Assessment

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers and balanced young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end, the organization works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programs encourage students worldwide to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Alam Kidz Vision and Mission

Our Vision

A community supporting young people to realize their potential; forever learning, and teaching, in the service of humanity. To inspire a community of lifelong learners who embrace diversity, act with compassion, and strive for excellence in an ever-changing world.”

Our Mission

To provide a unique, learning-centered environment that progresses young people through an integrated and developmental approach to education. To provide a challenging and inclusive education that empowers students to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners.

Our aims

To develop interpersonal, intrapersonal, physical, and cognitive competencies; empowering young people to lead purposeful, fulfilling lives. to develop knowledgeable, and caring young people who are motivated to succeed and make a positive difference in the world.

IB Learner Profile

Inquiries

We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

Knowledgeable

We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

Thinkers

We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators

We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

Principled

We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

Open-minded

We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring

We show empathy, compassion, and respect. We commit to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and the world around us.

Risk-takers

We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

Balanced

We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live. We thoughtfully consider the world and our ideas and experiences. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses to support our learning and personal development.

Alam Kidz School’s Assessment Policy

The assessment policy in an educational setting, such as in the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), does have connections to other policies like language, inclusion, and admission policies. Here’s how these relationships typically manifest:

Language Policy

Assessment of Language Proficiency: The language policy outlines how students’ language abilities are supported and assessed. Assessment practices need to align with the language policy to ensure that students are evaluated fairly based on their language proficiency, whether it’s their first or additional language.
Multilingual Assessment: In multilingual settings, the assessment policy should accommodate different languages and ensure that assessments are equitable for all students, considering their language skills and providing support where needed.

Inclusion Policy

Equitable Assessment Practices: The inclusion policy aims to provide access and support to all students, including those with special educational needs. The assessment policy must align with this by ensuring that assessments are designed to be inclusive and accommodate diverse learning needs.
Adaptations and Modifications: The assessment policy should include guidelines for making necessary adaptations or modifications to assessments to ensure that students with diverse needs can demonstrate their learning effectively.

Admission Policy

Assessment for Placement: The admission policy often includes assessments to determine the appropriate placement of students. These assessments need to be consistent with the assessment policy to ensure that placement decisions are based on fair and valid criteria.
Transition and Continuity: For students transitioning from other schools or educational systems, the assessment policy should provide clear guidelines on how to integrate and assess their previous learning experiences in a manner that aligns with the new school’s assessment practices.

Integrated Approach

In an integrated approach, these policies work together to create a coherent educational experience:

Consistency: The assessment policy should be consistent with the language, inclusion, and admission policies to provide a unified approach to evaluating student learning.
Support and Fairness: Ensuring that all policies are aligned helps in providing equitable support and assessment opportunities for all students, regardless of their language background, learning needs, or admission circumstances.

Overall, a well-coordinated set of policies helps ensure that assessments are fair, inclusive, and aligned with the overall educational goals of the institution.

Assessment Philosophy:

Assessment at Alam Kidz School is mainly focused on the enhancement of individual students’ learning according to their learning styles. We believe that assessment is an ongoing and developmental process that is driven by students’ needs and directed by the clarity of teachers’ understanding of what students should know according to the overall expectations that present the developmental continuums, which are in turn used as diagnostic tools.

We use these expectations for different subjects in a meaningful way. We believe that a well-planned assessment will guide us in the evaluation of our program and how our students are benefiting from it while keeping in mind their interests and learning styles.

Purpose of Assessment:

The purpose of the assessment is in line with both the Indonesian Government of Education and Alamkidz and aims to inform learning and teaching. It involves the gathering and analysis of information about student learning to inform teaching practice. It identifies what students know, understand, and can do at different stages in the learning process

Effective assessment that achieves this purpose provides valuable information to understand what constitutes learning and how to support it, and is meaningful to all members of the learning community.

