Assessments
Literacy and Mathematical Literacy are the foundations of success for all students and early identification of a student’s learning needs are critical to effective intervention. Knowledge about a student’s strengths and needs guides teachers and support services staff in providing effective programming by linking assessment to practice. Instructional strategies that include differentiated instruction, and match the learning profiles of students ensure access to learning for all children. As a result of the expert panel reports in Literacy and Mathematical Literacy, the focus has been on professional development and learning resources to enhance the capacity of teaching and support staff to assist students with diverse learning needs and at-risk factors through greater precision and personalization.
The Dufferin-Peel Guidelines for Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting describe assessment as the process of gathering information from a variety of sources including assignments, demonstrations, projects, performances, and tests that accurately reflect how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectations.
Dufferin-Peel educators and support services staff, in consultation with parents, can initiate both formal and informal assessment measures that may enhance effective programming and support student achievement. Specific assessments may require signed consent prior to the initiation of the assessment measure. Information regarding consent, timelines, and the process of the communication of results, will be shared.
For students requiring an Individual Education Plan, the IEP will be used to guide staff in assessing, evaluating and reporting achievement.
The enhancement of teacher capacity to provide effective programming while reducing wait times for professional assessments are inherent in a number of board projects including the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE): Supporting Catholic Learning Communities project and the EDU Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) Student Assessment for Learning Project. The Assessment Capacity Building Plan developed through this project will align with the Board Plan to Improve Student Achievement. Dufferin-Peel will build on this initiative to support the Continuous Assessment Process, described on pg. 20 of Education for All . As the assessment continuum cycle becomes more deeply embedded part of practice at the school, teachers and support staff will develop a solid foundational process that will guide early intervention and improve student achievement.
