Nový PORG Assessment Policy
Updated on September 1, 2019
Contents:
1. RULES OF ASSESSMENT AND THEIR JUSTIFICATION
2. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT AND ITS FORM
3. WARNINGS FOR POOR ACADEMIC RESULTS
4. EXAM RETAKES AND TERMINATION OF STUDIES DUE TO POOR RESULTS
5. ASSESSMENT IN THE NOVÝ PORG IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME
RULES OF ASSESSMENT AND THEIR JUSTIFICATION
− If students know and understand the requirements on which they are being assessed and how, they can
set their own goals and manage their school work and homework, and thus take responsibility for their
learning. This is why clarity and accessibility are necessary for assessment to function. Therefore:
➢ at the beginning of the school year the teacher presents his/her system in a way that students
can understand, in terms of both effort and academic results; it must be clear to the students
which areas the teacher is assessing, the nature and frequency of assessments, and the weight
of each in relation to the overall grade in each semester
➢ both students and parents have access to the assessment details in the public portion of the
school intranet; it is also recommended that this be given to the students on paper at the
beginning of the school year
− Assessment is most valuable to students when they receive feedback in the shortest possible time
after submitting their work or presenting it, e.g.:
➢ the teacher informs the students of test results within a week
and then enters the grade in ŠOL (into the field that marks the date of the test). Entering
grades into the system before students are personally informed of their results and the
criteria of the assessment is not recommended.
➢ teachers should provide students with feedback on their effort grades as soon as possible
− It is useful in their studies for students to receive frequent feedback on their work. It allows them, among
other things, to learn from their mistakes in time. A smaller number of evaluated assessments can place
excessive pressure on students and insufficiently evaluate their skills and knowledge. That is why it is
important for teachers to have a sufficient number of graded assessments for each student (such as
submitted assignments, tests, presentations). E.g.:
➢ for subjects that meet twice a week, the minimum number of graded assessments per
semester is 4, of which at least 2 must be completed before parents‘ evening
➢ for prima to tercie students, it is better to assess smaller amounts of content more frequently
and thus to have more graded assessments;
➢ not all assessments need to be weighted the same, but students must know their relative
weight and especially the impact of each individual assessment on the overall semester grade
in advance;
➢ in evaluating effort, teachers provide students with explicit feedback (cumulating results
without informing the students does not help them in their learning)
− It is most effective when students are given feedback that they can use for their further improvement.
This includes, for example:
➢ the teacher is aware that the value of verbal/written feedback is greatly diminished by the use of
a number grade; the students focus on the grade and they seldom pay attention to the comments
− During their studies, students encounter a variety of assessments from individual teachers, in different
subjects and year groups, and it can be challenging for them to navigate their way through it all. This is
why it is necessary to coordinate means of assessment. E.g.:
➢ in each department teachers reach agreements about the individual areas to be evaluated
and the major assessments in each subject and year group, wherever possible for multiple
subjects and year groups (for example prima to tercie, kvarta to sexta, septima and oktava);
např. prima až tercie, kvarta až sexta, septima a oktáva); responsibility of HOD
➢ during the school year departments reflect on how the assessment system is working and
moderate assessments (at least) in major assessments; responsibility of HOD
➢ cross-curricular understanding of assessments and if possible unification of assessment
methods between departments (for example between language, natural sciences and human
sciences, etc.) is desirable
− In order for students to successfully progress in their learning, it is important for them to learn how to
differentiate between less important aims (short-term, auxilliary, partial knowledge) and more important,
long-term aims (mainly skills and understanding contexts). Even though we assess the first and second
semesters separately, and the end of year mark is a summary of the student’s effort and attainment
presented in the second semester, evaluation in the second semester is devised to provide feedback on
the fulfillment of the overall aims for the given year group. E.g.:
➢ part of evaluation in the 2nd semester also consists of assessments (submitted
assignments, written or oral examinations, presentations, performances, etc.) which
demonstrate to what extent students, and especially students in the upper gymnázium
(kvarta and above), are able to employ skills and show their understanding and basic
knowledge which they have learnt in the course of the entire school year;
➢ assessments that show the fulfillment of goals for the school year have a relatively large
specific weight which is agreed within the department for the given subject and year group;
➢ in some subjects students complete a comprehensive year or multi-year test or produce a
final project – see individual subject outlines and the Overview of year group tests on the
school website;
➢ students are informed of the nature and importance of these assessments from the
beginning of the school year and are also reminded of them during it.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT AND ITS FORM
Summative assessment consists of two parts:
1. evaluation of effort in one’s studies – on a scale of A, B, C, D and F, where F = failing, meaning
the student has not fulfilled the requirements of the given subject
2. evaluation of academic results – on a scale of 10 to 1, where 2 and 1 mean the student has not
fulfilled the requirements of the given subject
The purpose of mid-year and end of year evaluation is to:
➢ provide students and their parents with summative information about their effort and
academic results in the given subject during the given time period
The summative assessment above is not used for evaluation in the first semester of prima
and in all grades for P.E. For evaluation in these cases:
Evaluation in the first semester of prima uses the evaluation of effort in one’s studies only,
we do not use the academic results scale 10 to 1. The scale 10 to 1 is not used even for
assignments (it is recommended to use comments, the effort scale, or per cents).
