Assessment in IB:

The other assessment type is the External Assessments or Exams/Papers. The easiest way to think of the External Assessments is to think of them as the cumulative sit-down exams they take at the end of the IB Course. This is completed yearly at in May and is composed of 2 or 3 different Papers (or exams) and depends on the subject.

To support and improve student learning at Tucker High School teachers uses diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments. In the International Baccalaureate Programme at THS, assessments are criterion referenced according to specific criteria published by IB. Groups/subjects are provided resources like guides, rubrics, and mark bands that measure and inform student success from previous years to show its strengths and weaknesses. Teachers meet collaboratively as a whole and within content areas to review and update school and classroom policies yearly. In addition to the guidelines provided by IB, teachers differentiate assessments according to the needs of their students so that students with various learning styles are able to be successful within this highly rigorous program.

Purposes of Assessment:

· To provide consistent and frequent feedback to students about how they are meeting the expectations of state standards

· To provide consistent and frequent feedback to students about how they are meeting the expectations of IB standards

· To provide feedback to teachers on student progress

· To provide feedback to parents through grade progress reporting

· To provide quality assurance

· To prepare students for IB Internal Assessment components and the rigors of IB External Assessments and exams

Methods of Assessment:

The IB program implements a variety of assessment strategies to measure student success. Diagnostic methods include tests and assessments which have been developed for

each IB course, and assessments developed by individual teachers and content groups (in school or county-wide) are used to measure previously acquired knowledge.

Formative assessments may include class discussions, field work, essays, projects, investigation workbooks, multimedia presentations, tickets out the door, reflections/journals, etc. Summative presentations similar to those in the IB are: historical investigations, individual oral commentaries, and research papers, among others that are subject specific. A variety of assessment strategies are used to reduce disadvantages, allowing a range of opportunities for students to be successful as displayed in our Special Academic Needs Policy. While these are just a few examples of the types of assessments, they are not limited to just the DP program. Similar assessments are used in lower grades to prepare students for the IB program. Teachers collaborate in vertical planning sessions to create assessments appropriate for their student’s achievement level(s). This helps scaffold the students’ skills toward those expected in the program and within our policies.

How are IB Courses assessed?

The Diploma Program courses each have two types of assessments that are used to determine the final score award in the subject: Internal Assessments and External Assessments. Internal Assessments (or IA's) are given in the classrooms and are based upon the skills and content of that subject area. So, for example, in a Language B IB class, one Internal Assessment is an Oral conversation in language. For a Sciences the IA would be a lab experiment designed and conducted by the student. For a history class, it would be a history research paper. Each subject has a unique, and the IA counts toward the final grade award the student will earn for the class from IB.