Assessment policy
Educational Center “Liberated School”
Founder Elena Chegodaeva
Principal/Academic director Polina Eistrikh-Geller
Mission
The International Educational Center “Liberated School” provides every child with high-quality education in an atmosphere of mutual respect, building a reliable foundation for life and learning anywhere in the world. We create a space where children can freely express themselves, discover their interests, and forge their own developmental paths, while educators continuously enhance their professional skills.
Our goal is to help children feel confident in a changing world, fostering a generation that values freedom, responsibility, and mutual understanding.
Introduction
The main principles of evaluation: objectivity, transparency, inclusivity.
The evaluation policy at “Liberated School” aims to comprehensively develop students, maintain a high level of knowledge and skills, and create conditions for individual growth and motivation. The main principles of evaluation in our school reflect a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of assessment as a tool to support and stimulate the educational process and provide constructive feedback to students, their parents, and teachers.
Philosophy of Evaluation
Goals of Evaluation
Evaluation at “Liberated School” serves to determine the level of knowledge and skills of students and identify areas requiring further development.
- The purpose of evaluation is not only to check the material learned but also to support students in their academic activities.
- Using various evaluation methods allows consideration of the individual characteristics of students.
- Modern approaches to evaluation ensure more accurate and objective assessment of learning outcomes.
Assessment of Students' Knowledge and Skills
Evaluation of students' knowledge and skills at our school is conducted regularly using various formats: tests, projects, presentations, practical tasks, and others. This approach provides a comprehensive understanding of each student’s achievements and highlights areas for further growth.
Support for Individual Development and Motivation
Evaluation at “Liberated School” is aimed at supporting the individual development of each student. We strive to create conditions where students are motivated to learn and improve themselves. To achieve this, we use evaluation methods that encourage initiative, creativity, and critical thinking.
Feedback for Students, Parents, and Teachers
Feedback is an important element of the evaluation system. We provide several types of feedback:
- For Students
- Written comments on work and projects.
- Personal discussion of results with a teacher.
- Regular progress reports.
- Online platforms for evaluations and comments.
- For Parents
- Quarterly progress reports of students.
- Parent meetings and individual consultations.
- Email and online platforms for timely information.
- Access to online platforms for monitoring academic performance.
- For Teachers
- Meetings and discussions on class results.
- Feedback from colleagues and administration.
- Analysis of evaluation results to adjust lesson plans.
- Access to platforms for monitoring performance and analyzing data.
Thus, the evaluation policy at “Liberated School” is an important tool that fosters comprehensive student development, supports their motivation, and helps achieve high academic results.
Admission to School
Admission to the A-level Program
Upon admission to the A-level program, the family goes through the following:
- Entrance tests in selected subjects.
- A values-based interview.
- An English-language interview.
Evaluation Methods
Formative Assessment
The purpose of formative assessment is to monitor student progress, provide regular feedback, and adjust the learning process as necessary.
Formative assessment:
- Allows comparison of a student's current results with their previous ones.
- Is conducted regularly during lessons.
- May include evaluations and/or comments.
Formative assessment applies to homework, quizzes, independent work, lesson responses, and other activities throughout the study module.
Summative Assessment
The purpose of summative assessment is to determine the level of knowledge and skills after studying a particular block of information.
Summative assessment:
- Is conducted based on predefined departmental criteria.
- Takes place at the end of a topic/module/trimester/academic year.
- Always includes a grade.
Summative grades are given for tests and other tasks performed at the end of a study module.
Grading Criteria
All grades are based on a 10-point scale. The minimum score for completed work is 1, and the maximum is 10. The minimum passing grade is 4.
Summative tasks for middle and high school are graded based on specific criteria. Detailed descriptions of grades are outlined in descriptors.
The general grading scale is as follows:
Evaluation Procedures
Feedback Frequency Rules (Elementary and Secondary School)
- In grades 3-4, teachers provide formative assessment feedback at least once every three lessons.
- In grades 1-2, teachers give feedback after each independent task.
