It does mean, though, that the principal and the teachers, because of their professional preparation and responsibility, must take the leadership in developing the policy. At a minimum, every school policy on student evaluation should incorporate the following aspects. Saskatchewan Education's set of guiding principles of student evaluation, outlined in the Introduction section of this document, makes a useful starting point. The final grade is far from being the only purpose of student assessment but it is an important one. The school policy should address such issues as the role of grades in continuous assessment or promotion policies, grading for modified classes, and adaptations of assessment and evaluation procedures for identifiable groups such as exceptional students.
Student evaluation places a great degree of responsibility on the individual teacher.
Teachers need to know that they have the authority to draw upon their professional expertise in evaluating students. They must also feel secure with the policy if this professional expertise is questioned. From the teacher's point of view, school division processes should be established to resolve conflict in the area of student evaluation. This element may well be the most important and most enabling aspect of a school's student evaluation policy. In Summary As a teacher, you never really stop learning how to teach more effectively.