Policy to Practice A Teacher Resource Document to Support the Implementation of the Ontario Provincial Secondary Assessment Policy Policy to Practice ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Policy to Practice teacher resource document was supported through funds provided by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Without the financial and infrastructure support of the Ministry, we would not have had the opportunity to develop and disseminate the resource to teachers across Ontario. We are particularly grateful for the support and commitment of Catherine Rankin, Director, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Branch; Michael O’Gorman, Education Officer, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Branch; Sue Durst, Education Officer, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Branch. We extend our gratitude and appreciation to the following groups for their contribution to the teacher resource document. Project Steering Committee: Lisa Abernethy, Simcoe District School Board Jo-Anne Bryant, Halton District School Board (Administrative Assistant) Maureen Callan, Halton Catholic District School Board Susan Orchard, Halton District School Board (Project Manager) Leo Plue, Durham District School Board Project Work Team: Barrie District: Lisa Abernethy, Cecil Knight, Leo Plue; London District: Sandra Collins, Frank DiPietro; North Bay/Sudbury District: Marcy Bell, Joe Maurice, Jasper Naus; Ottawa District: Angela Ferguson, Bill Leroux, Ivan Saari; Thunder Bay District: Richard Hodgkinson, Alexandra Kraft-Wilson, Norm McDougall; Toronto and Area District: Mars Bloch, Jo-Anne Bryant, Maureen Callan, Sandy Dilena, Laura Gini-Newman, Susan Orchard District Office and Ministry Support: Nadine Cuccaro, Sue Durst, Michael O'Gorman, Lillian Patry, Clarice Steers The knowledge, skill and expertise of this group, along with their commitment to turn ideas and aspirations into action made the project possible. Acknowledgements Page 1 Policy to Practice Project Review Team Barrie District: Gabrielle O'Reilly, Steve Peck, Fiona White; London District: Linda Crossley, Ann Sutton, Wallace Webster; North Bay/Sudbury District: Maria Burgess, David McKenney, Jo-Anne Plaunt; Ottawa District: Neil Cairnie, Susan Smith, Marg Stewart; Thunder Bay District: Loretta Fonso, Susan Robinson, Norm McDougall; Toronto and Area District: Ivan Ius, Heather Pedjase, Rasa Pruden; District Office and Ministry Support: Nadine Cuccaro, Ray Halverson, Johanne Lapensee-Crimmins, Sid Mensinga, June Merkley, Lorna Redwood, Gary Tocheri The insight and feedback from this group extended the work team’s thinking which enriched the quality of the product. Subject Associations: Members of the following subject associations attended work sessions to develop various components of the teacher resource document. The Arts ƒ Ontario Music Educator’s Association ƒ Ontario Society for Education Through Art Business Studies ƒ Ontario Business Educators’ Association ƒ Ontario Association of Business Education Coordinators Canadian World Studies ƒ Ontario History, Humanities and Social Sciences Consultants’ Association ƒ Ontario History and Social Science Teachers' Association ƒ Ontario Association for Geographic and Environmental Education ƒ Ontario Geography Consultants Association Acknowledgements Page 2 Policy to Practice Classical Studies and International Languages ƒ Ontario Classical Association ƒ International Languages Education Administrators of Ontario ƒ The Ontario Modern Language Teachers' Association Cooperative Education ƒ Ontario Co-Operative Education Association English ƒ English Language Arts Network English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development ƒ ESL Resource Group of Ontario French as a Second Language ƒ The Ontario Modern Language Teachers’ Association Guidance and Career Education ƒ Ontario Guidance Leadership Association ƒ Ontario School Counsellors’ Association Health and Physical Education ƒ Ontario Physical and Health Education Association ƒ Ontario Association for Supervisors of Physical and Health Education Mathematics ƒ Ontario Association for Mathematics Education ƒ Ontario Mathematics Coordinators’ Association Native Studies ƒ Native Studies representatives Science ƒ Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario ƒ Science Coordinators’ and Consultants’ Association of Ontario Social Sciences and Humanities ƒ Ontario Family Studies Leadership Council ƒ Ontario History, Humanities and Social Science Consultants' Association ƒ Ontario Philosophy Teachers’ Association Acknowledgements Page 3 Policy to Practice Technological Education ƒ Technological Educators of Ontario ƒ Ontario Council of Technological Education ƒ Association of Computer Studies Educators ƒ Educational Computing Organization of Ontario The educational expertise and experience of this group provided the depth of understanding needed to address the curriculum component of the teacher