Falcon Academy Assessment Policy
Supporting and encouraging effective teaching, learning, and academic success across K–10.
01 Philosophy of Assessment
It is the belief at Falcon Academy (FA) that assessments must support and encourage effective teaching and learning. It is through this lens that FA developed this assessment policy that serves to reflect our focus and firm commitment to academic success for all students. It is our goal to provide a high-quality education that prepares our students for advanced study in high school, college, and university. Our assessments are designed to help guide the learning community to act, evaluate, and reflect upon our own successes toward achieving this goal.
Assessment practices are an ongoing process that provide opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know, understand, and can do. Assessments take into account cultural and linguistic diversity, different learning styles, abilities, and aptitudes and are then supported and scaffolded appropriately. This developmental and authentic approach helps ensure that we focus on each student’s progress over time. Furthermore, it is through the school wide practice of Teacher Clarity, that students are fully aware of what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they will know that they have learned it.
We support the IB belief that “all members of the learning community develop assessment capability.” At FA, an Assessment Capable Practitioner demonstrates the following nine practices:
Supports students to become assessment capable
Uses data and evidence to inform planning and teaching strategies
Understands the purpose of assessment and selects appropriate tools and strategies
Collaborates to design and moderate assessments, analyse results and plan next steps
Gives effective feedback and communicates learning progress
Shares evidence and data with students and the learning community
Reflects on evidence and data to improve own practice
Plans multiple opportunities for success
Supports student reflection through modelling
02 Primary Years Programme (PYP) Assessment (Grades K–5)
At Falcon Academy our PYP assessments:
- Focus on the whole child and address critical and higher-order thinking skills
- Encourage student improvement, achievement, and provide multiple means of representation
- Promote and further self-initiated student inquiry and learning
- Reflect and re-evaluate teaching practices to inform learning and differentiate instruction
- Are authentic, research-based, meaningful, and collaborative (allowing teacher, peer, and self-reflection)
- Communicate to all stakeholders in a positive and supportive manner with clear, timely family feedback
Role of the Student
- Understand skills and criteria for assessment
- Understand areas in need of growth
- Take responsibility for personal goal-setting
- Co-construct assessments and criteria
- Use self-assessment and reflection to improve performance
Role of the Teacher
- Abide by school wide assessment policy
- Use assessments to differentiate instruction
- Define deadlines, criteria, and give timely feedback
- Self-assess, reflect, and improve upon assessments
- Use varied strategies that promote student agency
- Actively engage students and inform the community
Role of the Family
- Be knowledgeable of school policies and deadlines
- Maintain open communication with teachers
- Attend and participate in conferences
- Support students in reaching academic & personal goals
- Encourage reflection on performance, Learner Profile, and ATL
03 Areas of Assessment in the PYP
1. Units of Inquiry
Units of inquiry assessments include both formative and summative assessments designed to determine student understanding of the transdisciplinary theme, central idea, and lines of inquiry within the IBPYP framework. Assessments are incorporated into each unit planner using backward design prior to lessons and activities, with transparent purposes clearly explained to students.
2. Pre-Assessment
Designed to determine a student’s prior knowledge in order to plan for the next stage of learning within the context of the lines of inquiry.
3. Formative Assessments
Monitor student understanding throughout instruction to allow for adjustments in teaching and learning, helping both teacher and student determine next steps toward summative tasks.
4. Summative Assessments
Measure student understanding of the knowledge, concepts, and skills acquired within a unit of inquiry using a designed rubric, checklist, or clear grading continuum.
Student Reflection includes: General reflection on the unit outlining new understandings, written response to a specific piece of work, completion of the KWL chart, connection to Learner Profile attributes, teacher or peer interview, family at-home reflections, and self-evaluation on a rubric.
5. ATL Skills & Learner Profiles
Regularly assesses how effectively students understand and exhibit Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills and Learner Profile attributes.
04 PYP Monitoring, Reporting & Conferences
1. Report Cards
Disseminate information to families about student performance in academic, social, and self-management skills, including numerical data and comments from both English and Arabic teachers. Our report cards are standards-based, developmentally appropriate, given twice annually at the end of semesters, based upon IB criteria (convertible to a letter-based grading scale), representative of both English and Arabic proficiency, reflective of IB units of inquiry, Learner Profile & ATL skills, stored confidentially in cumulative folders and online.
