Assessment Procedure for High School

Kingdom Schools
Assessment Procedures
Kingdom Schools International High School
These procedures apply to the International Program (IP) Grades 7-8, and the American Diploma
Program (ADP) Grades 9-12
These procedures will be reviewed at the end of the 2014/15 Academic Year
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Table of Contents
1. Graduation Requirements ............................................................................................................................ 3
2. Assessment ................................................................................................................................................... 6
3. Assessment Committees ............................................................................................................................... 6
4. Formal examinations and Continuous Assessment (CA) .............................................................................. 7
5. Grading Procedures ...................................................................................................................................... 9
6. Missed and Late Work Grades 7-12 ............................................................................................................ 11
7. Attendance Requirements Grade 7-12 ....................................................................................................... 13
Appendix 1 - Continuous Assessment Framework – Example ........................................................................... 14
Appendix 2 - Academic Committee Referral Form ............................................................................................ 15
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1. Graduation Requirements
The tables below clarify the Kingdom Schools American Diploma Programme graduation requirements.
Students may graduate at one of 2 tiers from Kingdom Schools, however the 2 certificates will not all be
available until the graduating class of 2015 – 2016 (i.e. students that entered grade 9 in 2012 – 13). The
2 graduation tiers are progressively more demanding:


Kingdom Schools American High School Diploma
Kingdom Schools American High School Honours Diploma
To graduate with these certificates, students must meet the minimum conditions outlined in the tables
on the following pages:
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Class of 2013 – 2014 & Class of 2014 - 2015
KS American High School Diploma
Content Area
ISLAMIC
ARABIC
ENGLISH
MATH
HUMANITIES - ARABIC
HUMANITIES – ENGLISH
ELECTIVES
HEALTH AND PHYS. ED
SCIENCE
ART
TECHNOLOGY
WORLD LANGUAGES
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Credits / Courses Required
3.5 credits
3 credits
Minimum of 4 credits
Minimum of 3 credits
 Algebra 1
 Algebra 2
 Geometry
 Calculus or Pre-calculus
1.5 credit
1 credit
Minimum of 1 credit
1 credit
Minimum of 4 credits
 Chemistry
 Biology
 Integrated Science
 Physics
1 credit
1 credit
NA
NA
Maximum Credits Available:25 Credits
KS American High School Honours Diploma
N/A
Note: the number of credits available differs between the Girls and Boys International Diploma
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Class of 2015 – 2016 Onwards
KS American High School Diploma
Credits / Courses Required
Content Area
ISLAMIC
ARABIC
ENGLISH
MATH
SOCIAL STUDIES - ARABIC
SOCIAL STUDIES – ENGLISH
ELECTIVES
HEALTH AND PHYS ED
SCIENCE
ART
TECHNOLOGY
COMMUNITY SERVICE
KS American High School Honours Diploma
2 credits
2 credits
Minimum of 4 credits
Minimum of 3 credits

Algebra 1

Algebra 2

Geometry

Calculus or Pre-calculus
1.0 credit
1 credit
Minimum of 1 credit
Minimum of 2 credits
Minimum of 3 credits

Chemistry

Biology

Integrated Science

Physics
1 credit
Minimum of 1 credit
An individual Community Service portfolio is a requirement
for graduation – details to be advised
2 credits
2 credits
Minimum of 5 credits including a Self-Directed Essay (SDE)
Minimum of 4 credits including calculus

Algebra 1

Algebra 2

Geometry

Calculus or Pre-calculus
1.0 credit
1 credit
2 credits
Minimum of 2 credits
Minimum of 4 credits

Chemistry

Biology

Integrated Science

Physics
1 credit
Minimum of 1 credit
An enriched individual Community Service portfolio is a
requirement for graduation – details to be advised
Total Credits Required:21
Credits Required:25 including SDE
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2. Assessment




2.1. Definitions:
Diagnostic Assessment: Diagnostic assessments (also known as pre-tests) provide teachers with
information about a student's prior knowledge before beginning a learning activity. Not used as
a part of the final grade.
Formative Assessment: The goal of formative assessment is to generate feedback that can be
used by the instructor and the students to guide improvements for on-going teaching and
learning. Not used as a part of the final grade.
Summative Assessment: The goal of summative assessment is to measure the level of success
or proficiency that has been obtained at the end of an instructional unit, by comparing it against
some standard or benchmark. Counts as a part of the final grade.
Corrective Feedback: Involves a student receiving informal feedback on his or her performance
on various tasks by a teacher or peer(s).
3. Assessment Committees
The Assessment Committees are decision- making bodies within each school related to continuous
assessment disputes or examinations.
3.1. The Composition of the Assessment Committee
The Assessment Committee consists of at least two (2) of the following individuals. Further staff
members may be invited onto the committee if the situation requires, or to avoid conflicts of interest.
Rulings made by the Assessment Committee are final and binding.

