Announced at the end of last year, the new grading system was mystifying and confusing for many. What do these numbers mean? How do you get the best ones? How are they related to letter grades? The new grading system is based off of the IB grading style, and this year’s juniors are the first to use it. Although we are now through the first few months of using these grades, some people’s questions still remain. To get the teacher’s input on the system, we interviewed them on what it takes to get a 7.

(Ms. Sliman has been at ISB for three years, and is from Atlanta, Georgia. She teaches IB Math Studies, IB Math HL and Integrated Math Higher Year 2, and also teaches the IB Further Math course every other year.)

What characteristics do you look for in an assignment or assessment to award a 7 in your subject?

Ms. Sliman: In the math department, a level 7 is defined by our grade descriptors that you can find on your course documents.  Specifically, we’re looking for students to be able to solve challenging problems in unfamiliar contexts.  This means, problems involving the content you’ve been taught, but asked in different scenarios.  We’re looking for student work that is clearly communicated, such that we can see understanding of the content, because again, that is what we are assessing.  Wrapped up in this is also problem solving techniques; as a student can you apply different problem solving techniques for different problems, especially when those problems are challenging

What does it mean to get a 7?

S: As for what it means to get a 7, well, historically, that means you are in the top 10-15% of students taking math IB exams here at ISB.  As a department, we are very hopeful that this grading system will help keep expectations realistic.  We’re also anxious for students to stop trying to equate the grading system to the A-F system.  Just because the 6 is the next increment down from a 7, it seems that many students are wanting to call this a B equivalent.  However, teachers do not see it this way at all.  For us a 6 means that you are able to solve challenging problems and apply different problem solving techniques.  Again, historically, roughly 25-35% of students are attaining 6s on their IB exam.  A 6 is still a very high mark.

(Mr. Duffy has been at ISB for 15 years, and is from Canada. He teaches IB Literature SL and HL, Media Studies, and English 9)

What characteristics do you look for in an assignment or assessment to award a 7 in your subject?

Mr. Duffy: The IB descriptors often use language such as “excellent” or “very good” when describing the skills that would lead to a 7.  That leads to my general thought when giving a 7… is this a work of high quality that goes a little beyond what would normally be expected.  Does it show some unique, creative thinking or a profound, mature interpretation that is truly excellent?  Only about 5-8% of the worldwide IB cohort of Group 1: English exams get a 7.  So, while it may not be out of the range of possibility for many ISB students, it is something you have to work for.

What does it mean to get a 7?

D: I think you should be very proud of yourself!  Attaining a 7 on an assignment or in a class shows a mastery of the skills of that particular class, as well as a highly competent ability to transfer those skills to a wide range of learning situations. (i.e. writing an excellent commentary in English over a wide range of poems and text types.)  it should be noted however, that 6s and 5s are still very good grades in themselves.  A 6, I figure, would be equivalent to the ‘A-‘, and even ‘A’. of our former grading scale.  7s are the new A+!

I think teachers will also be sharing many exemplars to help students understand what a 7 looks like in their particular class.  So, while students may be frustrated that the 7s aren’t coming as quickly as the might’ve anticipated, I hope they do gain an understanding what they need to improve upon to get there.

(Mr. Buck has been at ISB for 2 years, and is from the UK. He teaches IB Physics and some HS Chemistry or Biology)

What characteristics do you look for in an assignment or assessment to award a 7 in your subject?

Mr. Buck: In Physics the characteristics that I look for in an assessment are correct answers! That might sound silly, but in IB Physics 80% of the final grade comes from exam scores so students really have to give correct answers to hit those high scores.

In other kinds of assignments where the grading is more subjective I am looking for evidence that the student shows a deep understanding of the topic, perhaps also instances where students have clearly challenged themselves to extend their knowledge and find out more about a topic. The assignment should clearly show that the student has mastered the content of the relevant topic and can explain or critically evaluate what they have learnt.

What does it mean to get a 7?

B: That all depends on the students concerned and their expectations for themselves. It will also vary from subject to subject and on their previous performance in that area. The meaningfulness of the result may well depend on the amount of effort the student had to put in to achieve that level; obviously if the work was hard then the reward will be sweeter. Of course grades are important to students for a number of reasons; a level 7 can improve a student’s self-esteem of self-perception, it can also open doorways for future opportunities if high grades are required to pursue a chosen path.

Change can be frightening at first, especially when we are unfamiliar with the alternative. Hopefully these interviews will help answer student’s questions as to how to survive IB. A 7 is hard to get, but not impossible, and represents the highest level of achievement here at ISB. It is definitely something for all students to strive for in their remaining years of high school.