International School of Nagano
Revised September 2019

Assessment Policy
What do we know about assessment?
When planning for assessment, teachers should think like assessors rather than activity designers, clearlysetting the criteria that distinguish students’ understanding of the central idea or learning objective. The
teacher must constantly look for evidence that meets the criteria. Students should be involved wheneverpossible in the planning of an assessment task.
Making the PYP Happen: An international curriculum framework for international primary education, IBO,
p.31, 2009
At ISN, we view assessment as the gathering and analysis of information about student performance. It
provides us with evidence about what our students know, understand, can do and are feeling at different
stages in the learning process. We know that successful assessment involves feedback, without which, theprocess is limited in its effect, importance and relevance.
We recognize that assessment is an integrated, ongoing process and should be used to inform all of ourlearning and teaching. We appreciate that it is a central element of the PYP’s goal to thoughtfully andeffectively guide students through the five essential elements of learning.
Our students come from a wide range of educational and culturally diverse backgrounds. It is therefore vitalthat our assessments are broad and include choice to recognize our students’ varying strengths and learning
styles and interests. We do not view any one assessment as providing a comprehensive picture of learning.
Our teachers, as assessors, have the responsibility to be sure that they have a clear understanding of thereasons for assessment and the criteria for success.
Our students, as assessors, should be equipped with the necessary tools to make informed decisions about
assessments and be given strategies that enable them to interpret the results to constructively inform theirlearning.
We are committed to developing assessment capable students and teachers. Both students and teachers
should be actively engaged in assessing student progress as part of the development of their wider criticalthinking and self-evaluation skills. For teachers, it also provides evidence in order to evaluate the efficacy ofour programme.
What do we want to know through assessment?
At ISN, we recognize that without a clear understanding of the learning that has and is occurring, we cannot
plan for students to reach their full potential.
We assess to: evaluate learning assist students to reflect on their learning

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provide guidance for learning
determine a student’s progress weighed against prior knowledge
address the essential elements of our programme; concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes and action
develop the whole student as an individual according to the IB Learner Profile
know if our student’s experiences are in alignment with our Philosophy and Mission Statements

The breadth and complexity of assessments should be dependent on purpose and duration. We also believethat assessment is best carried out in authentic contexts rather than in isolation.
How will we know what we have learned?
Assessment is part of the learning process, rather than the product of learning. It should therefore
encompass pre-assessment as well as formative, summative and self-assessment. At ISN, we acknowledge
the following as recognized strategies to effectively assess: Observations – individual, group, whole-class in a variety of settings, with the Approaches toLearning giving guidance as to the purposes and types of observations
 Performance Assessments – role-play, presentation, demonstration, explanation, problemsolving,creativity and innovation are just some of the elements to be considered when designing the task
 Process-focused Assessments – especially effective as part of student’s self assessments
 Selected or Closed Responses – traditional test papers and quizzes (provides objective data) Open-ended Tasks - assessment of response (writing, talking, diagram, drawing, solution) to astimulus
Used in conjunction with the assessment tools of: Rubrics – with established and collaboratively developed criteria to be achieved Conferencing - assessment through discussion of activities and product Analysis of Student Reflections - assessment through journal writing, written reflections anddiscussion
 Exemplars – providing samples of work to guide expected learning outcomes Comparative Assessment – carried out over a period of time to assess progress Checklists – recording an agreed or established set of criteria to be met or measured
 Anecdotal, Audio, Video and Narrative Record Keeping – about specified criteria or tasks
 External or Standardised Examinations – to inform in broader terms about the learning, adding
additional perspectives and external benchmarks
 Self, Peer, Group Assessment – to ensure different perspectives and opportunities for different
roles in the assessment process are available
 Looking for Learning – student and teacher observations and learning conversations
We therefore formally report and share the results of assessment through: Biannual/Semester Reports
 Parent, Teacher and Student Conferences Student Led Portfolio Conferences Exhibitions End of Year Handover data (Internal document)
 Intra-school discussions with colleagues
These are in addition to the ongoing conversations, presentations and regular invitations, designed to involve
all members of our learning community in the assessment and celebration of our learning.