Evaluation in P.E. is the oral evaluaton for all grades, which consists of the evaluation of the
effort on a scale of A, B, C, D and F, supplemented by a one-word evaluation of the achieved
level of movement skills on the scale excellent, optimal, minimal and insufficient.
ad 1. Assessing effort towards studies – in terms of assessing effort we take into account the
prompt, correct, and precise fulfilment of assignments and responsibilities, initiative, efforts to build
to understanding and academic independence, the desire to improve, teamwork and interest in the
subject...
When assessing effort we recommend taking the following areas into consideration:
Bringing required materials – exercise book, portfolio, textbook (when required), subjectspecific materials, standard materials (pencils, pens, scissors, glue, etc.)
•
Maintaining an exercise book, portfolio, or other study materials – quality, and usefulness
for students learning; completeness (the exercise book/portfolio/materials contain completed
problems, important terms and connections, deductions and explanations, supplementary
materials, etc.)
•
•
Preparation at home, homework – the quality of and submission of assignments on time;
+ for A* level: completing voluntary tasks (which the teacher offers as enrichment – for those
interested), homework done from one’s own initiative or beyond the expectations of the
assignment (in quality or range)
Work in lessons – concentration on one’s work, following instructions, effective use of time
on independent or group work
+ for A* level: taking part out of one’s own initiative, introducing topics, opinions, questions
•
Cooperation with classmates, group work – fulfilling a given role, diligence, responsibility for
the results of the team’s work
+ for A* level: providing ideas, lending support, and leading others
•
Responsibility for one’s own learning – desire to improve, to deliver the best quality work
possible, to figure things out
+ for A* level: the student is an active owner of his own learning (manages his own learning),
always does his best
•
Scale for assessing effort
A*
a student fulfils his/her responsibilities at A level and through his own initiative – see
the description of the A* level. A* is meant to be for students who are exceptional in
their effort and attitude (we recommend awarding this level to a maximum of 4
students in a class)
A
a student works at a high level, always or almost always fulfils his academic
responsibilities (90% - 100% of the time)
B
a student very often works at a high level (75% - 90% of the time)
C
a student works well in most of the time (55% - 75% of the time)
D
a student sometimes works well (40% - 55% of the time)
F
his/her effort is not sufficient for successful studies (non-compliance or failure to
work in more than 60% of cases)
Ad 2. Academic results - grades - in individual subjects are evaluated using a ten-point scale
10 – 1. This scale conforms to traditional Czech grades, but allows for finer distinctions.
Percentages and the PORG scale
Teachers use points and percentages, and convert them to grades using the following
system:
10
-
100% - 93%
5
-
62% - 55%
9
-
92% - 85%
4
-
54% - 48%
8
-
84% - 78%
3
-
47% - 40%
7
-
77% - 70%
2
-
39% - 21%
6
-
69% - 63%
1
-
20 - 0%
Exceptions:
-
Small assignments, where there is a high relative value of mistakes, e.g. tests with a small
number of attainable points. In these situations, the teacher adjusts his/her evaluation to the
nature, content and aim of the test.
