Guiding Statements
Our Vision
Advanced Learning Schools prepare global citizens to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world while honoring their own cultural heritage and identity.
Our Mission
Advanced Learning Schools offer a high-quality education in a safe and caring environment, with a commitment to life-long learning and digital citizenship, while inspiring students to become creative, compassionate, and analytical thinkers.
Our Core Values (CREM Framework)
Introduction
2.1 ALS Philosophy of Assessment
Assessment of students’ work at ALS aims to be a supportive and positive mechanism which helps students to improve their learning, teachers to improve their teaching and contribute to the efficiency and development of the programme, and parents to follow up and provide support to their children’s achievement.
2.2 ALS Principles of Assessment
- Provide information about how students learn and determine what knowledge and skills they have acquired and understood.
- Highlight students’ strengths and diagnose learning needs.
- Ascertain that the learning outcome aligns with IB subject-specific goals, objectives, concepts and skills.
- Act as a feedback mechanism for curriculum development.
- Take place in every grade level and every subject.
- Consist of a range of formative and summative activities applicable to the year and/or course.
- Have clear success criteria that are known and understood in advance.
- Be reflective and partake in self and/or peer evaluation.
- Analyze teaching and learning to identify areas that need to be developed.
- Highlight student ability and be able to differentiate teaching.
- Offer timely feedback to parents on their child’s performance.
Roles & Responsibilities
3.1 Students’ Responsibilities
- Have a clear idea of the knowledge, skills and concepts being assessed and the criteria against which they are assessed.
- Be aware of the weighting of each assessment in the overall assessment scheme.
- Be aware of the expectations and deadlines for assessments.
- Be aware of the consequences of not meeting set deadlines.
3.2 Teachers’ Responsibilities
- Clearly communicate assessment criteria and expectations.
- Give clear and timely feedback regarding assessment outcomes.
- Use student performance as a feedback mechanism to initiate development or changes in the curriculum and its delivery.
- Use a variety of assessment tools.
- Seek to balance deadlines in light of students’ other workload and time commitments.
3.3 School’s Responsibilities
- Monitor a master calendar to ensure an even distribution of assessment tasks with appropriate notice for students.
- Keep records of achievement on the school’s LMS, Toddle.
Recording & Reporting
4.1 Final Achievement Grades for Grades 6-12 (MYP & DP)
Band descriptors for grades 1–7 and levels of achievement. The criteria-based final evaluation per subject is decided according to teachers’ best-fit judgment, supported by evidence.
| Grade | Descriptor | Level of Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills and the ability to apply them almost faultlessly in a wide variety of situations. Consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation where appropriate; consistently demonstrates originality and insight and always produces work of high quality. | Excellent |
| 6 | A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills and the ability to apply them in a wide variety of situations. Consistent evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation; generally demonstrates originality and insight. | Very good |
| 5 | A consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge and skills and the ability to apply them in a variety of situations. Generally shows evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation and occasionally demonstrates originality and insight. | Good |
| 4 | A good general understanding of the required knowledge and skills and the ability to apply them effectively in normal situations. Occasional evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. | Satisfactory |
| 3 | Limited achievement against most objectives or clear difficulties in some areas. Limited understanding; only able to apply knowledge and skills fully in normal situations with support. | Mediocre |
| 2 | Very limited achievement against all objectives. Difficulty understanding the required knowledge and skills; unable to apply them fully in normal situations, even with support. | Poor |
| 1 | Minimal achievement in terms of the objectives. | Very poor |
4.2 Achievement Grades for Grades K-5 (PYP)
| Code | Level | Descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| EE | Exceeding Expectations | Consistently exceeds grade-level expectations. Work is usually completed independently. Communicates complex ideas and thorough understanding confidently, clearly and precisely, with practically no errors or omissions. |
| ME | Meeting Expectations | Meets grade-level expectations with limited assistance. Information contains some complexity and a general understanding of the level; explanations are complete or nearly complete with sufficient evidence and support. Applies most skills, concepts and techniques with few errors. |
| AE | Approaching Expectations | Developing the competencies needed for grade-level expectations; teacher assistance is needed. Shows some understanding of concepts and skills; information contains errors and/or omissions; communication is not yet complete, clear or precise. |
| NI | Needs Improvement | Has not yet reached an understanding of the skills, content and concepts taught. Frequent assistance and intervention required; understanding is limited and work contains several errors and/or omissions; work is often incomplete. |
| N/A | Not Applicable | Progress in this area does not apply at this time. |
Reporting
- End of Term Report Cards.
- Regular parent-teacher conferences.
- Regular parent-student-teacher communication.
- Academic monitoring reports (where necessary).
- PYP student-led conferences.
The school fulfills all Ministry of Education requirements with regards to reporting.
Monitoring & Measuring Progress
The ALS academic team (teachers, coordinators, administration) closely monitors students’ progress during each term through formative and summative internal assessments aligned with the IB criteria, curriculum requirements, and learning objectives of each programme.
Formative assignments vary in length and complexity and are conducted in class or assigned as homework — including oral discussions, quizzes, pop-quizzes, short tests, short oral presentations, open-ended tasks, and written or oral assessment. Teachers record some major formative assignments to inform best-fit judgment. Summative assignments are the main tools for assessing learning outcomes at the end of an instructional unit.
Progress may also be measured using external benchmarking assessments such as MAP testing and SATs to inform teaching and learning, inclusion and learning support programmes. MYP and DP teachers regularly review and internally standardize assessments through a collaborative moderation process. Students are encouraged to undertake self and peer evaluation and, based on teacher feedback, develop their own personalized learning plan.
Assignments & Homework
The purpose of homework at ALS is to:
- Extend learning.
- Reinforce new skills and concepts.
- Prepare students for new tasks.
- Consolidate previously learned skills and knowledge.
- Enable students to revise effectively.
- Establish independent habits of study.
- Perform independent assessed tasks.
The type of homework assigned and the time expected vary from grade level to grade level and according to the individual needs of students. Parents are encouraged to speak with the classroom teacher concerning issues related to homework.