The school Principal

The subject coordinator

A lead teacher/ senior teacher
3.2. The Role of the Assessment Committee
The Assessment Committee is convened as required to arbitrate on assessment disputes. This may
include:

Exams missed without provision of medical report

Late or non – submission of continuous assessments tasks

Disputes arising from grading of assessment tasks

Instances of academic dishonesty

Evaluate the contribution of different forms of assessment to the overall total
The committee listens to submissions, review cases and, after due process has been completed their
decisions are final. Avoidable absence for such things as recreational travel will not be accepted as an
exceptional reason for missing a published scheduled assessment and will not be presented for
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consideration at the Assessment Committee. Parents are advised to consult the school calendar and the
published testing schedules before making travel plans. Students who do not attend scheduled test
events and cannot justify extreme and exceptional circumstances beyond their or their parents’ control
will be given a zero for the test they miss and will not be granted a replacement test opportunity.
4. Formal examinations and Continuous Assessment (CA)
The final mark for each subject is calculated as a percentage. Each semester, the CA is marked out of
100, and entered into the electronic records system as a final mark out of 30. When this is combined
with the final exam each semester, the total mark is calculated out of 50. The table below illustrates the
contribution of CA and final examinations towards the final mark.
Assessment
Semester One
Weighting
Continuous Assessment, including mid-term exam if required
30
Final S1 Exam
20
Sub-total Semester 1
Semester Two
Continuous Assessment, including mid-term exam if required
30
Final S2 Exam
20
Total
4.1.






50
100
Formal examinations
4.1.1. Grade 7 – 12
There will be two formal examination periods for grades 7 - 12 per semester. These are the mid
– term exam, and the end of semester exam.
The mid – term exam for grade 7 – 8 is intended only as an introduction for students to the style
of testing. Therefore the weighting of the mid-term exam mark for these grades should be a
relatively small proportion of the continuous assessment. A suggested value is 10%
The end of semester exam will cover work from all areas of the subject taught since the
beginning of the semester, this should include topics assessed during the mid-term exam
All other assessments will be carried out under normal classroom conditions, supervised by the
classroom teacher.
Students are expected to follow their normal school timetable at all times other than the formal
examination week(s).
Teachers will prepare the final examination under the guidance of the lead teacher/ curriculum
leader/ academic coordinator. Each examination will be moderated by an appropriate person.
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4.2.
Continuous Assessment
Each teacher is required to submit to the academic coordinator a Continuous Assessment Framework
for the year which lists the following items for each for class which they are responsible:

The type of continuous assessment tasks (e.g. test, project, experiment etc.)

The approximate date of each assessment task

The weighting for each task as a part of the total CA.
The Subject Coordinator will be responsible, in combination with the Academic Coordinator for the
stage, for the setup of the electronic grade book using the appropriate platform).
The setup of the electronic grade book for the GIH and BIH should be consistent, with the same
weighting applied to each continuous assessment component at each subject and grade level. For
example in grade 8 Science, the weighting of quizzes, assignments and homework should be exactly the
same for both the BIH and the GIH.
A suggested format for the CA framework is provided as Appendix 1
To ensure teachers are using a range of assessment styles, the following regulations apply:

All summative assessment items must be worth at least 10% of the final semester mark

No single summative assessment item (including the mid – term exam) can be worth more
than 40% of the final mark
I.e. there must be a minimum of 3 assessments per semester.
For example if there is a mid – term exam for a certain subject which is worth 40% of the CA, then the
teacher can divide the remaining 60% between 4 tasks each with a weighting of 15% or, or 2 tasks each
with a weighting of 30%, or any combination which meets the regulations. He/ she cannot however use
5 small quizzes, each worth 3% to create a total of 15%. These small tasks may be carried out as
formative assessment, but marked only for the purpose of providing corrective feedback.
4.2.1. Forms of CA:
Forms of CA could include, but are not limited to:

observations

research tasks

oral tasks

group activities

quizzes

practical tasks

projects

problem based tasks
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4.2.2. Submission of coursework
First drafts of assignments submitted on or before the deadline may be corrected, graded and
returned to students with the option of acting upon their subject teacher’s advice, correcting and
then re-submitting their work for final assessment. The period between first draft deadline and the
submission of a final draft should be no more than one week.
Students who submit work after the submission deadline forfeit the opportunity to correct and resubmit their work. Their late submission is automatically the final draft and is subject to the
procedure for late submission of coursework
Assignments may not be submitted for assessment outside of their semester.
5. Grading Procedures
The Grade Point Average or GPA is calculated from the subjects studied in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12, and is
reported as a WEIGHTED GPA. The calculation for this is carried out as follows:
 Yearly GPA: Sum(subject x credit value) / sum(credit values)
 Final GPA(i.e. the GPA reported at the conclusion of G12) is calculated by:
Sum (Subject x GPA score)/ sum(credit values G9 – 12)
5.1.
Criteria for Passing, Failing and Promotion
5.1.1. Grades 7 - 8
The passing grade for all subjects in the KS International Programme is 60%.
In order to move from the IP to the ADP, students need to demonstrate that they have the ability to deal
with both the academic rigour of the programme, as well as the English language requirements.