- In Secondary and high school, teachers provide formative feedback at least once every three lessons.
Rules for Summative Tasks (and Notification)
Summative tasks, which receive a final grade, are generally conducted after completing a section or topic.
- Teachers notify students of summative assessments no later than one week before the assessment date (or the submission deadline if the task is assigned as homework).
- Teachers record summative assessments in the electronic gradebook calendar.
- No more than one summative task may be scheduled per day for elementary students and no more than two per day for middle and high school students.
- Summative tasks are graded within ten calendar days, and feedback is entered into the gradebook.
Retake Rules
- For a missed or uncompleted summative task necessary for certification, the teacher assigns a grade of “0” in the electronic gradebook. The task must usually be completed within two weeks of the scheduled date.
- Failure to complete the task within the given time without a valid reason results in an “N/A” for the trimester.
- Students may retake any summative task once. If a grade of “0” was due to an excused absence, the task can still be retaken after initial completion.
- Formative tasks are generally not eligible for retakes.
Teachers may require additional assignments before retakes to ensure students understand the topic. Retake grades may replace the original grade, be added as an extra grade, or be averaged with the original grade. The retake policy must be communicated to students in advance.
Consequences of Non-certification and Rules for Addressing It
- In the event of non-certification in a subject for the trimester, additional tasks are assigned, to be completed within two weeks. Failure to do so results in a three-way meeting with the teacher, student, and parent to address the issue.
- Continued non-certification may lead to dismissal from the external program or ineligibility to take state exams.
- If non-certification persists for the year, additional assessments may be scheduled in August, and the school may decline to renew the enrollment contract for the following year.
Rules for Trimester and Annual Grades
Trimester Grades
- Trimester grades are provisional and reflect the student’s current level of performance if the academic year ended at that point.
- They consider progress across all assessed criteria from the beginning of the year.
Formative assessments, while not directly affecting the final grade, provide evidence of progress and may influence borderline cases.
Teachers must submit trimester grades and academic reports by noon on the Thursday before vacation.
Annual Grades
- Final grades are calculated as weighted averages of criteria-based grades.
- Example formula: Final Grade = (Criterion1 Grade × Weight1) + (Criterion2 Grade × Weight2) + (Criterion3 Grade × Weight3).
- In cases where not all criteria are assessed in the first trimester, it is noted in the academic report but does not count as non-certification.
State Certification Exams (GIA: OGE, EGE)
- Grades are based on administrative work and predicted subject grades.
A-level Assessments
- Evaluations adhere to established A-level guidelines and subject-specific learning goals.
- Written and oral assessments are graded on a 10-point scale.
Grade Conversion from 10-point Scale to Letters
- A*: 10 points (Exceptional achievements, full mastery of criteria)
- A: 9 points (Excellent work, all criteria met)
- B: 8 points (Very good performance, most criteria met)
- C: 7 points (Satisfactory performance, key concepts understood)
- D: 6 points (Below average, some criteria met)
- E: 4-5 points (Unsatisfactory, major gaps in understanding)
- U: Ungraded
Mock Exams
Mock exams replicate final exams and aim to prepare students for the official assessments. They are graded on the same 10-point scale, with letter grade conversions provided for comparison.
Feedback and Results Analysis
- Feedback includes detailed error analysis and improvement recommendations.
- Reports include both numerical and letter grades, with explanatory comments.
Academic Reports
Academic reports are a crucial part of evaluating student performance. They provide a detailed analysis of progress and skills, as well as recommendations for further development.
Frequency of Reports
- Reports are prepared three times a year at the end of each trimester. This allows for regular monitoring of progress and timely adjustments to the educational process.
Recipients of Reports
- Reports are addressed to parents and students. They serve as the primary means of communication between the school and families, offering detailed information about the student’s achievements and needs.
Structure of Academic Reports
- Subject and Current Skill Status
- Each report section lists the subject and the student’s current skill level.
- Teacher Comments
- Required comments evaluating student progress, highlighting successes, and offering recommendations for improvement.
