There are two main types of assessment within the mathematics department.

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1 ISU Assessment Policy Mathematics Department Assessment in Mathematics plays a crucial part in the teaching and learning process. We echo the aims of the school by providing feedback on the learning process and to inform, enhance and improve teaching strategies. TYPES OF ASSESSMENT There are two main types of assessment within the mathematics department. Formative assessment makes up the day-to-day teaching and learning. Teachers are constantly monitoring how well students are doing and students are being asked to reflect on the skills and content they are learning. Formative assessment tasks widely used in the maths department include completion of exercises to practise specific content or skills, research, partner quizzes, peer teaching and group work. Teachers may choose to mark and grade these assessments to help build up a better picture of the student as a whole. Summative assessment tasks are used as a culminating piece of the unit the student has been studying. Typically these are either a test/exam or an investigation. ASSESSMENT IN THE MYP The IB has established the following assessment criteria for use within Mathematics: Criterion A Knowledge and understanding Maximum 8 Criterion B Investigating patterns Maximum 8 Criterion C Communication in mathematics Maximum 6 Criterion D Reflection in mathematics Maximum 6 Page 31, MYP Mathematics Guide, Jan 2012 For each assessment criterion, a number of level descriptors are defined by the IB. These describe a range of achievement levels with the lowest represented as 0. The criteria are not equally weighted. Grades 6 through 9 use modified level descriptors and Grade 10 use the IB published criteria. The level descriptors for all grades will be given to students at the start of the academic year or upon arrival to ISU. Some assessments use a task specific rubric which is given to students with the assessment task TYPES OF ASSESSMENT IN THE MYP Each unit of work will have at least one assessment; the unit typically drives the assessment type that best records student learning and allows reflection on what is taught. The main types of assessment are outlined below: Test A test will be split into three sections depending on the level of difficulty. Level 1-4 questions are straightforward questions that require the student to use formulae or knowledge directly related to the unit of study. The questions will be familiar to them. Level 5-6 questions are more complex. Generally they require two or more processes for each question and will be challenging for the student. Level 7-8 questions require the student to use their knowledge in unfamiliar situations. Students may have to use knowledge from other parts of the syllabus to answer these questions. Tests and exams are assessed using Criteria A and C.

2 Investigations An investigation is a sustained piece of writing that allows students to explore a piece of mathematics. Students may use appropriate technology to complete their investigation (GDC or mathematical software). Investigations are intended to be structured and include diagrams and tables at appropriate points. There are two main types of investigation that are used with the maths department: A Mathematical Investigation or A Real Life Problem. A Mathematical Investigation students have the opportunity to recognise patterns, describe them as general rules or relationships and justify or prove their results. A Real Life Problem students have the opportunity to apply mathematics to a real life context, reflect upon and evaluate their findings. Both types of investigation can be assessed through Criteria A, B, C and D although it should be noted that not all investigations will be assessed against all four. Students will be told the criteria that are being assessed at the earliest opportunity. A task specific rubric will be given to students when they are asked to complete an investigation so that they know how to achieve each level descriptor. ASSESSMENT IN THE DP Students in Grades 11 and 12 are assessed according to published grade boundaries and criteria for each of the courses; Mathematical Studies SL, Mathematics Standard Level, Mathematics Higher Level. Below is a guide to the different assessments that make up the final IB grade and their respective weightings. Mathematical Studies SL Assessment Component External Assessment (3hours) Paper 1 (1 hour and 30 minutes) GDC required 15 compulsory short response questions based on the whole syllabus (90 marks) Paper 2 (1 hour and 30 minutes) GDC required 6 compulsory extended-response questions based on the whole syllabus (90 marks) Internal assessment This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course Weighting 80% 40% 40% 20% Project The project is an individual piece of work involving the collection of information or the generation of measurements, and the analysis and evaluation of the information or measurements. (20 marks) Page 37 Mathematical studies SL guide, first examinations 2014; IB

3 Mathematics Standard Level Assessment component External Assessment (3 hours) Paper 1 (1 hour 30 minutes) No calculator allowed (90 marks) Section A Compulsory short response questions based on the whole syllabus Section B Compulsory extended-response questions based on the whole syllabus Paper 2 (1 hour and 30 minutes) GDC required (90 marks) Section A Compulsory short response questions based on the whole syllabus Section B Compulsory extended-response questions based on the whole syllabus Internal Assessment This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course. Weighting 80% 40% 40% 20% Mathematical Exploration Internal assessment in mathematics SL is an individual exploration. This is a piece of written work that involves investigating an area of mathematics (20 marks) Page 39 Mathematics SL guide, first examinations 2014; IB Assessment component External Assessment (5 hours) Paper 1 (2 hours) No calculator allowed (120 marks) Section A Compulsory short response questions based on the core syllabus Section B Compulsory extended-response questions based on the core syllabus Paper 2 (2 hours) GDC required (120 marks) Section A Compulsory short response questions based on the core syllabus Section B Compulsory extended-response questions based on the core syllabus Paper 3 (1 hour) GDC required (60 marks) Compulsory extended response questions based mainly on the syllabus options Internal Assessment This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course. Weighting 80% 30% 30% 20% 20% Mathematical Exploration Internal assessment in mathematics HL is an individual exploration. This is a piece of written work that involves investigating an area of mathematics (20 marks) Page 59 Mathematics HL guide, first examinations 2014; IB

