment tool. It is also designed to prepare students for the ACT college admissions test. The results from the career inventories are used to help students develop a career planning portfolio on the ACT Discover career planning website. It also gives a comprehensive career/interest inventory that is useful in helping students with college planning.