Date of issues: April 2024

Date of review October 2025

The cycle of every three years

Assessment for students:

Contributes to the enhancement of student learning through diverse strategies and tools.
Helps students to build an understanding of what they need to improve.
Helps students to develop self-assessment skills.
Actively engages learners in assessing and reflecting on their learning and acting on feedback from peers and teachers to feed-forward next steps in learning.
Allows students to demonstrate and share their learning and understanding with peers, teachers, and parents through the different opportunities given to them throughout the learning and teaching process.

Assessment for teachers and administrators:

Determines the level of current student knowledge and experience before moving on to new learning.
Provides guidance and feedback for teachers and administrators to advance learners’ performance and address their needs.
Takes into consideration different learning styles, needs, and developmental abilities through educating teachers about the different learning styles of the students, with the support and supervision of the learning support department.
Guides further learning planning and curriculum development.

Assessment for parents and legal guardians:

Develop an understanding of their child’s progress.
Develops an understanding of the learning goals that their child is working towards.
Provides opportunities to support and celebrate student learning.
Provides parents with regular opportunities to engage and communicate with teachers regarding their child’s progress.

Assessment for the Primary Years Programme (PYP) at Alam Kidz School:

PYP assessment has four dimensions: monitoring, documenting, measuring, and reporting on learning. Each of these aspects has its function, but all aim to provide evidence to inform learning and teaching. Although the four dimensions of assessment are not weighted the same; each dimension has its importance and value. The PYP chooses to emphasize monitoring and documenting learning as these dimensions are critical in providing actionable feedback for the learner.

Monitoring learning

Monitoring is our main strategy for gathering information on the progress of learning regarding the success criteria. It occurs daily through a variety of strategies: observation, questioning, reflection, and discussing learning with peers and teachers.

In the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), monitoring assessment is an integral part of the learning process and involves various activities designed to support and understand student development. Here are some common activities involved in monitoring assessment within the PYP framework:

Observations

Classroom Observations: Teachers observe students during class activities, group work, and individual tasks to gather insights into their understanding, skills, and attitudes.
Learning Walks: Teachers might conduct informal “learning walks” to see how students interact with their environment and engage in different activities.

Work Samples and Portfolios

Collecting Work Samples: Gathering student work such as assignments, projects, and tests to evaluate progress and understanding.
Portfolios: Creating individual student portfolios that showcase their work over time, including drafts, completed projects, and reflections. These portfolios help in tracking growth and areas of development.

Formative Feedback

Providing Feedback: Offering constructive feedback on assignments and activities to help students understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
Conferences: Holding individual or small group conferences to discuss students’ progress, set goals, and address any concerns.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

Self-Assessment: Encouraging students to assess their work and reflect on their learning processes and outcomes.
Reflection Journals: Using journals or other reflective tools where students can write about their learning experiences, challenges, and achievements.

Learning Checkpoints

Quizzes and Check-ins: Implementing informal quizzes, polls, or check-ins to gauge students’ understanding of recent lessons or concepts.
Exit Tickets: Ask students to respond to a question or complete a quick task at the end of a lesson to assess their grasp of the material.

Peer Assessment

Peer Review: Having students provide feedback on each other’s work, helps them learn from their peers and develop critical thinking skills.

Data Analysis

Analyzing Trends: Review collected data from various assessments to identify patterns, strengths, and areas needing further support.

Adjusting Instruction

Differentiated Instruction: Modifying teaching strategies based on the monitoring data to meet the diverse needs of students and enhance their learning experiences.

Collaboration with Families

Parent-Teacher Meetings: Discuss student’s progress with their families to ensure a collaborative approach to supporting the students’ development.

These activities are designed to create a comprehensive picture of each student’s learning journey, allowing teachers to provide timely and effective support while fostering a growth mindset in students.

