Access a printable FMPSD Families Guide to Assessment and Reporting HERE
Understanding Assessment & Reporting
Fort McMurray Public School Division is dedicated to ongoing quality assessment, evaluation, and reporting to support student learning. Through assessments, teachers adapt instruction, monitor student growth, deliver constructive feedback, and gauge understanding. Student progress and achievement are reported home through continuous informal and formal communication. Ongoing reporting supports a collaborative environment where families and educators work together to foster student growth.
What is Assessment?
Assessment is the process of gathering, analyzing, and interpreting information about students' knowledge, skills, abilities, and progress in relation to the Alberta Program of Studies (curriculum). Assessment supports teachers in making informed decisions through measuring student achievement, diagnosing areas of strength and weakness, and providing feedback to students, parents, and other educators. Assessment guides instruction, and supports and improves student learning outcomes.
Forms of Assessment
Quality assessment involves a diverse range of methods and tools to evaluate student learning and progress as well as guide instruction. FMPSD teachers use Formative, Performance-Based, and Summative assessment strategies to gain a comprehensive understanding of students' knowledge, skills, and abilities across various contexts.
*Performance tasks range in length from short-term tasks to long-term multi-stage projects. They yield one or more tangible products and/or performance. They are authentic, typically have an identified audience, are based on a specific purpose related to the audience, and allow students to personalize the task with criteria and performance standards that are made clear beforehand.
What is Reporting
Within education, reporting is the process of communicating information about students' academic performance, progress, achievements, and behaviour. Within FMPSD, teachers regularly monitor students in relation to learning outcomes, individual student goals, and individual support/program plans. Teachers collect this evidence in various ways and share it with families through PowerSchool, Individual Program Plans, Behaviour Support Plans, email updates, phone calls, in-person conversations and report cards.
Reporting Timeline
FMPSD Reporting Schedule ECDP to Grade 12:
- Two Reporting Periods (January and June)
- Two Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences (November and March/April)
- Monthly (K-6) / Bi-Weekly (7-12) updates to PowerSchool
How are Grades Determined?
Kindergarten to Grade 6
Students in kindergarten to grade 6 are assessed using indicators of achievement. Assessments are associated with the learner outcomes as outlined in the Alberta Program of Studies and students receive an indicator based on their knowledge, skills, and understanding.
Grade 7 to 12
All subjects are assessed using percentages. Teachers communicate how these percentages are determined and how assessments are weighted via PowerSchool, course outlines and rubrics.
Access PowerSchool at fmpsd.powerschool.com/public