Educational assessment at Vesturbæjarskóli
Formative assessment, as part of formative learning, primarily provides students with feedback to improve their performance. We use diverse assessment methods to systematically track every child's progress through formative assessment based on specific goals and performance standards. Educational assessment should guide and encourage the child and inform parents.
Formative learning
Formative learning provides guidance to help children reach their goals. Goals must be well-defined so the child, teacher, and others involved in learning share the same understanding of achievement criteria.
Feedback, goals and criteria
Students receive information about their progress compared to learning objectives and defined criteria. Feedback is only meaningful when students use it and always get the opportunity to improve. Clear learning objectives and defined success criteria are essential for effective feedback. Criteria tell students when they've reached the goal. Learning objectives, assignments, criteria, and feedback create a unified whole.
Diverse assessment methods
We use diverse assessment methods to systematically track every child's progress through formative assessment based on specific goals and performance standards. Examples of formative assessment methods include discussions, group work, concept maps, interviews, journals, KWL charts, goal setting, self-assessment, peer assessment, review cards, presentations, portfolios, quizzes, creative projects, student work samples, oral assignments, and checklists.
Children's competency profiles
Assessment is recorded in Mentor, allowing parents to monitor their child's academic progress throughout the school year.
Mentor's competence profiles contain proficiency standards for each subject in grades 1-4 and 5-7.
The National Curriculum's competency criteria describe skills children should aim for. The competency profiles in Mentor contain these criteria for each subject and grade level.
Assessment scales
Assessment scales use symbols, numbers or letters to show how well children have achieved specific knowledge, skills, understanding and abilities:
Outstanding means a student has met curriculum competency criteria and adds their own ideas, perspectives and style to their work. The student knows the material very well and can share it with others.
Competency achieved means a child has met the defined curriculum competency criteria.
On the right track means a child has largely met the defined curriculum competency criteria.
Needs practice means a child has not fully met the defined curriculum competency criteria and needs more practice.
Important factors
Important factors have a long history at Vesturbæjarskóli and describe key competencies in the National Curriculum. Important factors are assessed in connection with any subject or theme throughout the school year.
At the end of the school year, children receive important factors and an official statement from teachers.
Children's sample folders
Children create samples two to three times a year, which teachers use to assist with educational assessment.
The sample folder contains examples of children's work such as story writing and handwriting samples and other projects worth keeping. Children also create a self-portrait at the beginning and end of the school year for the folder.
When children leave the school, they receive the folder at the 7th grade graduation ceremony.