-
Subjects taught within the IB programme. Here teachers use IB assessment criteria (1 to 7)
using the most recent grade boundaries for the given subject and year. They also publish
grades in the PORG scale by percentage according to the table above.
Converting to the traditional Czech classification scale
In case it is required, for example when transferring to another school, when completing university
applications, etc., we convert PORG grades using the following system:
10, 9 = outstanding
8, 7 = commendable
6 or 5 = good
4 or 3 = satisfactory
2 or 1 = unsatisfactory
At the end of oktáva we also convert A8 to outstanding as necessary on state reports.
We convert P.E. verbal evaluation using the following system:
excellent = outstanding , optimal with effort of A or B = outstanding, optimal with effort of C
or D or F = commendable , minimal with effort of A or B = good , minimal with effort of C or
D or F = satisfactory , insufficient = unsatisfactory
WARNINGS FOR POOR ACADEMIC RESULTS
A poor academic result is defined as:
- Overall drop of two or more grades in a given subject
- a semesterly report grade of 5 or lower
- an effort grade of D or F
- unclassified
If a student is in danger of receiving a poor academic result, the teacher of the given subject
informs the class teacher, guidance counselor, and school psychologist as soon as possible.
Together they will swiftly propose a method to support the student.
Based on this agreement:
- parents are informed about the situation by telephone or e-mail and the proposed
action
- if the student is in danger of “failing” (a grade of 1 or 2, or an effort grade of F) at
the end of the semester, the subject teacher writes an Emergency Letter about
unsatisfactory academic results (as an attachment) and delivers it to the school office
where it is sent to parents by post. It is also possible to deliver the letter in person.
This must be done no later than one month before the closing of classification. The
class teacher signs the warning, records, and informs the Academic Dean and the
guidance counselor.
The teacher also sends a notice when a student is in danger of departmental
retesting for unfulfilled requirements in the subject (seminar work, etc.) or high
absence.
EXAM RETAKES AND TERMINATION OF STUDIES DUE TO POOR RESULTS
Exam retakes from an individual subject, at most twice per school year
- when receiving a grade of 1 or 2 at the end of the second semester a student takes
a commissional exam at the end of the summer holiday
- when receiving F for effort at the end of the second semester a student is assigned
special work over the summer holiday as a condition for completing the academic year, the
student presents the work in the same timeframe as the retests
When giving an evaluation of F, the teacher prepares the test or assignment in writing and
gives it to the student, his/her parents, and the headmaster no later than June 30.
Termination of studies due to poor results occurs
-
-
if a student‘s academic average in the core subjects (that is all subjects except for PE,
art, music, and drama) at the end of the classification period is lower than 6 twice
during their school career
if a student receives an effort grade of D or F in more than two core subjects in a
single classification period
ASSESSMENT IN THE NOVÝ PORG IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME
Philosophy
We believe that in order for students to be owners of their own learning, it is vital that they
have a clear understanding of their attainment in their subjects. It is therefore crucial that
assessment be honest, transparent, and comprehensible at every step of the way. This
includes teachers’ methods of generating predicted grades and unmoderated internal
assessment grades1 in each subject, which should be shared with students upon their
request and should never come as a surprise.
Formative and summative assessment, and their frequency
It is important that students understand that all internal assessments are externally moderated, and that the
scores given by their teachers at school may be raised or lowered by the moderator.
1
Due to the variety of subjects offered at our school and their varying natures and
requirements, the frequency of formative and summative assessments in each one will
necessarily vary.
Formative assessment is regular and provided in a range of ways, including verbal feedback,
written comments on homework, peer and self-evaluations, and more. These assessments
are meant to guide students in their progress toward bigger outcomes, are set by teachers
and HODs and are not recorded in the calendar of deadlines.
Summative assessments are delivered upon the completion of a larger unit of work and help
shape students’ school grades and predicted grades in the DP. These include quizzes and
exams delivered during lessons, as well as mock examinations as outlined in the “mock
examinations” section of this document (below), and are set by teachers and HODs.