Academic retention is not a policy supported by Kingdom Schools in grades 1 - 6; however in
grades 7 and 8, failure to achieve the passing grade for any subject will require the student to
carry out a repeat examination which can be taken at the during the following academic year.
The passing grade remains at 60%, and the test will be of the same level of difficulty. The test is
provided at the beginning of the following year to allow for further, self-directed learning to
take place. If the student continues to fail the re-sit examination, the assessment committee will
meet to decide the best course of action for this student.

Students failing a subject or subjects at the end of grade 7 will have this reflected on their final
report.

Students failing 2 core subjects (English, Math, Arabic, Science) at the end of grade 8 will have
this reflected on their final report.

Students failing 3 or more subjects at the end of the academic year will not be promoted to the
next grade level, they will be retained at the discretion of the stage principal.
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


Admission into the ADP is based on the MAP test results as described in the admissions policy
and procedure. School exams are used to support this process.
If students do not meet the admission requirements, they may be required to transfer to the
Saudi Track under MoE guidelines, or parents may be advised to find an alternative school.
Parents will be consulted and decisions will be made in the best educational and social interests
of the individual student. The ruling of the Principal is final.
5.1.2. Grades 9 - 12
The passing grade for each course is 60%.
The student will earn credit for each course upon successful completion. The Grade Point Average (GPA)
for each student is calculated and accumulates over 4 years, grades 9 - 12 inclusive.

Students enrolled in year-long courses are required to complete both semesters of the course

Graduation is dependent on students achieving sufficient credits to meet the graduation
requirements listed above.

Re – sit opportunities may be provided for final exams, where the student was present but failed
to achieve a passing grade. Re-sit exams will be of the same level of difficulty and cover the
same objectives

Students failing a subject at the end of the year may either:
 Carry the failed subject for the following semester, and then carry out a repeat
examination that may be taken at the conclusion of the following semester. The
passing grade remains at 60%, and the test will be of the same level of difficulty.
The test is provided at the conclusion of the following semester to allow for
further, self-directed learning to take place. If the student continues to fail the
re-sit examination, the assessment committee will meet to decide the best
course of action for this student.
 Repeat the subject. Students repeating a subject are expected to complete all of
the assessment and classwork provided by the teacher. Subjects which were
passed do not need to be repeated. Repeating a subject may prevent
graduation at the same time as the rest of the cohort.
 Students that resit a failed exam and pass, will have it identified upon their
report as ‘passed in the second session’

If following the re-sit examination, the student still maintains a failing grade, they must repeat
the course. Students who fail 1 or 2 courses in Grade 12 are considered special cases for
graduation purposes. They are required to re-sit and pass the final examination in each failed
subject in order to graduate. This must be carried out prior to the end of the academic year, and
the exam will be of the same academic difficulty as the initial exam.
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5.2.
Grade Equivalence Table
GRADE
EXCELLENT
Arabic: ‫ممتاز‬‎
LETTER
A+
A
PERCENTAGE
95–100
90–94
GPA/4
4
3.67
GPA/5
4.5-5
4-4.4
VERY GOOD
Arabic: ‫جيد جدا‬‎
B+
B
85–89
80–84
3.33
3
3.5-3.9
3-3.4
GOOD
Arabic: ‫جيد‬‎
C+
C
75–79
70–74
2.67
2.33
2.5-2.9
2-2.4
ACCEPTABLE
Arabic: ‫مقبول‬‎
D+
D
65–69
60–64
2
1.67
1.5-1.9
1-1.4
FAIL
Arabic: ‫راسب‬‎
F
0–59
0
0 -0.9
6. Missed and Late Work Grades 7-12







6.1. Continuous Assessment
If students are unable to submit a continuous assessment task due to medical illness or
unforeseen/ emergency situations, a medical report (or similar) explaining the nature of the
illness must be submitted to the subject teacher within three (3) days of the students return.
All medical certificates must be stamped by the provider and clearly indicate why the student
was physically or emotionally unable to attend school at the time of the scheduled assessment.
There are no re-sit/ resubmission opportunities for continuous assessment tasks if the initial
opportunity has been missed due to unexplained absences or truancies. International or
domestic travel during the official school calendar, including the weeks preceding and following
vacation periods, is not accepted as a reason to miss or not complete any continuous
assessment task.
Where no report is provided explaining the student’s absence, the student will be awarded a
zero for this task.
The evaluation of student work which is submitted after the deadline provided by the teacher
will have a 10% reduction. Work submitted more than 72hours after the deadline will not be
graded.
The assessment committee will rule in the case of any dispute. The decision of the assessment
committee is final.
If, due to exceptional circumstances beyond his/her and the parents’ control, a student is unable
to complete the required work the teacher will refer the case to the Assessment Committee.
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






