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Assessment Policy

At Coyote Ridge, we foster the development of the IB Learner Profile. The IB Learner Profile aims to develop learners who are:

  • Inquirers
  • Knowledgeable
  • Thinkers
  • Communicators
  • Principled
  • Open-minded
  • Caring
  • Risk-takers
  • Balanced
  • Reflective

Our school focus on the attributes of the Learner Profile helps to create and maintain a positive school culture and learning environment. Our IB policies, including the Assessment policy, document our commitment to creating an environment in which the IB philosophy can thrive. Our students and staff strive to be internationally-minded learners who take action for positive change.

Assessment Philosophy and Beliefs

At Coyote Ridge, we believe:

  • Assessments are purposeful, authentic, timely, ongoing, and developmentally appropriate.
  • Assessments inform our instruction and demonstrate student learning and assessments should be equitable and accessible by all students.
  • Assessments should incorporate student agency. When feasible, students are part of the assessment process and offered a choice in the way they demonstrate understanding.
  • Assessments focus on enduring understandings, provide opportunities for students to reflect about their thinking, and show growth over time.
  • Assessments align with state standards, central ideas, and/or lines of inquiry.
  • Within a unit of inquiry, knowledge, concepts, attributes of the Learner Profile, and Approaches to Learning skills are addressed and/or assessed.

Purposes of Assessment

The staff at Coyote Ridge Elementary School are capable assessment practitioners who are well versed in a variety of assessment practices. We agree that assessments have many purposes.

Assessments at Coyote Ridge:

  • Develop student agency through:
    • The co-construction of learning objectives and success criteria with students (modeling in the early years)
    • Reflecting on and self adjusting progress and process towards learning goals; with a prioritized focus on the learning over the product
    • Students self selecting and reflecting on evidence that demonstrates their learning to be included in their portfolio
    • Report the results of their learning and learning process with others (PYP Exhibition, student led conferences, etc.)
    • Include visual displays of student thinking/learning in every classroom with direct connections to units of inquiry (RAN, concept maps, Making Thinking Visible strategies, See, Think, Wonder, etc.)
  • Guide and improve instruction by including and clearly identifying all four dimensions of assessment within each unit of inquiry: measuring, monitoring, documenting, and reporting
  • Monitor and measure to identify and close gaps in learning
  • Assist with backwards and forward planning
  • Provide timely and specific feedback as a way to feed forward in their learning progression
  • Provide a way to document and report learning and learning progression to students and families
  • Identify strengths and needs to plan and implement differentiation: extension, intervention, instructional groupings
  • Evaluate ongoing learning progression starting from simplistic to more abstract conceptual knowledge SOLO Taxonomy
  • Are utilized in the Professional Learning Community (PLC) to evaluate student learning to develop feedback to feedforward
  • Incorporate a multitude of perspectives to encourage international mindedness

Assessments Used at Coyote Ridge

Unit of Inquiry Assessments

All of our Units of Inquiry include pre-assessments, formative assessments, and summative and/or ongoing assessment tasks. These assessments provide an end to the unit as well as opportunity for independent application. Many of our units also include student self-assessments as appropriate. Grade level teachers write and revise these assessments collaboratively in our professional learning communities (PLCs) in conjunction with the PYP coordinator, instructional coach, single subject teachers, and other key staff members whenever possible.

Pre Assessment

Each unit of inquiry begins with a provocation and pre-assessment task. The provocation is intended to ignite student inquiry and curiosity, and is often used in conjunction with the pre-assessment task. The pre-assessment task is designed to assess students' background knowledge and gain information about students' experiences that relate to the unit’s knowledge, concepts, attributes of the Learner Profile, and Approaches to Learning skills. Often, teachers will observe and record student’s discussions, comments, and questions during the provocation task to gain additional insight to students’ background knowledge.

Ongoing Assessments

Ongoing assessment tasks are designed to directly assess student understanding of the important skills, knowledge and understanding within each unit of inquiry. Each unit of inquiry planner includes a description of the ongoing assessment(s) that will include student agency (voice, choice and ownership), as well as the specific knowledge and skills needed to progress to understanding.

The teaching staff are in the process of creating a progression of learning for each unit based on SOLO taxonomy. The learning progression outlines how students will move from pre-structural or surface level understanding of the central idea of the unit to the extended-abstract or deeper level understanding/application. The learning progressions will include learning outcome verbs from the SOLO taxonomy, developmentally appropriate MYP/DP command terms, and/or depths of knowledge. In the primary grades, teachers will model using the learning progression to self-adjust and move forward. In the intermediate grades, students may help create the learning progression as well as adjust and reflect on their current understanding.