resource document. Kempenfelt Consortium of District School Boards: Members of the consortium attended work sessions at the fall and spring Kempenfelt Conferences to provide input into various sections of the teacher resource document. The Kempenfelt Consortium of District School Boards consists of: Simcoe County DSB Trillium Lakelands DSB Simcoe Muskoka Catholic DSB Refrew County DSB Bruce-Grey Catholic DSB Keewatin-Patricia DSB Avon Maitland DSB Waterloo Catholic DSB Durham Catholic DSB Upper Grand DSB Limestone DSB Rainbow DSB York Catholic DSB Algoma DSB Greater Essex County DSB Durham DSB Halton DSB Wellington Catholic DSB Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Upper Canada DSB Near North DSB and Clarington Catholic DSB Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic DSB Waterloo Region DSB Windsor Essex Catholic DSB Peel DSB Halton Catholic DSB St. Clair Catholic DSB York Region DSB Simcoe Muskoka Catholic DSB Upper Grand DSB Huron Perth Catholic DSB Hamilton Wentworth DSB District School Board Ontario North East Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario Acknowledgements Page 4 Policy to Practice We extend our most sincere thanks to: ƒ The Council of Directors of Ontario lead Frank Kelly and assistant Gillian Van Zant who were pivotal in the coordination of the expenses and the distribution of the final product ƒ Joan Bowness for her patience and attention to detail during the final editing process of the teacher resource document ƒ Al Howse, John McLeod and Tim Ralph for their technical expertise in developing the gold master CD Rom version for distribution In addition, we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge and extend our sincere appreciation to the district school boards across the province that generously provided resource materials and staff to support the development of the teacher resource document. Acknowledgements Page 5 Policy to Practice POLICY TO PRACTICE A Teacher Resource Document to Support the Implementation of Ontario Provincial Secondary Assessment Policy PART ONE: INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW OF TEACHER RESOURCE DOCUMENT Part One: (A) Introduction to Teacher Resource Document Purpose of This Document This document: ƒ identifies key components of the assessment policy and the supporting statements in other related Ministry documents; ƒ provides clarification for the interpretation and intent of provincial assessment policy statements; ƒ provides a common language about assessment and evaluation in Ontario; ƒ is a resource to support teachers as they refine their classroom practices; ƒ outlines some effective classroom practices which support the provincial assessment policy; ƒ provides examples and models of practices which classroom teachers can personalize for their own use; and ƒ provides resource materials which can be used to initiate rich professional dialogue among educators in schools and school boards. How This Resource Document Will Help Classroom Teachers This document is intended to help teachers to: ƒ develop a deeper understanding of the curriculum ƒ develop a better understanding of the variety of effective assessment and evaluation practices which they can use in their classrooms; ƒ adopt effective assessment and evaluation practices to meet the three provincial goals; -to improve student learning -to develop greater consistency in assessment and evaluation practices -to provide clarity in reporting ƒ practise effectiveness in dealing with assessment issues when working with students and parents; ƒ practise efficiency in planning program and managing assessment procedures; and Part One: (A) Introduction to Teacher Resource Document Page 1 Policy to Practice ƒ engage students actively in the learning process. Structure of This Resource Document This document is divided into five parts. Part One: Introduction and Overview of Teacher Resource Document ƒ A Introduction to Teacher Resource Document ƒ B Overview: The Teacher Resource Document at a Glance Part Two: Policy Components ƒ A Curriculum Expectations ƒ B Achievement Chart ƒ C 70% and 30% ƒ D Learning Skills Part Three: Frequently Asked Questions ƒ A Curriculum Expectations ƒ B Achievement Chart ƒ C 70% and 30% ƒ D Learning Skills Part Four: Classroom Practices ƒ A Planning With the End in Mind ƒ B The Planning Cycle (i) Unpacking the Curriculum (ii) Gathering the Evidence (iii) Determining the Grade and Completing the Report Card ƒ C Communication Strategies Part Five: Glossary and Resources Scenarios Sections in Parts Three and Four of the document are introduced with a scenario that describes effective classroom practices. These scenarios outline the thinking and decision making the teacher goes through during the program planning process. Part One: (A) Introduction to Teacher Resource Document Page 2 Policy to Practice Policies for Implementation Various Ministries within the government develop provincial government policy. In