Reflection on the evaluation and the delivery of report cards

For a second consecutive year, the Ministry of Education announced that there would be only two bulletins. What's more, the delivery of the first newsletter has just been moved due to the health context. The situation leads many education stakeholders to perceive evaluation differently.

It should be recalled that the date for the delivery of the first report card for the 2021-2022 school year, scheduled for January, has been postponed to February 11 at the latest, due to the premature closure of schools in December and distance learning at early January. Since students did not return to class until January 17 (or 18), some exams had to be postponed, including departmental reviews which will be held in the weeks of January 24 and 31.

If the announcement of the production of two newsletters rather than three last year had already led to some reflection on the evaluation, the postponement announced suggests that this will continue. The current context definitely forces the school environment to review the traditional way of conceiving evaluation.

“We have no choice but to see things differently and to adapt,” had already entrusted to us Mélanie Ducharme, pedagogical advisor in evaluation and responsible for the certification of studies at the CSS de Laval. Ms. Ducharme also hopes that the current context will lead to lasting changes with regard to evaluation and feedback. 

Change in practices

School teams have already implemented new evaluation practices. This is the case with Saint-Joseph school, the Center de services scolaire des Navigateurs, where teachers collect more evidence of learning students and no longer systematically grade all assessments. Similarly, at the Reception School of the Beauce-Etchemin School Services Center, numerical assessments have given way to learning sequences.

In some circles, there is sometimes concern about the reaction of parents. However, in the two examples cited here, it was enough to communicate the new ways of doing things to the parents for them to adhere to them. "We have a scale that allows us to discuss more clearly with parents and, above all, with students about their progress and the challenges they face," says Annie Guay from l'Accueil school. 

Tomorrow… newsletter and communication with parents

In addition :
– École branchée Magazine In class and at a distance - The necessary adaptations of teaching and assessment - Spring 2021 (V23N3)