- Trimester and Annual Grades
- Clearly stated trimester and annual grades, with comments explaining the criteria.
- Homeroom and Curator Comments
- Teachers may include anecdotes, describe material covered, and offer specific, actionable recommendations for improvement.
Support for Students
In cases where needed, the school reserves the right to develop individual learning plans (ILPs), which include:
- Initial Assessment: Comprehensive evaluation of the student’s current skills with input from educators, specialists, and parents.
- Goal Setting: Establishing short- and long-term learning objectives considering academic, social, and emotional development.
- Strategy Development: Designing strategies, including adapted materials and teaching methods, to achieve the goals.
- Specialist Involvement: Engaging psychologists, speech therapists, or other experts to support implementation.
- Parent Collaboration: Coordinating with parents to finalize and execute the ILP.
- Regular Updates: Periodic review and adjustment of the ILP based on student progress and new needs.
Ethics of Evaluation
Maintaining Academic Integrity
Academic integrity refers to a set of values and skills that foster personal integrity among members of the school community while promoting best practices in learning, teaching, and assessment. We consider the principles of academic integrity not as a mere set of rules but as a culture within and beyond the school, extending to the entire school community (administration, teachers, students, and their parents).
Academic integrity is based on respect for intellectual work and the rejection of dishonest practices in education, such as using unauthorized materials, plagiarism, disruptive behavior during exams or assessments, submitting work completed by another student, tutor, or with the help of AI tools, etc.
This list of dishonest practices is not exhaustive. Teachers are encouraged to exercise professional judgment when evaluating students' adherence to the principles of academic integrity. In case of doubt, students should consult their teachers to clarify whether certain behaviors or actions violate these principles.
We believe that the absence of academic integrity undermines the philosophy, meaning, and goals of any educational program, deprives students of the necessary learning outcomes for personal development, leads to rule violations in other areas of life, and fails to foster an information culture in the context of blurred boundaries of intellectual property on the Internet.
Academic Integrity in Elementary School (Grades 1–4)
Elementary school students are expected to express their knowledge in their own words, regardless of the format of the work, responsibly use information and library resources, cite sources, and understand the difference between individual and group work. When difficulties arise, students are encouraged to seek help from their teachers, who will guide them in understanding and applying the principles of academic integrity in their work.
Students are expected to avoid plagiarism, failure to cite sources, failure to use proper citations, cheating, using resources with pre-solved tasks, and other dishonest practices. Teachers exercise professional judgment in assessing student work for adherence to academic integrity principles.
Consequences of Violating Academic Integrity in Elementary School
Elementary school aims to instill a culture of academic integrity necessary for the child’s personal development and learning outcomes. Violations of these principles should be viewed as skill gaps and promptly corrected.
In cases of repeated violations (three or more times across all subjects), a meeting is held with the student, parents, homeroom teacher, subject teachers, and psychologist. The importance of adhering to academic integrity for learning and personality development is discussed, and a strategy for further improvement is developed.
Academic Integrity in Secondary School (Grades 5–9)
Middle school students are expected to avoid all forms of dishonesty and unethical practices, including:
- Submitting someone else’s work as their own.
- Copying or allowing others to copy.
- Failing to cite sources.
- Using prohibited materials or devices during assessments.
- Asking other students for help during tests or assignments.
- Sharing information about upcoming assessments.
- Falsifying grades.
- Submitting work done by another person (student, tutor, or AI tools).
This list is not exhaustive. Teachers use professional judgment to evaluate students’ adherence to academic integrity. Students should consult their teachers in case of uncertainty about any behavior or action.
Consequences of Violating Academic Integrity in Middle School
- Work receives a grade of “0.” A retake may be allowed at the teacher’s discretion.
- Parents and the homeroom teacher are informed of any violation.
- In cases of repeated violations (three or more times across all subjects):
- A meeting is held with the student, parents, homeroom teacher, subject teachers, and psychologist to discuss the issue and devise a strategy for improvement.
- A note is included in the academic report.
- The student may be removed from certain school programs.
- The student may be denied admission to the A-level program.
