Assessment

In education, the term assessment refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students. In ESL program at Vinschool, during the teaching and learning process, we apply both formative and summative assessment flexibly to collect evidence of students' learning.

Formative Assessment Formative assessments refer to tools that provide in-process evaluations of student learning so that instructional approaches and academic support can be adjusted accordingly. Formative assessments are commonly considered to be “for learning” as it informs future instructional decisions and improves teaching techniques. They identify misconceptions, struggles, and learning gaps along the way and assess how to close those gaps. Formative assessments are diverse in terms of forms. Typical examples range from formal quizzes to informal questioning techniques. It is unnecessarily implemented by teachers to learners. Students can assess themselves, peers, or even the instructor, through writing, quizzes, conversation, and more. Formative assessments generally just need to be checked, not graded, as the point is to get a basic read on the progress of individuals, or the class as a whole. Below are examples of some common methods for gathering daily insights into a student’s level of proficiency: Classroom observation and class profiles Feedback session (entry and exit slips, quizzes and polls, written summaries, critical reflection statements, comprehension demonstration projects) A variety of other formative assessment techniques can be found in Classroom Assessment Techniques. At Vinschool, formative assessments are expected to be “fully integrated in different stages of the period, through extensive use of assessment methods suitable for different objectives and groups of students” (extracted from Vinschool’s Classroom Observation Rubrics)

Summative Assessment Summative assessments are part of student performance assessment. They are said to be “of learning” because they evaluate academic achievement at the conclusion of an instructional period. In the ESL curriculum, summative assessments include: Progress Checks and End-of-term Assessments. Different from formative assessments, Progress Checks and End-of-term Assessments are graded and scored. They involve tests, assignments and projects. The information of summative assessments are fully provided on the curriculum mapping platform.

Assessment and Weighting Differentiation is one of the most important criteria in classroom observation rubrics at Vinschool. Differentiated factors are required not only in lesson planning but also in real teaching practice. The highest judgment for differentiation is given when “content, teacher delivery, instructions, activities, and assessments are differentiated, as appropriate, for individual learners based on the teacher's prior understanding of their students' abilities” (extracted from Vinschool’s Classroom Observation Rubrics)