6.2. Formal Examinations Grades 7-12
If a student is unable to complete a scheduled formal exam (i.e. mid – term or final exam) due to
medical illness or unforeseen/ emergency situations, a medical report (or similar) explaining the
nature of the illness must be submitted to the academic coordinator immediately upon the
students return.
All medical certificates must be stamped by the provider and clearly indicate why the student
was physically or emotionally unable to attend school at the time of the scheduled exam.
There are no re-sit opportunities for exams if the initial opportunity has been missed due to
unexplained absences or truancies. International or domestic travel during the official school
calendar, including the weeks preceding and following vacation periods, is not accepted as a
reason to miss or not complete any formal examination.
Where no report is provided to the Principal explaining the student’s absence, the student will
be awarded a zero for this examination.
To maintain academic integrity of the assessments, exams may not be completed outside of the
examination period as published in the stage calendar, unless a medical report is provided, or
Ministry of Education approval is received and forwarded to the school. This includes ‘early’
exams, or make- up exams in the case of absence.
The assessment committee will rule in the case of any dispute. The decision of the assessment
committee is final.
If, due to exceptional circumstances beyond his/her and the parents’ control, a student is unable
to complete the required work the academic coordinator will refer the case to the Assessment
Committee
In exceptional circumstances such as on-going serious illness where the student is too ill to sit a
replacement exam the Assessment Committee may require teachers to provide an assessed mark based
on a student’s prior work, providing there is sufficient, assessed prior work to show evidence of the
student’s achievement and providing the student meets the minimum attendance requirements.
6.3. Accountability and records
Staff involved in assessment disputes (including teachers, lead teachers and, academic coordinators)
must keep accurate records. This could include student attendance records, assessment calendars,
medical reports provided by students, and assessment committee findings. This data may be called for
and reviewed annually by the school Administration. An ‘Academic Committee Referral’ is provided as
Appendix 2.
When a referral to the Assessment Committee is successful the student is granted the right to take a
replacement test of equal length and difficulty. Any new learning undertaken since the original test may
also be included in the replacement test.
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7. Attendance Requirements Grade 7-12
When a student is absent for 25% or more of a particular course their enrolment in that course is
cancelled. Regardless of the reason for absence, a minimum of 75% attendance is an essential
requirement.
 Parents or a responsible adult will be notified and required to attend a meeting when a
student’s absence reaches 15%, and again once absence reaches 20%.
 The school will undertake to communicate with parents once a student’s absence reaches
5%, 10%, 15% and 20% absence for a particular subject. Once a student reaches 20%
absence, an individual plan will be developed to encourage and support a student’s
attendance in the relevant subject or subjects.
 Students who have are absent from 25% or more of a subject, prior to the end of the
academic year will meet with the disciplinary committee to decide the best course of action.
This may include suspension from school or exclusion from attending class.
 Once a student’s absence reaches 25% in any subject, notification will be sent to the
Ministry of Education informing them of the Schools intention to prevent the student from
completing the exam/s. If a student wishes to be granted exception to this policy, they must
obtain written permission from the Ministry of Education informing the school
 Students who repeat a course due to absence are expected to complete all of the
assessment and classwork provided by the teacher. Subjects which were passed do not need
to be repeated. Repeating a subject may prevent graduation at the same time as the rest of
the cohort
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Appendix 1 - Continuous Assessment Framework – Example
All of the CA must total 100.
All of the continuous assessment
tasks which will be carried out
during semester
SEMESTER 1 CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
COMPONENT
TEST 1
WEIGHTING (%)
TEST 2
20
20
Number Number
of
of
Marks
Marks
Student ID STUDENT NAME
101
Mohammad
102
Salem
35
30
20
35
30
20
Experiment
Project
Mid
Semester
Exam
20
30
Number
of
Marks
10
Number of
Marks
20
20
12
40
30
40
This value can be no less
than 10, and no more than
40
Number
of Marks
50
43
27
Semester 1
Total /100
85.4
70.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Formula
calculates total
from 100
This is the number of marks from
which your task is assessed. The
number of marks can be different
from the weighting.
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Appendix 2 - Academic Committee Referral Form
The following form should be completed by the subject teacher for which the student disputes his/
her assessment result.
Student Name
Grade / Class
Subject
Teacher Name
Detailed reason for
referral to assessment
committee (use
further sheets if
required)
Expected outcome by
student
Supporting evidence
from student
Assessment
committee decision
(final)
Committee comments
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