PBE Assessment Information / Resources
PBE Assessment Information /
Mastery Connect Resources
RSU 24 Assessment Purpose Statement
Assessment is a fair, accurate and consistent measure of students’ learning progress and achievement. The primary purpose of the RSU 24 assessment system is to identify student levels of understanding, target students for intervention and/or enrichments, and evaluate learning and teaching practices. Assessment data gives context to student learners and inspires their ownership in the education process. Specifically, assessments measure, document, and communicate student proficiency against a set of clearly defined cross-curricular and content-area graduation standards developed by the administration, faculty, and staff. In addition, assessment information serves as a tool to communicate information about students’ achievement in school to families, and/or other relevant stakeholders and audiences.
The grading system will document academic progress and achievement separately from habits of work and behaviors.
Assessment Language - Key Terms
Graduation Standards: Each RSU 24 course is built around four to ten graduation standards. A graduation standard is a description of concepts or skills that can be mastered in a particular content area; they represent what students must know or be able to do by the time they leave their grade band (e.g.: intermediate level - grades 3-5). At the K-8 level, these standards are called promotion standards.
Performance Indicators: Performance indicators are sub-standards under the graduation/promotion standards that define specific concepts or skills that can be achieved within a course. Teachers have selected the RSU 24 performance indicators from the Common Core, the Next Generation Science Standards, as well as the Maine Learning Results. Performance indicators are to be met throughout a student’s school career in order to be considered proficient in an over-arching graduation/promotion standard.
Learning Targets: Units and daily lessons are built around learning targets, which are skill- and knowledge-based tasks outlined under the performance indicators. Learning targets are written in clear, friendly language, so students can fully understand what they need to know and be able to do in any given class period.
Rubrics: For each major assessment teachers will develop rubrics that provide students with clear descriptions of the criteria they must meet in order to achieve proficiency on work completed. Rubrics are given to students in advance so they are aware of expectations before they are assessed. Below are photos of the RSU 24 proficiency-based education assessment guides, which are used in all rubric development. Although each school has their own assessment guide, the language within all the documents is exactly the same.
Rubrics: For each major assessment teachers will develop rubrics that provide students with clear descriptions of the criteria they must meet in order to achieve proficiency on work completed. Rubrics are given to students in advance so they are aware of expectations before they are assessed. Below are photos of the RSU 24 proficiency-based education assessment guides, which are used in all rubric development. Although each school has their own assessment guide, the language within all the documents is exactly the same.
Formative and Summative Assessments
Teachers at RSU 24 will offer formative and summative assessments to monitor and report on student mastery of skills and knowledge. The purpose of formative and summative assessments are significantly different, and are defined below.
Formative Assessments: These assessments are an opportunity for students to receive feedback on their learning progress. These are smaller learning tasks such as quizzes, worksheets, journal entries, daily homework, etc. Formative assessments are designed to provide feedback to improve mastery of the learning target. Students are encouraged to revise formative assessments which receive an initial score below “3” prior to a summative assessment. These are assessments for learning and will not be used to calculate the scores shown on a student's transcript.
Summative Assessments: These assessments are an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learned. These are higher stakes learning tasks such as end-of-unit tests, projects, essays, lab reports, etc.. Summative assessments may be “closed”, such as end-of-unit tests, lab practicals, or in-class essays. Summative assessments may also be “open”, such as projects, lab reports, or longer-term essays. These are assessments of learning and are the ones that will be used to report grades on a student's transcript as a record of their achievements.
Formative Assessments: These assessments are an opportunity for students to receive feedback on their learning progress. These are smaller learning tasks such as quizzes, worksheets, journal entries, daily homework, etc. Formative assessments are designed to provide feedback to improve mastery of the learning target. Students are encouraged to revise formative assessments which receive an initial score below “3” prior to a summative assessment. These are assessments for learning and will not be used to calculate the scores shown on a student's transcript.
Summative Assessments: These assessments are an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learned. These are higher stakes learning tasks such as end-of-unit tests, projects, essays, lab reports, etc.. Summative assessments may be “closed”, such as end-of-unit tests, lab practicals, or in-class essays. Summative assessments may also be “open”, such as projects, lab reports, or longer-term essays. These are assessments of learning and are the ones that will be used to report grades on a student's transcript as a record of their achievements.
Reporting System
At any time, students and parents may review summative assessment scores on each performance indicator through the RSU 24’s assessment software, Mastery Connect (K-5) or Infinite Campus (6-12). Your student's principal can be contacted for details regarding a parent login.
Mastery Progress Reports: In addition to providing a live, in-progress snapshot of achievement, RSU 24 also offers official mailings regarding student progress. Mastery Progress Reports are paper copies of student achievement at the performance indicator level that are printed and mailed at several times during the year. It is important to note that these reports are to be considered snapshots of progress, and only are finalized at the end of the school year upon the body of evidence produced through student assessment within the duration of the course (instead of averaging of grades per quarter, etc. as completed in a traditional system).
High School Grade Point Average: Sumner Memorial High School will provide a Course Proficiency Score for each learning experience that a student engages in on the cover page of a student’s official transcript. This Course Proficiency Score is formulated by aggregating (averaging) the final standing on each performance indicator into one cumulative score on a 4.0 scale. Course Proficiency Scores also provide data for a cumulative high-school GPA which is provided on the student’s official transcript.
High School Grade Point Average: Sumner Memorial High School will provide a Course Proficiency Score for each learning experience that a student engages in on the cover page of a student’s official transcript. This Course Proficiency Score is formulated by aggregating (averaging) the final standing on each performance indicator into one cumulative score on a 4.0 scale. Course Proficiency Scores also provide data for a cumulative high-school GPA which is provided on the student’s official transcript.
In order for performance indicator scores to reflect a "body of evidence" of student work, the final standing for each indicator is based on a "mode" score calculation in all learning experiences.
Infinite Campus Links & Resources
Mastery Connect Student/Parent Login Site
Parent Portal Overview