Students have the right to dispute a violation by defending their work before the teacher or, if necessary, before an evaluation committee.
Academic Integrity in High School (Grades 10–12)
High school students are expected to avoid all forms of dishonesty and unethical practices, such as:
- Submitting someone else’s work as their own.
- Copying or allowing others to copy.
- Failing to cite sources.
- Using prohibited materials or devices during assessments.
- Asking other students for help during tests or assignments.
- Sharing information about upcoming assessments.
- Falsifying grades.
- Submitting work done by another person (student, tutor, or AI tools).
Students are also expected to demonstrate proficiency in information literacy.
Students enrolled in the A-level program must adhere to the academic integrity rules specified by the international program.
Consequences of Violating Academic Integrity in High School
- A meeting is held with the student, parents, homeroom teacher, subject teachers, and psychologist to discuss the violations and develop a strategy for improvement.
- A note is included in the academic report.
- The student may be removed from certain school programs or dismissed from the A-level program.
- The school reserves the right to withhold external evaluation submissions for work completed under international programs.
High school students in the A-level program are fully responsible for ensuring the originality of their submitted work, acknowledging all sources, and avoiding dishonest practices, regardless of intent or oversight.
Parents’ Role
Parents are expected to:
- Familiarize themselves with the academic integrity policy.
- Support their children in adhering to it.
- Seek clarification about its principles if necessary from school administration.
Homework
Students at “Liberated school” receive and complete homework for the following purposes:
- To review, consolidate, and generalize the material studied.
- To practice and automate skills necessary for further learning.
- To provide feedback from the student, helping to understand their stage of material mastery and what adjustments are needed for further educational development.
Homework can be individual or group-based. Teachers determine the range of resources students may use when completing homework.
Homework may be assessed as formative, summative, or not assessed at all.
When completing homework, students at “Liberated school” must adhere to the principles of academic integrity and the following rules:
- Follow the frameworks established by the teacher.
- Complete the task independently in the case of individual assignments. Students may seek clarification from teachers, parents, mentors, or classmates; however, the final decision must be made and justified by the student alone.
- In group tasks, participants must divide responsibilities, complete their respective portions, and contribute to achieving the overall result.
- The work must be signed by all group members.
- Using resources that provide final solutions (such as solution manuals, AI tools, or translators) is prohibited unless explicitly allowed by the assignment.
- When using external sources, authorship must be cited, and citations must be formatted according to the school’s rules.
Appendix
Fairness and Equality in Evaluation
Principles of Fairness
- Objective Assessment: All student work is graded without bias, based on established criteria and standards. Teachers strive to eliminate any subjective factors that could influence assessment results.
- Transparency of Criteria: Students are informed in advance about the evaluation criteria applied to their assignments and exams. This helps students clearly understand how they will be assessed and encourages them to improve their academic performance.
- Uniform Standards: All students, regardless of their abilities, level of preparation, or personal circumstances, are assessed according to the same criteria, ensuring consistency in approach for everyone.
Equality of Opportunity
- Consideration of Individual Needs: “Liberated school” recognizes the individual needs of students, including those with special educational requirements or those requiring adaptations in the learning process. The school takes measures to provide special accommodations by developing Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for such students.
- Non-Discriminatory Assessment: No student may face discrimination based on race, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, or other factors during the evaluation process.
Integrity and Academic Ethics
- Transparency of Procedures: All evaluation procedures adhere to high standards of academic honesty. “Liberated school” aims to eliminate any instances of cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic misconduct.
Support and Equal Chances for Success
- Support for All Students: Additional resources, consultations, and educational materials are provided to ensure that every student has an equal chance of success, regardless of their starting level.
- Focus on Growth: The evaluation process is designed to help each student recognize their strengths and areas for improvement, encouraging continuous development and growth.
Policy Revisions
The evaluation policy is reviewed and updated annually to reflect current educational standards and student needs. Feedback from stakeholders—students, parents, and teachers—is incorporated to refine the system and improve its transparency and effectiveness.