2. Academic Progress Data and Monitoring (MAP)
- Classroom core subjects are assessed and managed by MAP testing in the relevant language of instruction.
- Progress Reports are given to parents during parent conferences.
- Reading assessments and Writing Assessments are passed to teachers annually for vertical monitoring.
- All at-risk student assessment data and IEP documents are updated and passed to teachers annually.
3. Conferences
Parent/Guardian & Teacher
Informs parents about student progress, strengths, areas of concern, and support strategies. All parents/guardians are expected to attend fall conferences where grade-level progress report sheets are shared.
Student-Led Conferences
Allows students to directly report to parents about their learning progress. Focused on academic and social growth, student-centered, evidence-based, and teacher-supported.
Teacher-Student Conferences
Provides formative feedback and collaborative goal-setting across Writing, Reading/Literature Circles, Math Problem Solving, IBPYP Assessments, and MAP Progress.
05 Middle Years Programme (MYP) Assessment (Grades 6th–10th)
The MYP assessment model is criterion-related, where each student’s achievement of IB subject objectives is measured against predetermined criteria rather than in comparison to peers. Students are guided by IB criterion-related rubrics, nurturing essential IB Learner Profile attributes such as being reflective, principled, and open-minded.
Role of the Student
Take an active role in their learning journey, engage with assessment criteria, practice self-reflection, take learning risks, think critically, and set personal and academic goals.
Role of the Teacher
Act as facilitators of learning, guide students through assessment criteria using constructive feedback, model the Learner Profile, and foster international-mindedness.
Role of the Family
Reinforce IB Learner Profile values at home, understand assessment criteria and objectives, and offer constructive support that promotes resilience and independence.
Backward-Planned Curriculum & Standardization
- Backward-Planning Model: Starts with desired learning outcomes defined by MYP assessment criteria and local/national standards across yearly subject-group overviews.
- Formative & Summative Tasks: Units integrate inquiry, action, and reflection with ongoing formative feedback leading to complex culminating summative assessments.
- What Parents Can Expect: A curriculum aligned with MYP practices, comprehensive in skill exposure, engaging and supportive, and designed to cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving.
- Standardization: Teachers collaborate in weekly meetings with co-teachers and colleagues to share assessments, rubrics, and student work samples to calibrate grading.
- Monitoring & Reporting: Teachers assign achievement levels across the four criteria in all eight IB subjects on a 1–8 scale (ongoing across the year, reflecting sustained attainment rather than an average). At the end of each semester (January and June), a final MYP criteria-related score (1–7) and ATL rubric scores are reported.
06 IB MYP Subject Criteria & Score Bands
| Subject | Criteria A | Criteria B | Criteria C | Criteria D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language and Literature | Analyzing | Organizing | Producing text | Using language |
| Language Acquisition | Comprehending spoken and visual text | Comprehending written and visual text | Communicating | Using language |
| Individuals and Societies | Knowing and Understanding | Investigating | Communicating | Thinking critically |
| Design | Inquiring and analyzing | Developing ideas | Creating the solution | Evaluating |
| Art | Knowing and understanding | Developing skills | Thinking creatively | Responding |
| Science | Knowing and understanding | Inquiring and designing | Processing and evaluating | Reflecting on the impacts of science |
| Math | Knowing and understanding | Investigating patterns | Communicating | Applying mathematics in real-world contexts |
| Physical and Health Education | Knowing and understanding | Planning for performance | Applying and performing | Reflecting and improving performance |
| Community Project (8th Grade) | Investigating | Planning | Taking action | Reflection |
| Personal Project (10th Grade) | Planning | Applying Skills | Reflecting | N/A |
IB Criteria Scores Explanation
| Score Band | Descriptor |
|---|---|
| 7–8 | Consistent, thorough, effective |
| 5–6 | Considerable, substantial |
| 3–4 | Adequate |
| 1–2 | Limited, minimal |
| 0 | Not met |
07 FA Final Grading Scale for End of Semester Reports
| End of Semester Scores (Boundary Guidelines) |
Descriptor |