4 For both the Project and the Exploration teachers will inform students of the requirements and criteria as soon as possible, set interim deadlines so that students are not overloaded with work at the end of the course and give feedback at various times of the process so that students know how to continue with and improve their internal assessment. In addition to the IB required assessments, students will be assessed throughout the Diploma Programme. Typically after every unit of work students will sit a topic test which is made up of past exam questions. The tests are marked using published mark schemes and the final grade given is based on the most up to date grade boundaries, as published by the IB. Investigations are also used in the Diploma programme and are administered as the need arises. Investigations allow students to practise the techniques needed for the internally assessed component of the course. Investigations are marked using the published criteria for internal assessments so that students are familiar with the formal assessment process. Teachers may choose to use some or all of the assessment criteria for investigations. The assessment criteria for the Project (Mathematical Studies) are as follows: Criterion A Introduction Maximum 3 Criterion B Information/Measurement Maximum 3 Criterion C Mathematical Process Maximum 5 Criterion D Interpretation of results Maximum 3 Criterion E Validity Maximum 1 Criterion F Structure and Communication Maximum 3 Criterion G Notation and Terminology Maximum 2 The assessment criteria for the Exploration (Mathematics SL and HL) are as follows: Criterion A Communication Maximum 4 Criterion B Mathematical Presentation Maximum 3 Criterion C Personal Engagement Maximum 4 Criterion D Reflection Maximum 3 Criterion E Use of Mathematics Maximum 6 ASSESSMENT IN ALL PROGRAMMES Exams End of Semester exams are administered for students in Grades 9 to 11. We feel it is important that students review all work in the semester due to the spiralling nature of our curriculum. Students in Grade 12 will sit mock exams near the end of January. These exams are set, marked and graded by the subject teacher using published mark schemes from the IB. Students in Grades 6-8 will receive an End of Year exam for the same purpose. Students will receive a revision sheet from their teachers at least 2 weeks before the exam due date. Students should be prepared to use their knowledge in a variety of ways. Exams in the MYP are assessed using criteria A and C, exams in the DP are marked using mark schemes and the grade is generated through the most up to date grade boundaries as published by the IB

5 MODIFIED ASSESSMENTS Students who receive OLC or ESOL support may be asked to complete modified assessments. The modification depends on the student s needs. Modifications may include: reduction of amount of questions on a test, explanation of key words, extra time or OLC support to complete an assessment. Modifications are assigned through direct communication with the student, parents and the OLC. MARKING OF ASSESSMENT Once assessments have been completed and handed in, individual subject teachers will mark and grade the work in line with the MYP grade descriptors for the criterion being assessed or the DP grade boundaries and criteria. If more than one teacher is responsible for a grade level then teachers are expected to standardise scores. If one teacher is responsible for a grade level then standardisation still takes place with a colleague that teachers in the grade level above or below. Internal standardisation is used to provide a common system for the application of the assessment criteria to each student. In joint assessment, internal standardisation is best achieved by: The use of common assessment tasks Shared assessment between the teachers Regular contact between teachers Page 37, MYP Mathematics Guide, Jan 2012 In Grade 10 students are required to complete certain tasks which are marked by teachers at ISU. A sample of the students work is then sent to the IB for external moderation. The process of moderation is to ensure that the assessment tasks used are appropriate and that teachers from all IB schools are awarding the same level for the same piece of work. Grade 10 students who are eligible for the MYP certificate must complete the following tasks which could be sent to the IB for moderation: a mathematical investigation, a real life problem and the broad based test. Teachers will always aim to have work marked, graded and handed back to the student one week after the work has been submitted. WHAT IS ASSESSMENT USED FOR? Any work that is assessed counts towards the end of semester grade in the MYP and the quarterly grade in the DP. In the MYP, the teacher will give a judgement for each of the four criteria based on trends in the student s work. Students will have at least two judgements for each criterion over the course of a semester but in many cases this is much more. No piece of work is weighted more than the other as all types of assessment are important to build a picture of a students learning. The mark given for each criterion is not an average as students can develop right up until the end of the course. Teachers use their professional judgement to decide which level best represents the student s final standard of achievement. The grades are then reported to parents at the end of each semester. In the DP the teacher will give a 1-7 grade based on the assessments that have been completed so far. The teacher will use the most up to date grade boundaries in conjunction with the grade

