QCR523 2nd post: How is Literature assessed in SCGS?

There is a series of informal and formal assessments for the Sec 1s. In class, assessment for learning through group work and presentations is conducted. In-class work is, however, not graded. Take-home assignments, like the PEER format paragraphs and short essays that I've taught them, allow students to apply/practice the skills that are taught in class, so they act as assessment as learning. Formal assessments include class tests, level tests, and take-home essay assignments.

All handouts, notes, and worksheets are to be filed in neatly categorised files, such as writing portfolio, poetry portfolio, etc. Informal assessment also involves parents. Although filing is not graded anymore (it was in my time), the parents are involved in going through their files. On one hand, it is to allow parents to see what the teachers have been teaching in the term; on the other hand, it is to allow parents to assess the progress of their children's learning. Surveys are given out to the parents to gather their thoughts on the teachers' teaching/learning materials, their children's strengths and weaknesses, their children's needs in which areas of the subject. Parents are to assess their children's learning development and decide if they are learning at an appropriate pace.

Although I find this somewhat helpful because this process involves parents in their children's learning development and give them some say in shaping the lesson materials and skills to be taught/practised, I think such a practice also makes teaching (the profession) seem like customer service/care. Even so, I think this also serves to 'protect' teachers to some extent. With parents becoming demanding 'customers' that push blame or responsibility of educating their children to the teachers in the past 2 decades (approx.), this 'customer service' format of involving parents in shaping and commenting on the school's approach to educating their children forces parents to share responsibility with the teachers. I must admit that even after thinking through whatever I've just typed, I am still quite amused by the entire affair and the shifting nature of the teaching profession. It seems like teachers have to indirectly 'educate' parents on how to be parents. This is such an intriguing thought.

Essay assignments are usually 30% of the CA while major tests (level tests) take up 30-40% (depending on which term) and the remaining 30-40% constitutes of class tests and project/research-based assignments like the poetry portfolio and writing development file. There is usually at least one lit-based assignment and one EL-inclined assessment in each term because of the Language Arts programme.