FROM THE IB PSYCHOLOGY SYLLABUS:
Students propose a grade and write a justification,
after consulting their Learner Portfolio
APPROACH: Feedback, Scoring and Grading
Self-assessing your Learner’s Portfolio to determine a grade: After much thought, ongoing discussions with other teachers and students, and research on the topic, we (myself and fellow IB Psychology teacher Andrew Bonica) have decided to try something new when it comes to determining the 1st quarter and 1st semester grades. Over the course of the semester, you will be building a Learner’s Portfolio within your binder for this class. The goal of this portfolio will be to ask you not only to master content and skills (or demonstrate growth on them), but to engage with the content on a meaningful level (see, for example, the “Apply” and “Create” categories of assignments below). You will review, and self-evaluate, this portfolio of collected work, and write a Proposed Grade & Justification response that will be reviewed by the teacher at the end of each quarter. Should there be agreement between teacher and student, that grade will become the grade in Synergy for that reporting period. Should there be disagreement, the student and teacher will work together to discuss their differing interpretations and reach agreement, considering a range of factors (see the section immediately below). If no agreement can be reached after discussion, the teacher’s determination will be final.
In adopting such an approach, the aim is to prepare you to be more reflective, to focus on your continuing growth in skill and knowledge, and to support you in becoming a lifelong learner. We also understand that IB course assessments are challenging, and we want to allow students who make continuing progress in scoring during a semester to have a chance to see that reflected in their grade. Finally, we believe the ability to apply knowledge to real world contexts (“Apply” tasks) and to express understandings in self-chosen, creative forms (“Create” tasks) have value that can pay off in life beyond school. A traditional grading approach might not allow us to adequately honor that.
In adopting such an approach, the aim is to prepare you to be more reflective, to focus on your continuing growth in skill and knowledge, and to support you in becoming a lifelong learner. We also understand that IB course assessments are challenging, and we want to allow students who make continuing progress in scoring during a semester to have a chance to see that reflected in their grade. Finally, we believe the ability to apply knowledge to real world contexts (“Apply” tasks) and to express understandings in self-chosen, creative forms (“Create” tasks) have value that can pay off in life beyond school. A traditional grading approach might not allow us to adequately honor that.
LEARNER PORTFOLIO: Categories of Tasks and Considerations in the Final Grade
1. Remembering (Quizzes): Students will show their ability to remember key information by taking multiple choice content quizzes. Students will record their scores in their portfolio as one data point for consideration. These scores will be also be recorded in JupiterEd (see explanation below).
2. Understanding (IB SAQs): Students will show their understanding of key concepts and studies by writing responses to Short Answer Questions (SAQs) from past IB exams. Students will receive feedback from their teacher and either provide revisions or identify an improvement plan for the next assessment before receiving an IB rubric score (see the scoring guide to the right)
3. Apply: Students will apply concepts and findings from studies by writing and sharing application responses. Each quarter, students will write an application article that explains how the concepts, studies, and theories that we are discussing can be applied to real world situations. This will be self-assessed using a rubric, which the teacher will then review and accept, or review and provide feedback for resubmission to reach the score the student assessed it at.
4. Analyze & Evaluate (IB EWRs): Students will analyze and evaluate key concepts and psychological studies by writing on-demand IB Extended Written Responses (EWRs). Students will receive feedback from their teacher and either provide revisions or identify an improvement plan for the next assessment before receiving an IB rubric score. Students must complete all EWR assessments AND demonstrate “Meets” level work (10-12 on the EWR scoring guide posted below) in order to justify a course grade of B. In order to justify an A, students should complete all assessments AND be able to demonstrate Exceeds level work (13-22 range) at some point in the semester, either through continual upward improvement, or fairly consistent performance somewhere near that score range (and at least 1 score at 13 or above). Of course, while Exceeds marks on EWRs make it possible to earn a course grade of A, they do not guarantee it: scores in the other 4 areas (quizzes, SAQs, Apply, Create) and 21st Century skills performance will also be considered by students and the teacher.
5. Create: Students will use their knowledge and thinking skills gained from this class to create a unique representation of that learning. This is an open-ended task that should relate to the skills and passions of each individual. This can take the form of a visual artistic representation, a short story, a community service project, a training routine for a pet, a written letter to a decision maker, or any other creative process. This will be self-assessed using a rubric, which the teacher will then review and accept, or review and provide feedback for resubmission to reach the score the student assessed it at.
21st Century Skills
In addition to demonstrating the different levels of learning represented in the Learner’s Portfolio, students will also be asked to demonstrate the following skills that are essential, both in school and beyond:
- Communication: Students will share their demonstration of learning with parents or meaningful adult figures in your life by sitting down with them and laying out what you have learned and how you have used that learning in meaningful ways.The adults will provide feedback to students about their communication, using a rubric.
- Wellness: Students will have the opportunity to attempt different wellness activities throughout the school year. Students will self-assess themselves by reflecting on these activities and their engagement with them.
- Engagement & Collaboration: Students will be asked to participate in discussion, or group work, on a daily basis in our class, and evaluate their engagement in that process. Students will also reflect on how they work with classmates to discuss and solve complex problems.
Synergy, JupiterEd and Grade Reporting
As part of this class, students will use JupiterEd, which is a Learning Management System (LMS), where students can take quizzes and turn in digital assignments. The raw data (quiz scores, short answer question scores, etc.) for the Learner Portfolio will be posted to Synergy, but will be marked as “Not For Grading.” This means Synergy will not automatically compute a grade, but students and parents will be able to check progress at any time by examining the raw data in Synergy, or on the Learner Portfolio cover sheet, located in the student’s binder (where the student will record scores as they occur). If students are missing major assessments, email notices will be sent out through Synergy.