A Discussion Paper on Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting for Ontario’s Beginning Teachers (OECTA)
To be effective in this current assessment culture, teachers – both those new to the profession and those with years of experience – need to understand how assessment and evaluation have changed since they were in school.
Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Elementary Religious Education - A Research Report
This report provides a reference for curriculum consultants, coordinators, and/or future writers to use when addressing assessment, evaluation, and reporting of the current Religious education programs in Catholic schools in Ontario. The resource reviews a range of data sources, poses leading questions, essential learnings, and recommendations based on the research. The resource also examines assessment, evaluation, and reporting found in each unit, Kindergarten to Grade 8 Born of the Spirit and We Are Strong Together series, curriculum planning, and assessment language from the Ministry.
Completing the Elementary Progress Report Card: Quick Tips (OECTA)
The first report is a progress report card only with no grades assigned. The main focus of the progress report is on learning skills and student progress, therefore there are no marks assigned to any subject. Teachers use their professional judgement to indicate how a student is progressing.
EduGAINS – Ministry Resources for Classroom Teachers, K-12
EduGAINS is the portal to resources developed and provided through the Ministry of Education, focused on student and teacher learning (K-12). Resources support Mathematics, Literacy, differentiated instruction, assessment and evaluation, English Language Learners, financial literacy, and international languages (Elementary).
Elementary Progress Report Card Bank
The Progress Report Card is an opportunity to focus on the growth and the progress your students are making toward the overall expectations. The emphasis is on assessment for, and as, learning. Teachers will report student progress by checking one of the indicators that most accurately reflects student progress in relation to the overall curriculum expectations through the lens of the "achievement chart" categories. For example, the progress report card provides these indicators:
- Progressing with Difficulty
- Progressing Well
- Progressing Very Well
Comments on the Progress Report Card will provide parents with personalized, clear, and meaningful feedback. Teachers will use the following three guiding questions to frame their comments for parents:
- What were students expected to learn?
- How do I know they learned it?
- What will we do to support continued learning?
The Progress Report Card comments included in this bank are a compilation of comments written and used by teacher members. The comments provided cover only a few grade levels, but you are encouraged to adapt them as you feel necessary to your grade level and subject area. OECTA’s report card bank will continue to grow to include comments in all grade levels. We welcome future submissions of progress report card comments. OECTA cannot make any assertions that these comments will be acceptable at every board or school, and encourages teachers to refer to your local Growing Success policies before preparing your own comments.
Subjects
Suggestions for Writing Comments
- Clearly state the subject (e.g., In Math...)
- Use the language of learning goals from your class to help make comments parent-friendly
- Personalize your comments by making reference to a project/task
- Use clear and specific feedback based on success criteria that students used in class when describing next steps
- In most boards, teachers are only required to comment on Language and Math
- French /Native Language (as applicable), and they are not required to report on all subject areas, but check with your board and school to determine local variations to this practice.
- When the Progressing with Difficulty box is checked on any subject area a comment is expected
- Develop a repertoire of verbs and descriptors that help to clarify comments in language that are parent-friendly. See below for a list of sample words:
Strengths
- Uses
- Analyses
- Displays
- Completes
- Follows
- Understands
- Beginning to
- Perseveres
- Demonstrates
- Revises
- Solves
Areas for Improvement
- Requires
- Needs to practice
- Needs to broaden
- Needs to consider
- Needs to refine
- Needs to revise
- Would benefit from
- Needs to connect
- Needs to improve
- Needs to develop
- Needs to understand
- Needs to attempt
- Needs to use
- Has difficulty
- Needs to focus on
- Needs to increase
Next Steps
- Review
- Practice
- Revise
- Seek help
- Continue to
- Try to improve
- Request
- Look for
- Listen
- Ask for
- Increase
- Work towards
- Improve
- Be supported by
- Work on
- Develop
- Use
Elementary Report Card Guide (OECTA)
The OECTA Elementary Report Card Guide is a resource for teachers to use when completing student report cards. The guide references the provincial government’s Guide to the Provincial Report Card as it applies to each section of the student report card.
Growing Success – Ontario Ministry of Education
The provincial government’s policy document, on which assessment, evaluation, and reporting in Ontario schools for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 are based. The Growing Success (2010) policy document clearly states that communication with parents and students should be continuous throughout the year, and provides suggestions for parent/teacher conferences, informal reports, phone calls, etc.
Growing Success represents the first time that a government policy document recognizes the professional judgement of teachers. The policy defines professional judgement as judgement that is informed by professional knowledge of curriculum expectations, context, evidence of learning methods of instruction, and assessment, and criteria and standards that indicate success in student learning. School boards should not be implementing any additional formal report cards on student achievement beyond the provincially mandated reports that are part of the Growing Success policy. The teacher is to use her/his professional judgement in communicating achievement with parents and students.
Ontario Educational Resource Bank (OERB)
The OERB offers K-12 resources, created by teachers for teachers, aligned with the Ontario curriculum. Includes units, lesson plans, activities, maps, and interactive learning resources.