More information about the SOLO taxonomy and learning progressions can be found on the IBO website SOLO taxonomy.

Assessments are used to check student understanding throughout a unit of inquiry. Students are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate understanding in a variety of formats. Each line of inquiry has a variety of assessment practices with the purpose clearly identified for measuring, monitoring, documenting and/or reporting. In addition to informing teacher’s instructional decisions and differentiation, assessments are a valuable tool for teachers and students to give feedback to feed forward while planning next steps in learning. Feedback is provided through teacher/peer conferences, comments, evaluating student exemplars, and co-constructing rubrics and checklists.

Assessment Strategies and Tools

We use a variety of assessment strategies and tools within our units of inquiry. To create effective assessments, Coyote Ridge teachers select strategies and tools that are applicable, inquiry-based and relevant to the learning experience. By using a broad range of approaches, teachers are able to provide a balanced view of the student. Assessment tools and strategies include all four dimensions of assessment.

Strategies

  • Observations
  • Think, Pair, Share
  • Hand Signals
  • Whiteboard
  • Exit tickets

Tools

  • Rubrics
  • Exemplars
  • Checklists
  • Anecdotal Records
  • Continuums
  • Making Thinking Visible Strategies
    • See Think Wonder in primary grades
  • Inquiry Journals
  • Wonder Wall
  • RAN/KWL charts
    • RAN: Reading and Analyzing Non-Fiction Text- we use this as a unit reflection tool, and goes beyond just nonfiction text analysis
    • KWL: Know, Want-to-know, Learned charts

State Assessments

As a Colorado public school, Coyote Ridge is required to participate in the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS), which is a state-required standardized assessment program. CMAS includes the assessment of the Common Core English Language Arts and Mathematics Standards and the Colorado Academic Standards in Social Studies and Science. While these assessments provide teachers with valuable information about our students, we also recognize that they are just one measure of student success. Performance on standardized testing should be considered alongside other measures such as diagnostic and progress monitoring assessments, unit of inquiry assessment tasks, in-class performance, Learner Profile reflections, and teacher observations.

District Assessments

Coyote Ridge is a part of the Thompson School District. All schools in our district use common measures to assess student reading, writing, and math performance. In conjunction with unit of inquiry ongoing assessments, formative assessments, and pre assessments; district measures are used to create a body of evidence that depicts what students know, do, and understand. The data from these assessments help teachers create instructional groups and plan for intervention and extension.

Over the last few years, Coyote Ridge teachers have devoted much of our professional development to the Science of Reading to deepen our understanding of the brain research behind how students learn to read. Many of our assessment practices around literacy have changed significantly to reflect our new learning. We have chosen research based diagnostic and progress monitoring assessments that give us a deeper understanding of students' literacy strengths and needs. These assessments dig deeper into students' skills around phonological awareness, phonics, fluency and comprehension. (See CRES Language Policy for more details)

Alternative State/District Assessments

We provide alternative state and district testing for students that meet the eligibility criteria put forth by the state of Colorado. Students who meet this criteria qualify for an alternative state assessment because there is evidence of cognitive abilities and adaptive behavior significantly below the average range for his age group. These alternative assessments are administered as per students’ Individualized Education Plans.

Reporting Assessment Results

Report Cards

In grades 1-5, Coyote Ridge shares ongoing progress with parents, versus quarterly report cards. This progress is updated frequently through the addition of classroom learning engagements and assessments. Approaches to Learning/Work Habit scores are updated quarterly. Families have access to the digital platform and can view progress at any time. We use the same basic report card format as the rest of the schools in the Thompson School District, with several additions because of our IB Programme. Students are scored on a standards based grading system and receive a 1-4 on English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, and PE standards. All teachers that work with the student are able to make comments on the report cards. Our school added a section for each transdisciplinary theme. Teachers can give a check (meets expectations), check plus (exceeds expectations), or a check minus (does not meet expectations) for the student’s understanding of the central idea. Understanding of the central idea is assessed by ongoing learning engagements and assessment tasks. Additionally, teachers can add a check (meets expectations), check plus (exceeds expectations), or check minus (does not meet expectations), to indicate a student’s competency on the Approach to Learning skills.

In Kindergarten, the report card is based on the Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Tool. The sections of this report include: Social/Emotional, Language, Cognitive, Physical, Literacy, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Studies, and The Arts. Students are scored along a developmental continuum. Reports are sent home to parents three times per year.

Learner Profile Reflections

In Grades 1-5, teachers report on student progress with respect to the Attributes of the Learner Profile twice per year. Instead of paper profile reflections, EC/K have reflective classroom discussions at least 3 times per year. Teachers will model reflective language related to the attributes. This is a student self-reflection. Students rank themselves on a scale of 1-4 on the attributes of the Learner Profile. They also write/draw examples of how they show the attributes of the Learner Profile and ways they are working to improve. The Learner Profile Reflection is completed by students in class and then sent home with semester progress reports, academic data, and/or report cards twice a year in December and in May.

