Page 27 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Science, 2008 (revised)

Communication
• expression and organization of ideas and information (e.g., clear expression, logical organization) in oral, visual, and/or written forms (e.g., diagrams, models)
• communication for different audiences (e.g., peers, adults) and purposes (e.g., to inform, to persuade) in oral, visual, and/or written forms
• use of conventions, vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline in oral, visual, and written forms (e.g., symbols, formulae, scientific notation, SI units)
Application
• application of knowledge and skills (e.g., concepts and processes, safe use of equipment, scientific investigation skills) in familiar contexts
• transfer of knowledge and skills (e.g., concepts and processes, safe use of equipment, scientific investigation skills) to unfamiliar contexts
• making connections between science, technology, society, and the environment (e.g., assessing the impact of science on technology, people and other living things, and the environment)
• proposing courses of practical action to deal with problems relating to science, technology, society, and the environment
Descriptors
A “descriptor” indicates the characteristic of the student’s performance, with respect to a par- ticular criterion, on which assessment or evaluation is focused. In the achievement chart, effectiveness is the descriptor used for each criterion in the Thinking and Investigation, Communication, and Application categories. What constitutes effectiveness in any given per- formance task will vary with the particular criterion being considered. Assessment of effectiveness may therefore focus on a quality such as appropriateness, clarity, accuracy, preci- sion, logic, relevance, significance, fluency, flexibility, depth, or breadth, as appropriate for the particular criterion. For example, in the Thinking and Investigation category, assessment of effectiveness might focus on the degree of relevance or depth apparent in an analysis; in the Communication category, on clarity of expression or logical organization of information and ideas; or in the Application category, on appropriateness or breadth in the making of connec- tions. Similarly, in the Knowledge and Understanding category, assessment of knowledge might focus on accuracy, and assessment of understanding might focus on the depth of an explanation. Descriptors help teachers to focus their assessment and evaluation on specific knowledge and skills for each category and criterion, and help students to better understand exactly what is being assessed and evaluated.
Qualifiers
A specific “qualifier” is used to define each of the four levels of achievement – that is, limited for level 1, some for level 2, considerable for level 3, and a high degree or thorough for level 4. A qualifier is used along with a descriptor to produce a description of performance at a par- ticular level. For example, the description of a student’s performance at level 3 with respect to the first criterion in the Thinking and Investigation category would be: “The student uses initiating and planning skills and strategies with considerable effectiveness”.
The descriptions of the levels of achievement given in the chart should be used to identify the level at which the student has achieved the expectations. Students should be provided with numerous and varied opportunities to demonstrate the full extent of their achieve- ment of the curriculum expectations across all four categories of knowledge and skills.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT