On August 7th, during the last week of summer break, an unexpected email was sent from Mr. Bordelon to grades 9-11 announcing changes to the assessment policy (while Grade 12 would remain under existing policy). The vague announcement stated that students would operate under an updated assessment policy at the start of the school year, allowing them “multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning.” Without immediate clarification, students and parents felt left in the dark for a week, causing rising anxiety, especially among 11th graders entering the IB curriculum, who worried about the impact of these changes.

At the start of school, the students were introduced to the new “Evidence of Learning (EoL)” policy, and what mostly came as a shock to students was the removal of the cherished reassessments. The reason for this sudden and vast change in the school’s learning system came from last year’s critique of the stress caused by high-stakes testing and “student suffering,” even resulting in burning out due to anxiety during the testing periods and reassessments that followed. It was also explained that students would now take shorter, more frequent tests, designed to carry less weight and significance, making them less stressful overall. Now, with the new EoL policy, teachers can diversify the format in which students are tested, therefore providing new testing options to students.

In the beginning, most teachers were still unsure of what the new policy was, as the school was still deciding on how to put it into practice. Even over a month into class, Graded’s High School Handbook still reflects that “The High School Assessment for Learning Policy for the 2024-2025 school year is under revision and will be available as an addendum at the start of the school year.” This uncertainty regarding guidelines has failed to give both teachers and students alike assurance about how to effectively implement this policy in their classes. This has made the grading standards diverse for each class. Furthermore, a couple of weeks into school, on August 21st, a Zoom meeting was held between the administration and parents in an attempt to explain the EoL policy, yet, it has still remained undefined. Now, the real question is: why has Graded implemented this new policy with such urgency without first concretizing it? 

Interestingly, most students’ reactions have not aligned with the intended effects of the new EoL policy. Juniors, in particular, are likely the most impacted by the policy, as the IB program includes very long tests, which limits our practice and mastery needed to excel. Madu Fernandes, a junior, remarked, “I really dislike the new assessment policy. It feels like instead of having homework, I am just always studying for tests.” Although the objective is to reduce student anxiety, EoL has “only stressed me more. Every day I go to sleep worrying about my two or more tests the next day. While they don’t carry huge weight, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to do well.” She also mentioned how the new assessment policy feels disorganized: “All teachers have different ideas about how it’s going to work, which only confuses us students more. We don’t even have an assessment calendar, which makes it hard to organize ourselves properly.” Another 11th grader, Sebastian Nosenzo, affirmed that “the new assessment policy has the potential to alleviate stress by eliminating the one-off exams that used to carry significant weight. However, it is hard to ignore the added stress of having a constant series of tests in all our classes, even if they are smaller.” Tal Erdreich, another junior, also expressed that “the new assessment policy doesn’t affect my stress levels in the IB that much; my IB tests are still the same, and the new EoLs don’t alter my learning experience significantly. Everything is still the same.” Ultimately, it is evident that students’ feedback on the new assessment system has not yet demonstrated the positive results that the school anticipated.

While students generally share similar concerns about the new assessment policy, some faculty members hold different views. Mr. Greenblat, a new Business Management and Economics teacher at Graded, believes that “while it might appear cumbersome to students at first, it should reinforce your learning, making large summative examinations less challenging than in the past.” Other faculty members, including Mr. Fox, Mr. Trotter, Mr. V, and Ms. Roy, were contacted for their opinions but declined to comment. 

For now, students will continue to learn about the new assessment policy as Graded clarifies the changes it will bring. The ultimate impact of the EoL policy on student learning and stress levels remains uncertain, as the school community’s reactions and feedback are continually evaluated. It will be crucial to assess whether the intended benefits of this policy materialize, or if further adjustments are needed to support students effectively.