|---|---|
| 1 (1–5) | Grade: F | Produces work of very limited quality. Conveys many significant misunderstandings or lacks understanding of most concepts and contexts. Very rarely demonstrates critical or creative thinking. Very inflexible, rarely using knowledge or skills. |
| 2 (6–9) | Grade: D | Produces work of limited quality. Expresses misunderstandings or significant gaps in understanding for many concepts and contexts. Infrequently demonstrates critical or creative thinking. Generally inflexible in the use of knowledge and skills, infrequently applying knowledge and skills. |
| 3 (10–14) | Grade: C | Produces work of an acceptable quality. Communicates basic understanding of many concepts and contexts, with occasionally significant misunderstandings or gaps. Begins to demonstrate some basic critical and creative thinking. Is often inflexible in the use of knowledge and skills, requiring support even in familiar classroom situations. |
| 4 (15–18) | Grade: B- | Produces good-quality work. Communicates basic understanding of most concepts and contexts with few misunderstandings and minor gaps. Often demonstrates basic critical and creative thinking. Uses knowledge and skills with some flexibility in familiar classroom situations, but requires support in unfamiliar situations. |
| 5 (19–23) | Grade: B | Produces generally high-quality work. Communicates secure understanding of concepts and contexts. Demonstrates critical and creative thinking, sometimes with sophistication. Uses knowledge and skills in familiar classroom and real-world situations and, with support, some unfamiliar real-world situations. |
| 6 (24–27) | Grade: A- | Produces high-quality, occasionally innovative work. Communicates extensive understanding of concepts and contexts. Demonstrates critical and creative thinking, frequently with sophistication. Uses knowledge and skills in familiar and unfamiliar classroom and real-world situations, often with independence. |
| 7 (28–32) | Grade: A | Produces high-quality, frequently innovative work. Communicates comprehensive, nuanced understanding of concepts and contexts. Consistently demonstrates sophisticated critical and creative thinking. Frequently transfers knowledge and skills with independence and expertise in a variety of complex classroom and real-world situations. |
08 Approaches to Learning (ATL) & Engagement Rubrics
| Score | ATL – Self Management | ATL – Communication | ATL – Social Collaboration | Work Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Consistently follows rules and procedures. | Consistently participates. | Consistently exhibits positive and productive interpersonal skills and adheres to group norms. | Consistently turns in completed work on time. |
| 3 | Generally follows classroom rules and procedures. | Generally participates. | Generally exhibits positive and productive interpersonal skills and adheres to group norms. | Generally turns in mostly completed work on time. |
| 2 | Sometimes follows classroom rules and procedures. | Sometimes participates. | Sometimes exhibits positive and productive interpersonal skills and adheres to group norms. | Sometimes turns in work on time. |
| 1 | When redirected, follows classroom rules and procedures. | When prompted, participates. | When redirected, exhibits positive and productive interpersonal skills and adheres to group norms. | Rarely turns in work on time. |
| 0 | Does not follow classroom rules and procedures. | Participation does not meet classroom expectations. | Does not exhibit positive interpersonal skills and/or does not adhere to group norms. | Does not hand in work on time. |
| n/a | The student has not been assessed, yet. | |||
Engagement Rubric
| Engagement Level | Score | Descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| Exceeding | 4 | Participating actively in all learning experiences and is consistently interested and motivated. Shows a strong desire to improve and is committed to achieving goals. |
| Meeting | 3 | Participating in all learning experiences and is consistently interested in learning and motivated. |
| Approaching | 2 | Participating in some learning experiences. Interest in learning and motivation are inconsistent. |
| Beginning | 1 | Participating in some learning experiences. Interest in learning and motivation are not apparent. |
09 References, Acknowledgment & Policy Review
This policy reflects IB-aligned assessment philosophy. It adapts structures and language from publicly shared IB assessment policies while tailoring them to Falcon Academy’s context and strength-based approach.
Policy Review: Falcon Academy Assessment Policy will be reviewed by the learning community annually.
