INTERIM GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSMENT AND

GRADING IN LIGHT OF THE BASIC EDUCATION

LEARNING CONTINUITY PLAN

(D.O 31 S. 2020)
I. Rationale
 
1. The continuing threat of COVID-19 in the country and the world
brings about unprecedented challenges to basic education. As
schools prepare for SY 2020– 2021, teachers and parents must
adapt to alternative learning modalities to ensure that learners
achieve essential curricular goals. This will require creative and
innovative ways of designing optimal learning experiences and
assessing learning progress effectively under adverse
circumstances.
 
 
2. As stated in DepEd Order (DO) No. 8, s. 2015, the Policy Guidelines
in Classroom Assessment for the K to 12 Basic Education Program,
assessment should be used to inform and improve classroom
practices and promote learning outcomes.

However, in distance or blended learning environments, it is

necessary to utilize alternative tools and strategies for assessing
and supporting learning, while avoiding creating undue pressure on
the teachers, learners and their families.
II. Scope
 
3. This DepEd Order provides for the Interim Policy Guidelines for
Assessment and Grading in light of the Basic Education Learning
Continuity Plan (BE- LCP) that will be implemented by public elementary
and secondary schools nationwide this SY 2020–2021.
 
4. Private schools, technical and vocational institutions, and higher
education institutions including state and local universities and colleges
offering the K to 12 Basic Education Program are encouraged to
implement these interim policy guidelines as well. Private schools and
institutions are permitted to modify these policy guidelines according to
their Philosophy, Vision, and Mission, with the approval of their respective
DepEd Regional Office.
III. Definition of Terms
 
5. For the purposes of this policy, the following terms are defined as
follows:
 
a. Classroom Assessment is an ongoing process of
identifying, gathering, organizing, and interpreting
quantitative and qualitative information about what learners
know and can do.
III. Definition of Terms
 
b. Formative Assessment is a process that involves teachers using evidence
about what learners know and can do to inform and improve their teaching.
This process, through the teacher’s immediate feedback, enables students to
take responsibility for their own learning and identify areas where they do
well and where they need help.
 
Summative Assessment is an assessment that is usually administered toward
the end of a learning period to measure the extent to which the learners have
mastered the essential learning competencies, the results of which are
recorded and are used to report the learner’s achievement.
III. Definition of Terms
 
Grading is the way of reporting assessment data by assigning a value to
the results as a record of students' ability, achievement, or progress
(Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2020).
IV. Policy Statement
 
6. The DepEd is committed to ensure educational continuity in
this time of crisis while looking after the health, safety, and well-
being of all its learners, teachers, and personnel. Schools must
adopt assessment and grading practices that can most meaningfully
support student development and respond to varied contexts at this
time.
 
7. This policy is grounded on the following principles:
 
a. Assessment should be holistic and authentic in capturing the
attainment of most essential learning competencies;
b. Assessment is integral for understanding student learning and
development;
c. A variety of assessment strategies is necessary, with formative
assessment taking priority to inform teaching and promote growth
and mastery;
d. Assessment and feedback should be a shared responsibility
among teachers, learners, and their families; and
e. Assessment and grading should have a positive impact on
learning.
  
V. Procedures
 
9. Distance learning poses challenges for teachers and learners in the
conduct of assessment, including limitations on giving immediate feedback,
and the need to account for different contexts in designing, implementing,
and grading assessment tasks.
 10.a To address these challenges, learners, teachers, and parents/
guardians each have significant roles and responsibilities:
 
a. Teachers. For this school year, particular focus will be given to
the following:

i. Designing the assessment to allow for flexibility in multiple

modalities;
ii. Communicating to learners and parents/guardians the design
and standards for grading the assessment;
iii. Setting up mechanisms to monitor and record progress
remotely

iv. Giving timely, constructive, and relevant feedback; and

V. Facilitating remediation for learners who need further
guidance.
a. Learners. Learners are expected to be proactive in updating their
teacher of their situation, progress and challenges encountered. A
non-mandatory Self-Monitoring Tool (see Annex E) may be
accomplished independently or with the assistance of their
parent/guardian, if necessary. It is NOT required to accomplish the
self-monitoring tool, but its usage is highly recommended to keep
track of learners’ academic progress.
 c. Parents and guardians. DepEd aims to develop independent learners who
can study and work on the assessments on their own. However, in this school
year’s implementation of distance learning modalities, parents and guardians
will play a crucial role in guiding their children in adapting to the changes of
distance learning processes.
 
Thus, only when necessary, parents/guardians are requested to assist in the
assessment process by:
 
i. Communicating with the teacher to give updates on their child’s situation,
progress, and challenges encountered;
ii. Guiding their children in accomplishing the assessment tasks and/or
monitoring tools designed by their teacher.
A. Planning the Assessment

 
11. Teachers need to be creative and flexible in assessing student learning,
while still adhering to the principles of quality assessment practice. With
safety, health, and well-being foremost in mind, assessment decisions must be
made in the best interest of all learners, ensuring that all assessment
activities:
 
a. align with the most essential learning competencies;
b. are reliable, valid and transparent;
c. are fair, inclusive and equitable;
d. are practical and manageable for both learners and teachers;
e. give learners a range of ways to demonstrate their learning; and
f. provide timely and accurate information as basis for feedback.
12. In distance learning modalities, teachers shall design assessments bearing the
assumption that the learners will asynchronously take them and have open access to
various sources. 