Documenting learning

Documenting is evidence of the student’s learning journey, it is shared with others to make learning visible and apparent to the whole school community. Students and teachers document learning goals, questions, reflections, and evidence of learning. At AKS we use a range of methods and approaches to gather information about a student’s learning. Then record this information using a variety of tools and strategies which are:

Collaboration with Families

Exemplars: sample pieces of learner’s work that serve as a concrete standard against which other samples are judged.
Checklists: are lists of information, data, attributes, and criteria that are either present or met in the presented work.
Rubrics: an established set of criteria for rating learners in all areas. The descriptions of the outcomes will tell the assessor what characteristics to look for in the learners’ work, and how to rate this work on a predetermined scale.
Anecdotal records: are brief written notes based on observation of learners.
Portfolios: Portfolios are more than a collection of learners’ work. It is a strategy and a tool to record the learners’ involvement in the learning process and their active mind work. It provides us with a clear picture of learners’ progress and growth over time. A portfolio will enable the learner along with the teacher, peers, and parents to identify their strengths and progress as well as the areas that they need to work on. Each student has his physical Portfolio, which is shared throughout the year with their parents.

Measuring learning

Is the focus on the student’s understanding and knowledge at a particular “point in time”. Each time we measure learning, we are provided with more information about the learner’s understanding of the big concept for students in the 3-12 year age range within the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP).

The activity focuses on developing inquiry skills, understanding personal and social development, and engaging with the broader world through age-appropriate tasks.
To help students explore and understand their immediate environment, developing skills in observation, inquiry, and presentation. This project encourages students to make connections between their surroundings and their own experiences.

Assessment:

Rubric-Based Evaluation: Assess students based on:
Understanding of the subject choice: How well they describe and explain the importance of their choice.
Creativity: The quality and creativity of their presentation.
Presentation Skills: Clarity and engagement during their presentation.
Reflection: Insightfulness of their reflection on the project.

Assessment Criteria:

Description: Clarity and detail in describing the special subject.
Research and Observation: Accuracy and relevance of the information gathered.
Creativity: Use of visuals and creativity in presenting the subject.
Presentation Skills: Effectiveness in communicating findings to the class.
Reflection: Depth of personal insight and learning demonstrated in reflections.

This activity aligns with the PYP’s emphasis on student inquiry, connection to personal experiences, and development of communication skills. It’s adaptable for various age groups by adjusting the complexity of the tasks and the depth of research required.

Reporting learning

Involve parents, students, and teachers as partners.
Reflect on what the school community values.
Be comprehensive, honest, fair, and credible.
Be clear and use language liaisons
Allow teachers to incorporate what they acquire during the reporting process in their future teaching.

Types of Reporting at AKS

Written Reports: At the end of each semester, grades are forwarded to the respective parent(s) /guardian(s) of the student(s).
Parent-Teacher Conferences:

One hour is allocated to teachers’ weekly schedule to allow for one-on-one meetings with individual teachers to discuss each learner’s performance and progress.
Meetings with individual teachers to discuss student performance and progress are scheduled by the end of the first semester after report cards are sent home.
Individual meetings by appointment at any time during the academic year to discuss urgent matters when needed.

Student – Led conferences (SLCs):
At the end of all units of inquiry, students take responsibility for their learning and celebrate it through various models of conferences. Students have the chance to present samples of their work through group presentations or by individually going through their portfolios with their parents. Two units are shared at school with parents and the rest are shared at home.
Exhibition:
The Exhibition” is an extended unit of inquiry presented at the end of the final year of the PYP (5th grade), it can be one of the six units of inquiry during the final year or may stand outside the program of inquiry with a more flexible time frame to support student inquiries and school contexts. Students engage in a collaborative form of learning and inquiry; they are provided with opportunities to investigate and suggest solutions for real-life situations. The Exhibition allows students to show what they have learned through the PYP and apply all the major qualities of the IB learner profile, a self-directed experience to empower students and allow them to own their learning.
Assessment Inclusion Arrangement:
There is a wide range of measures that can be taken to meet special educational needs during instruction and assessment. Students with identified learning needs and difficulties are provided with various ways to meet their educational needs during instruction and assessment and are not limited to using special aids or devices. They are granted additional time and differentiated teaching and learning strategies to meet their needs (Scaffolding). They are allowed to use assistive technology and are given breaks between tasks and or tests. They are provided with level text and various strategies for all kinds of assessments and in one or more subjects throughout the year.