DEECD - October 28, 2014 Page | 1

Reporting in Grades 7 & 8 - Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will teachers in Grades 7 and 8 report by strand for English Language Arts, French Language
Arts and Mathematics?
Yes, teachers will continue to report on student achievement by strand with a percentage grade or N/A
for not applicable (Mathematics only).

2. Do teachers need to write a comment for each strand?
No, the report card comment for these courses should remain one overall comment with a strength,
area for improvement and a suggestion for next steps coming from whatever strands are most
appropriate, based on the evidence of learning at the time of reporting.

3. Will IP continue to show on the Student-Parent Portal in place of an in progress mark in
Grades 7 and 8?
Yes, IP will continue to display on the student parent portal. Teachers will see an in-progress mark in
their gradebook.

However, the student parent portal, if viewed through the Mobile App, may show the in-progress
percentage mark. Pearson is aware of our issue with this and we are working with them to seek a
resolution.

4. Will a percentage grade show if it is a grade below 50%?
Yes, a percentage grade will show.

5. Are teachers in Grades 7 and 8 expected to use percentages on every assessment?
No. Teachers should use a variety of types of feedback. The type of feedback selected would depend
upon the purpose and type of assessment the teacher has chosen. Feedback on assessments should
align with the criteria for success and provide students with specific information that helps them
understand what they are doing well, understand what they need to do next in order to improve, and to
think and talk about their own learning. When teachers track and communicate ongoing classroom
assessment information in PTGB they have the option to enter:
a comment,
an achievement level (1-4) at the outcome level
an overall mark (as points) for the assessment.
Teachers are expected to communicate to students and parents how the variety of types of feedback
they use aligns with reporting using a percentage grade.

6. Will students in Grades 7 and 8 receive a final grade at the end of the course?
No, there is no final grade in Grades 7 and 8.



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7. How does a teacher set up the gradebook to ensure it reflects an appropriate representation of
the assessment of the course curriculum (i.e. categories, weighting)?
Teachers have several options in setting up their gradebook. Teachers use the recommendations
outlined in the iNSchool user guides and communications and their professional judgement to
determine the best set-up for their subject/course. To access the iNSchool information follow this link:
http://inschool.ednet.ns.ca/teachers/powerteacher/ug-cat .

8. Will reporting in percentages at grades 7 and 8 bring about a regression in certain evaluation
practices?
No. Ongoing classroom assessment practice and teacher professional judgement will continue to
inform teachers in determining a grade. Teachers must remember that:
the reporting grade represents a summary of student achievement up to a point in time.
in order for the grade to be a fair and accurate summary of a students achievement the teacher
must have ongoing quality assessments that engage students.
ongoing quality assessment practice intentionally aligns curriculum, assessment and instruction
which leads to accurate and fair evaluation and reporting processes.

9. Doesnt reporting in percentages often bring about a grade arrived at by a mathematical
calculation?
Yes, reporting in percentages does require some form of mathematical calculation, however, in order
for the calculated grade to be a fair and accurate summary of a students achievement the teacher
must:
have ongoing quality assessment practices that engage students,
intentionally align curriculum, assessment and instruction,
review assessment information and student progress on a regular basis,
ensure that the grade calculation is based on the most recent evidence and/or most accurate
representation of student learning, and
use their professional judgment to override a grade for a student, if required, based on their
evidence.

10. How do teachers convert rubric and achievement level scores in PTGB to a percentage grade?
PTGB has a new functionality that auto-calculates a percentage grade from the outcome level. This will
support teachers who record assessment information at the outcome level using the provincial
achievement levels (1-4).
When teachers are ready to evaluate and report they are expected to review assessment information of
the outcomes and ensure it is an accurate representation of the achievement to date. The system will
assist in determining a percentage grade with an auto-calculation of the outcome summary scores.
Teachers are expected to use their professional judgment to override a grade for a student, if required
based on their evidence. http://inschool.ednet.ns.ca/teachers/powerteacher/ug-cat .




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11. Do teachers of grades 7 and 8 have to provide a learner profile comment for every student?
No. The purpose of a learner profile comment is to allow teachers to elaborate on a specific area of the
learner profile if required.

12. Where do teachers of grades 7-8 put a learner profile comment?
As an interim measure for 2014-15, the learner profile comment, if required, is entered at the end of the
academic comment. Teachers entering a learner profile comment will begin the comment with LP in
bold text to separate the learner profile comment from the academic comment. The learner profile
comment should not be interpreted as part of the academic comment.
Note: There will be a separate learner profile comment section available on the report card template in
the 2015-2016 school year.

13. Will the character counts for report card comments change?
There is no change in character counts for the 2014-2015 school year.

14. Will sample report card comments be available to support teachers prior to the first reporting
period?
Yes. Sample report card comments will be communicated to boards and posted on the iNSchool
website by the end of October.

15. In what context is the INS code used? Is there a timeline associated with this code?
INS represents insufficient evidence to report on achievement in relation to the learning outcomes.
This is used for an individual student when there is not enough evidence to inform a judgement in the
form of a summary grade. Some examples of situations that may warrant the use of this code are as
follows:
The student may have been absent for part of the reporting term.
The student may have been present but unable to participate in opportunities to demonstrate
learning, i.e., new arrival of an EAL learner.
The student may not have provided the required evidence to show his/her learning

16. INS descriptor does this apply to students who rarely complete assignments or refuse to
complete assignments?
Insufficient Evidence is about the evidence of learning teachers require to make a judgement for a
grade. Teachers must be actively seeking evidence of learning in a variety of ways and not just through
completed assignments. Before the teacher decides to place an INS code on the report card, in unique
circumstances such as this, it is important to address student needs through ongoing communication
with students and parents and, when appropriate, through the program planning process.