13. When deciding on which assessment methods to use, it is important to consider the
following questions:
 What is the purpose of the assessment?
a. What will be assessed?
b. Which method would best allow learners to demonstrate what they have learned,
considering their learning modality?
c. Which method would make it easy to gather evidence of learners’ progress over
time?
d. Will the assessment be completed individually or in groups?
e. Will the assessment be taken at the same time or submitted within a specific
period?
f. How will class size affect the way the assessment will be conducted?
 14. In order to inform teaching and promote growth and
mastery, formative assessment strategies should:
 
a. establish clear learning targets and success criteria;
b. elicit useful evidence of learning;
c. provide timely and effective feedback;
d. engage learners in assessing and improving each other’s work; and
e. increase ownership of their own learning (adapted from William &
Leahy, 2015).
Annex A provides a matrix of sample techniques for each
formative assessment strategy. Teachers are highly encouraged to
adapt these techniques where appropriate, and to explore other
alternatives that are feasible in their respective contexts.
15. Formative assessment is about getting better, so it should
be specific, frequent, repetitive, and free from the restrictions
of grading (Christodolou, 2016). It should target skills that are
necessary to the attainment of learning competencies as
measured in summative assessments.
15. To evaluate student learning at particular points in each quarter,
summative assessments shall continue in the form of written works and
performance tasks.
 
a. Written works shall be administered to assess essential
knowledge and understandings through quizzes and long/unit
tests. Items should be distributed across the Cognitive Process
Dimensions (DepEd, 2015,p. 4) using a combination of selected-
response and constructed- response formats so that all are
adequately covered.
 
 
b. Performance tasks refer to assessment tasks that “allow learners
to show what they know and are able to do in diverse ways. They
may create or innovate products or do performance-based tasks
[including] skill demonstrations, group presentations, oral work,
multimedia presentations, and research projects. It is important to
note that written outputs may also be considered as performance
tasks” (DepEd, 2015, pp. 7–8). Annex B provides a list of sample
summative assessments that fall under performance task for the
purpose of this policy.
 
b. Performance tasks refer to assessment tasks that “allow learners
to show what they know and are able to do in diverse ways. They
may create or innovate products or do performance-based tasks
[including] skill demonstrations, group presentations, oral work,
multimedia presentations, and research projects. It is important to
note that written outputs may also be considered as performance
tasks” (DepEd, 2015, pp. 7–8). Annex B provides a list of sample
summative assessments that fall under performance task for the
purpose of this policy.
17. Performance tasks must be designed to provide opportunities for learners to
apply what they are learning to real-life situations. In addition, teachers should
take into consideration the following:
 
a. Each task must be accompanied with clear directions and appropriate
scoring tools (i.e. checklists, rubrics, rating scale, etc.) to help learners
demonstrate their learning (see Annex C for sample scoring tools).
b. Teachers are advised to collaboratively design and implement
performance tasks that integrate two or more competencies within or
across subject areas. Complex tasks may be broken down into shorter
tasks to be completed over longer periods of time (see Annex D for
sample integrative assessment tasks).
c. Learners must be given flexibility in the accomplishment of the
performance tasks to consider time and resources available to them.
 Nonetheless, all learners within a class should be assessed
on the same competencies using the same scoring tool.

d. Teachers must exercise their professional judgment in

carrying out summative assessments, providing enough
opportunities for learners to practice and to redo their work
whenever necessary, so that they can reach their learning
targets with the least amount of pressure.
 
18. Teachers should set realistic expectations and use their
professional judgment to find a good balance between what is
effective and what is feasible to accomplish remotely. 
 20. Record of progress. The collection and recording of evidences of
learning is integral for monitoring student learning and
development. Listed below are some sample strategies for this
purpose:
 
a. Self-Monitoring Tool (see Annex E; consider the needs of learners
per key stage, e.g. early grades need assistance from parents,
while older learners are expected to accomplish self-reflection
tools on their own.)
b.Check-ins of teacher with learner (during assessment period)
c. Evidence of learning in the student's learning portfolio
 
c. Feedback and Remediation

21.To benefit student learning, both formative and summative assessment

must be accompanied with timely, constructive, and meaningful feedback
based on the learner’s record of progress. In giving feedback, teachers need
to maximize available communication options (e.g. writing feedback on the
output, texting feedback via SMS, and using online channels, among others).
Annex F provides a guide to help frame decisions on appropriate feedback to
learners.
 
22. Consistent with DO No. 8, s. 2015, “teachers should ensure that learners
receive remediation when they earn raw scores which are consistently below
expectation” in summative assessments “by the fifth week of any quarter.
This will prevent a student from failing in any learning area at the end of the
year.”
c. Feedback and Remediation

21.To benefit student learning, both formative and summative assessment

must be accompanied with timely, constructive, and meaningful feedback
based on the learner’s record of progress. In giving feedback, teachers need
to maximize available communication options (e.g. writing feedback on the
output, texting feedback via SMS, and using online channels, among others).
Annex F provides a guide to help frame decisions on appropriate feedback to
learners.
 
22. Consistent with DO No. 8, s. 2015, “teachers should ensure that learners
receive remediation when they earn raw scores which are consistently below
expectation” in summative assessments “by the fifth week of any quarter.
This will prevent a student from failing in any learning area at the end of the
year.”