Summative assessments are included in the calendar of deadlines.
Communicating with students about their progress
In keeping with IB requirements, students are allowed to submit a single draft of any piece
of coursework (with the exception of the Extended Essay and TOK Essay as outlined in their
respective planning and reflection forms) to their teacher for feedback. It is therefore in the
student’s best interest to make their work as good as they possibly can on their own before
submitting it to their teacher.
As all assessment in the IB Diploma Programme is criterion referenced, it is crucial that
teachers give students feedback on their assessed work in terms of their performance
against the criteria. Comments such as “You did a good job” or “Not good enough” are not
helpful for students who wish to improve their work; a better approach would sound
something like “It its current state, this would get 5 out of 8 available points on criterion B.
You could improve on this by doing X and Y.”
Standardization of assessment
In some cases, the school may have only one teacher of a DP subject, and s/he will be
responsible for all assessment and in that subject, applying the criteria objectively and
consistently (consulting and moderating with colleagues from other schools can be helpful in
these situations). There are, however, many cases where multiple teachers at the school
deliver the same subject and level to multiple groups, and in those cases it is essential that
the criteria be applied using the same principles and metrics regardless for all students. At
Nový PORG, teachers moderate their major assessments, especially mock exams and
externally/internally assessed coursework, to make sure that evaluations are consistent and
objective, and that formatting of comments and evaluations is comparable.
Recording and reporting
As in other sections of the school, IB assessment results are recorded by teachers in the
Škola Online (ŠOL for short) app. By logging into the system, parents and students are able to
view the results of individual assessments in each subject, as well as the student’s running
average for each semester.
In addition to their regular Nový PORG reports, DP students also receive a special IB report
which documents academic progress using the scale of 1-7 in groups 1 to 6, and TOK and
extended essay progress on a scale of A-F. The report also contains a section for the CAS
Coordinator to provide feedback on each student’s progress toward fulfilling their CAS
objectives.
Mock examinations
During their IBDP studies, Nový PORG students complete two formal sets of mock exams,
which take place in May of the first year and February of the second year of the programme.
These examinations are intended to give students an authentic testing experience in
accordance with official IB rules, and to provide them with further feedback on their
academic strengths and weaknesses in the context of their DP subjects. As such, the content
and formatting of the exams should be as similar as possible to actual papers (in many cases,
actual past papers are used for this purpose).
As a firm understanding of one’s attainment is the most valuable tool for academic
improvement, it is therefore essential that mock examinations are graded promptly and the
results shared and reviewed by students and teachers, once again in terms of subjectspecific criteria.
Results of mock examinations, along with a students’ progress on coursework substantially
inform predicted grades given in the autumn and spring of the second year of the
programme.
This policy is reviewed and revised annually by the DP Coordinator, Senior Teacher, and
Academic Dean.
DOPORUČENĚ/REGISTERED LETTER
Věc: Oznámení o neuspokojivých studijních výsledcích/
Unsatisfactory Results Announcement
Vážení rodiče/Dear parents
studijní výsledky Vaší dcery / Vašeho syna
Your son’s/daughter’s academic results .........................................................
v předmětu/
in (subject)
...........................................................................................
neodpovídají požadavkům školy./
do not meet the school’s minimum requirements.
Vyučující proto hodnotí současný stav jako POHOTOVOST. (Hrozí propadnutí na konci školního roku.)
Hence the subject teacher sees the current situation as an EMERGENCY. (There is a real danger of
failure at the end of the school year.)
Podle Smlouvy o studiu jsme povinni Vás tímto způsobem informovat. Bylo by užitečné, kdybyste si
domluvili schůzku s vyučujícím.
In accordance with the contract between parents and Nový PORG, we are required to inform you of
this situation. We recommend you arrange a meeting with the subject teacher.
Věříme, že tuto zprávu přijmete s pochopením.
We trust we have your understanding and cooperation.
S pozdravem/Yours sincerely
vyučující předmětu/Subject Teacher
V Praze dne ..........................................
třídní učitel/Form Teacher