IB Assessment Information

Welcome to the IB Assessment Information site for MYP biology. Here you will find information specifically helpful in making sense of IB marks (1 - 7) now found on your student's report cards.

Reporting IB marks is a new practice for us at Palmer High School, and one that offers students and parents a good deal of information about progress made towards reaching specific learning goals. This practice introduces a new way of thinking about assessments, and so this page is dedicated to clarifying the tools, the process and the interpretation of these marks.

Rest assured IB marks are not part of a formal transcript, nor do they affect a student's GPA. Their power lies in communicating purely about achievement without the "noise" of late work, attendance and classroom participation, factors that often weigh into a report card's traditional letter grade. A full explanation of Palmer's IB Assessment Policy is available from our district website: http://www.d11.org/palmer/IB_new/IB_Home.html look for the hyperlink to "IB Assessment Policy" on the left sidebar for easy access.

I will update this site regularly as marks are derived and rubrics modified for various tasks. Please be in touch with questions or concerns. I hope these efforts result in an even better understanding of your student's progress and achievement in biology class.

Thank you for your proactive involvement.   

Science Assessment Rubrics (DOC 76 KB)
These six criteria and their associated rubrics guide the feedback students receive on all major assignments. Sometimes they are used in combination, other times alone.Students will receive rubrics in advance of assignments for added clarity.
Assessment Rubric Conversion Table (XLSX 11 KB)
Please use this conversion table to help you understand how an IB rubric mark was converted into a percentage score. There are separate tables for converting scores derived from one criterion or from many.
What does a "7" mean? (DOC 32 KB)
This table provides a narrative description of the 1 - 7 marks so you can gain a better understanding of each numeric score. This scale is provided by IB for use by teachers in the Middle Years Program.
Deriving IB Marks (DOC 33 KB)
Hidden behind an IB mark is a good deal of information about student achievement. This document details the process I will use to derive that 1 - 7 mark. You may notice that in the end there is still an element of subjectivity in reaching this final score, but it is based solely on evidence of achievement on tasks performed throughout the marking period. What is most important is how we use this to support student progress and learning in the weeks ahead.

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