Our teachers utilize a variety of ongoing, formative assessments, known as Assessment for Learning, which allow them to adapt instruction in real-time to support each student’s learning needs. By continuously gathering data through observation, discussion, and reviewing students’ work, teachers identify areas for improvement and make adjustments to their teaching strategies. These assessments are communicated to students as Assessment as Learning, encouraging them to engage with their results, set personal learning goals, and become active participants in their educational progress.
In our Early Years program, assessments are informal and focus on recognizing each child’s unique strengths and developmental milestones. Teachers maintain anecdotal records and daily observations to track progress. Portfolios, comprising selected work samples, help illustrate each child’s journey, showcasing their efforts and achievements. Parents are kept involved through regular parent-teacher conferences and report cards, which outline the child’s development and provide a basis for collaborative support at home.
At the elementary level, teachers use diverse tools—observations, work samples, rubrics, quizzes, and student reflections – to assess students’ knowledge and skills across subjects. This variety allows for a well-rounded view of each child’s progress. Self-assessment is introduced, encouraging students to set their own learning goals, understand their strengths, and identify areas needing improvement. Parents receive detailed updates through portfolios, conferences, and report cards that describe both academic progress and personal learning goals.
In our Early Childhood and Elementary programs, reflecting on student growth is key to planning effective instruction. Maple Bear uses developmental continuums that outline skill progressions from toddler to elementary years, ensuring that students are assessed according to their individual growth patterns. In higher grades, report cards synthesize various assessments to provide an accurate, comprehensive reflection of each student’s achievements and challenges.
Our approach emphasizes Formative Assessment, designed to support and guide student learning continuously. This type of assessment involves real-time feedback, helping students understand where they are and how to progress. Formative assessment takes many forms – observations, conversations, projects, and immediate feedback – that benefit both teachers and students by identifying next steps in learning.
Summative Assessment provides a cumulative view of a student’s learning, typically conducted at the end of a unit or term. Unlike formative assessments, summative assessments focus on gauging a student’s achievement against benchmarks, contributing to the overall report card grade and offering insights for future instruction.
To create a holistic view of student progress, Maple Bear Schools employ a range of assessment tools, including:
Valuable across all levels, capturing both academic and social learning in real time.
One-on-one discussions allow teachers to clarify and support student understanding.
Structured scoring guides that help students meet clear, defined targets.
Collections of student work, showcasing growth over time and creating a lasting record of learning achievements.
Our report cards serve as a vital communication link between the school and families. Each report card reflects the most recent and consistent evidence of a student’s achievement, comparing progress against curriculum standards rather than previous scores. For younger students, this includes skills and milestones, while older students’ report cards combine grades with detailed feedback on learning behaviors and academic skills. Parents are encouraged to stay engaged with teachers throughout the year, fostering a collaborative approach to their child’s learning journey.
At Maple Bear, we believe that assessment is a partnership among teachers, students, and parents. We invite you to join us in fostering a supportive learning environment where each child feels motivated to explore, achieve, and grow. Connect with us today to learn more about how Maple Bear’s unique approach to assessment, reporting, and evaluation empowers students to succeed academically and personally