education, these policies provide clear direction and they mandate what boards are responsible for doing. It is each board’s responsibility to determine how these policies are implemented. A policy identifies mandatory actions for boards, schools, and educators (e.g., teachers, principals, superintendents, etc.). A guideline provides suggested directions for the implementation of policy. Many school boards have created assessment policies and/or guidelines to support the implementation of Ministry policies. School boards align their policies and guidelines to be consistent with Ministry direction. “The government is responsible for developing policy; school boards are responsible for implementing it. They move policy into practice in their schools and classrooms. Government policy is stated in general terms; it establishes a framework. The framework provides a clear sense of direction, yet allows boards the flexibility to make the best decisions for the students in their schools.” (Catherine Rankin, Director of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Branch, Phase 7, Secondary Implementation Training) Policy Statements The following list includes the key Ministry of Education policy statements from Program Planning and Assessment 2000. These statements provide the direction and mandate for teachers who then implement assessment and evaluation practices within their classrooms. ƒ Assessment and evaluation will be based on the provincial curriculum expectations and the achievement levels. ƒ Assessment and evaluation must be based on the categories of knowledge and skills and the achievement level descriptions given in the achievement chart for the discipline. ƒ The percentage grade represents the quality of the student’s overall achievement of the expectations for the course and the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart. ƒ The final grade for each course in grades 9-12 will be determined as follows: Seventy percent of the grade (70%) will be based on evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade should reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration should be given to more recent evidence of achievement. Thirty percent of the grade (30%) will be based on a final evaluation in the form of an examination, performance, essay, and/or other methods of evaluation suitable to the course content and administered towards the end of the course. ƒ The report card focuses on two distinct but related aspects of student achievement: the achievement of curriculum expectations and the development of learning skills. Part One: (A) Introduction to Teacher Resource Document Page 3 Policy to Practice The Three Goals of the Assessment Policy This teacher resource document addresses the three goals of the assessment policy and highlights them as its guiding principles. The role of the teacher is critical in helping students to achieve these goals. Teachers can address these goals in a variety of ways as indicated in the table found on the next page. Goal #1 Goal #2 Goal #3 To Improve Student Learning To Develop Greater Consistency in To Provide Clarity in Reporting Assessment and Evaluation Practice Teachers can do this by: Teachers can do this by: Teachers can do this by: ƒ understanding and communicating ƒ understanding and implementing ƒ understanding the to the students, in advance of board, school, and department achievement chart categories teaching, the curriculum guidelines; and levels for their particular expectations that they are to ƒ collaborating with other teachers subject/discipline; demonstrate; who teach the same courses; ƒ understanding the ƒ informing students about learning ƒ sharing assessment instruments relationship of the curriculum goals in terms that students and tools which they use to expectations to the understand from the very beginning gather evidence of student achievement chart categories of the teaching and learning learning; ƒ ensuring that 70% of the final process; ƒ analyzing the results obtained grade has taken into ƒ becoming assessment literate and from the use of particular consideration students’ most able to connect the curriculum, assessment instruments to consistent and more recent gather the evidence, and determine ensure that they have accurately level of achievement; the grade to reflect student gathered the relevant evidence ƒ observing and assessing achievement accurately; that was set out in the criteria; students regularly as they ƒ using classroom assessments to ƒ revising assessment instruments demonstrate their learning build their students’ confidence as appropriately to gather evidence skills; and learners and to help them take of student learning more ƒ communicating clearly to responsibility for their own learning, accurately; parents and students what is so as to lay a foundation for life- ƒ providing numerous and varied being done well, what needs Part One: (A) Introduction to Teacher Resource Document Page 4