Conferences

Conferences are an important opportunity to report information between teachers, students, and families. We believe all stakeholders should be involved in conferences. Our staff has created Essential Agreements for fall and spring conferences.

Fall Conference Essential Agreements

  • Conferences will be focused on goal setting
  • Teachers will report fall assessment data
  • To develop student agency, students are present at the conference to provide input about goals
  • Family is asked to provide background/cultural context of student learning

Spring Conference Essential Agreements

  • Conferences will be focused on reviewing goals set in the fall
  • Conferences are optional for some families, and strongly encouraged for students who have specific learning goals identified within READ plans, or otherwise
  • Teachers will share most current assessment data and focus on growth
  • To develop student agency, students are present at the conference to provide input about goals and share progress towards learning
  • Family is asked to provide background/cultural context of student learning

Spring Student Led Conferences Essential Agreements

  • Conferences will be focused on student growth and celebrations
  • The format of the conferences will be student led, with multiple families attending conferences at the same time
  • Families will visit general education and single subject classrooms
  • Conferences will utilize the student portfolio for reflection about work
  • Parents will provide feedback to their child using the attributes of the Learner Profile Reflection, this will be stored in the students portfolio after completion

Portfolios

Coyote Ridge Portfolio Essential Agreements

  • Every Coyote Ridge student will have a 2” white binder with clear cover
  • Front cover, made in Kindergarten by Faculty Assistant
  • Student first and last name in spine, made in Kindergarten by Faculty Assistant
  • Faculty Assistant will prepare binders for new students
  • Divider for each grade, grade level written in sharpie on the tabs (not tab inserts, which fall out by fifth grade)
  • Kindergarten on bottom, current grade on top

Each grade:

  • Attributes of the Learner Profile Divider-
    • On top for each grade level
    • Each Learner Profile Reflection, Action Awards and Learner Profile Awards

  • Divider for each unit, made by classroom teachers on card stock

    Unit Color
    Sharing the Planet Yellow
    Who We Are Red
    How We Express Ourselves Orange
    How the World Works Purple
    How We Organize Ourselves Turquoise
    Where We Are in Place and Time Green

  • Divider should include: transdisciplinary theme and central idea

  • Each transdisciplinary theme

    • One artifact from each unit, student selected if appropriate
    • Ongoing assessment criteria/evidence of learning with rubric. If teachers decide not to copy and send home assessments and rubrics, they will invite families to view portfolios and see student work
    • Optional teacher selected artifacts may be included, as well

  • One artifact from every Special each year, decided by the teacher. This will be placed behind the appropriate transdisciplinary theme. Artifacts from specials are due by the first week of May.

  • Grades 2-5 will include an ongoing reflection of their learning for each unit to include but not limited to: central idea, lines of inquiry, attributes of the learner profile, key concepts and Approaches to Learning skills

  • Any confidential information should not be in portfolio-

    • for example: CMAS Scores, Read Plans, IEP’s, iReady scores, etc

  • Portfolios should be kept in classrooms where students can access

  • Portfolios will stay in classrooms at the end of the year, and then will be moved in the fall to the next grade level

  • 5th grade portfolios will be given to students at 5th Grade Promotion

Sharing the Assessment Policy

Staff

Our assessment policy is electronically stored on Google Drive in the Policies and Essential Agreements folder for easy access by all staff members. New staff members are guided through the assessment policy during their induction.

Families/Community

Once the assessment policy was complete, it was reviewed and approved by the School Improvement Team (SIT). The SIT is a joint committee of staff, parents, and community members. As a part of our self-evaluation process, SIT will review the policy, including any changes, every 3 to 5 years. The assessment policy will be available on our school website and in the front office for parent review.

Future Reviews

The staff will review the assessment policy annually for minor changes and additions. This annual discussion will ensure that all staff members are aware of the policy and adhering to our agreements. The annual review will also provide a way for us to make changes to reflect best practices in assessment. We would like this document to be an accurate reflection of our assessment philosophy and practices.

Contributors

This policy is the result of collaboration between many staff members at Coyote Ridge. The latest major revision of this policy was facilitated by our Instructional Coach/Literacy Interventionist Teacher and one of the 4th grade teachers. A small group of teachers with representation from primary, intermediate, special education, and single subject teachers assisted the two policy revision leaders. The PYP coordinator and principal were also involved with the revision of each policy. The full staff reviewed and approved the final policy.

Updated 8/23/2023