How MYP Assessment Criteria foster academic rigor

Each MYP subject has students working towards four main objectives from Grade 6 through Grade 10 (see graphic below). These objectives target key disciplinary skills and form the basis of the criteria used to assess student performance on a variety of tasks. As students progress through the Middle Years Program, the names of these assessment objectives remain the same, but the performance criteria become more complex. 
Let me give you an example: Assessment Criterion A in Language and Literature is “Analyzing”. 
Let’s take a look at how the performance expectations get more sophisticated as students move through the program: 

• By the end of Grade 6*: 
  • Students should be able to identify and comment upon significant aspects of texts.
• By the end of Grade 8*: 
  • Students should be able to identify and explain the content, context, language, structure, technique and style of texts, as well as relationships between texts.
• By the end of Grade 10*: 
  • Students should be able to analyze the content, context, language, structure, technique and style of texts, as well as relationships among texts.

As the Learning Outcomes (standards) for each grade increase in complexity, so do the expectations for student performance. This continual raising of the bar, at developmentally appropriate increments, fosters academic rigor and ensures that students are developing the knowledge, skills and understanding that will be crucial to their success as they move into the Diploma Program or the AISM High School program. 
*The MYP provides us with scaffolded assessment expectations for Grade 6, 8 and 10 only. In grades 7 and 9, teachers will use a combination of the previous and following years’ expectations. Teacher implementation of these expectations is  informed by our AISM learning outcomes to ensure developmental appropriateness. 

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