6 descriptors, as published by the IB. In the case where a student falls on a grade boundary the teacher will closely read the grade descriptor and use their professional judgement to best place the student. USE OF ASSESSMENT FOR PLACING IN EXTENDED OR STANDARD LEVEL MATHS In Grades 9 and 10 students will be either Extended or Standard Level Maths. Many of the topics studied are the same but students in the extended class will cover the topics in a bit more depth and will work through concepts faster. When making a decision on whether a student will be best placed in extended or standard there are several factors that teachers take into account: MYP grades for each criteria throughout Grade 8. A final MYP Grade of 6 is required in the Semester 2 report. ISA results for Mathematics Literacy General work ethic throughout their time at ISU Students can change between the courses if teachers feel it is necessary; any changes are discussed with students and parents at the time. New students may be asked to sit an entry test for mathematics which allows us to best place the student. Reports and recommendations from previous schools are also taken into consideration. If there is not enough evidence to make a judgement then a student will be placed in a standard level class and the teacher will quickly be able to assess where course best suits the student. It must be noted that there are only a limited number of places in the extended class. It is not a requirement that students have to have studied Extended Maths to study Higher Maths in the DP; although it is preferred. Students who have studied Standard Level Maths who want to go on to study Higher Maths must have achieved the higher grades for each criteria and should be prepared to complete some work in the summer between Grades 10 and 11. A combination of knowledge and an outstanding work ethic are important for success in the IB Diploma. It is recommended that attitude towards the subject and the students willingness to work be taken into consideration. REFLECTION Students will have the opportunity to record their grades throughout the school year so that they can reflect on their progress for each criterion. It is intended that students and teachers will be able to discuss individual student progress and for teachers to advise on how best to progress. At the end of some MYP units of work students have the chance to reflect on the work undertaken and part of this is to communicate with the teacher about the assessments they have done. Teachers can then take into account student recommendations when planning or reviewing MYP units and assessments. Teachers use assessment to ascertain students understanding of the knowledge and skills taught. Students can be asked to review work if it is felt necessary; this could be done in Maths Lab or at a

7 private consultation with the teacher. Teachers also use assessment in the day to day planning of their lessons. If it is clear that students need to review work then time may be allocated in class to do this. Teachers will aim to give students the best advice on how to improve their grades at every opportunity. Approaches to Learning (ATLs) Students are also assessed on their use of ATLs throughout a unit. Students are given a chance to reflect on their development of their ATLs at the end of each unit. This helps students to consolidate what they have learnt and help direct teaching in the future. The ATLs also make up the students report and the following table outlines how students can attain ATL Specific Skills How to obtain each grade Organisation Bringing notebook and textbook (formula booklet for DP students) Bringing calculator Bringing stationary (pen etc) Note taking Exceeds: All material is brought to every lesson. Binder and or notebook contain all class material including examples from the board. Meets: Materials can be forgotten up to 5 occasions. Binder and or notebook contain most class material including examples from the board. Needs Improvement: Materials are not brought to lessons more than 5 times in a quarter. Binder and or notebook contain some class material including examples from the board. There are gaps in their Participation Answers questions in class Group work Individual work books. Exceeds: Is an active member of the class in all lessons Meets: Is an active member of the class in some lessons Needs Improvement: Is not an active member of the class Effort Acquisition of subject content and skills Hands in homework and assessments on time Class behaviour Understanding of the subject knowledge Displays knowledge of subject specific skills Enquires further into the subject material Note: An active member of the class is interested in what the lesson and topic is about, makes appropriate contributions and is productive. Exceeds: All due dates met and class behaviour is impeccable. Meets: All due dates met and class behaviour is satisfactory Needs Improvement: Due dates not met or class behaviour is not of the standard expected. Students will be in detention if due dates are not met or class behaviour is of a low standard. A detention for either of these will result in an N (unless significant improvement is recorded) and a comment on the report card. Exceeds: 7-8 in Criterion A Meets: 4 6 in Criterion A Needs Improvement: 1 3 in Criterion A Criterion A: Knowledge and Understanding

8 HOMEWORK Homework is used to encourage independent thinking and learning. It is used to consolidate or extend content and skills learnt in class. Homework is assigned most weeks and when it is felt it is beneficial to the students learning. The time spent on homework ranges from 30 minutes to 120 minutes a week. This depends on the age of the student and the task they have been set. Homework may be broken into smaller tasks throughout the week or a longer, more sustained piece. Homework may take the form of: Practising skills through completion of an exercise. Researching before a new topic or investigation Completion of a graded assessment