Parent Corner

How Do Teachers Know What Your Child Has Learned?

Our recent Parent Survey highlighted assessment and reporting as an area where we can continue to improve communication with families. 67% of parents indicated they understand how their child is assessed, while 73% felt that student reports provide a clear picture of their child's achievement and progress.

To help build a better understanding, we will be sharing a three-part Parent Corner series explaining how we assess student learning, what assessments students complete and how this information is used to prepare school reports.

How Do Teachers Assess Learning?

At BPPS, assessment happens throughout the term, not just at report-writing time. Teachers collect information in different ways to understand what students know, what they can do and what they need to learn next.

There are two main types of assessment:

Formative Assessment – Checking Learning Along the Way

This happens during everyday lessons. Teachers observe students, ask questions, hold discussions and check their work. It helps teachers see who needs extra support or a new challenge.

Summative Assessment – Checking What Has Been Learned

This happens after students have had time to learn and practise new skills. It may include tests, writing tasks or projects. These assessments show what students can do independently.

Why Do We Use Both?

A single test cannot tell us everything about a child's learning. By using different types of assessment, teachers gain a clearer picture of each student's strengths, progress and areas for improvement.

Next week: We'll look at how teachers assess learning in Reading, Writing and Mathematics.