People and Communities

The assessment program in Harcourt Horizons allows all learners many opportunities to show what they know and can do. It provides you with ongoing information about each student's understanding of social studies.

The assessment program is designed around the Assessment Model, which is a multi-dimensional framework that is balanced between teacher-based and student-based assessments. The teacher-based strand typically involves assessments in which the teacher evaluates a student's work as evidence of his or her understanding of social studies content and ability to think critically about it. The teacher-based strand consists of two components: Formal Assessment and Performance Assessment.

The student-based strand involves assessments that invite the student to become a partner in the assessment process. These student-based assessments encourage students to reflect on and evaluate their own efforts. The student-based strand also consists of two components: Student Self-Evaluation and Portfolio Assessment.

The fifth component in the Harcourt Horizons assessment program is Informal Assessment. This essential component is the "glue" that binds together the other types of assessment.