Harbour International School

DP development plan · Led by Anna Vester · September 2026 to June 2028

Consistent marking: can predicted grades become a guide students can trust?

Follows the IB's part order for programme development.

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Focus

How might we make internal marking consistent across subjects, so predicted grades become a guide students can trust?

Rationale

Serves the school priority: The same work gets the same grade, whoever marks it, in MYP and DP.

  • At the last comparison (11 Jul 2026), 15 of 22 predicted grades were within one grade of the final result. Biology was 9 of 12; History was 6 of 10.
  • Predictions sat high where the internal assessment was still a draft. In History, the essay mark and the predicted grade used different ideas of analysis.
  • The same criterion gets different marks in different rooms. Who agrees the standard has been an open question since 12 May 2026.

Planning: practices

QuestionPracticeCategoryCode
What must be in place?Assessment is run consistently and fairlyLearning: approaches to assessment0404-03 to check
Who is responsible?Leadership and teachers take part in timely professional learningEnvironment: teacher support0203-02 to check
How will the work be done?Students and teachers use feedback to support stated outcomesLearning: approaches to assessment0404-01-0100 to check
Why this focus?To choosePurpose

Impact

For every DP student: predicted grades they can plan around. The measure: share of predicted grades within one grade of the final result.

ReadingDateValue
Baseline11 Jul 202668% (15 of 22)
Mocks against predictionsFeb 2027to record
Results against predictionsJul 2027to record
TargetMay 202880%

Data and evidence

  • The measure readings above.
  • After the December cycle: the share of moderated samples within one band, per subject group.
  • Before each report round: whether every predicted grade was compared in a group of three subjects.

Research and shared practice

  • Harlen (2004), EPPI-Centre review of teachers' summative assessment: moderation through professional collaboration helps; reliable assessment needs time for teachers to meet.
  • Garry, McCool and O'Neill (2005), on anchoring in marking: a marker who has seen the first mark moves less than two independent markers. Hence "mark blind first, talk second".
  • What it can't say: one cycle won't prove scripts land within one band at Harbour.

Activities: who, what, by when

ActionLead (shares)WhenFrom decisionHow we'll knowStatus
Publish the internal assessment calendar draft Anna Vester 2 days late Anna owns the IA calendar; subject leaders flag clashes by Wednesday. No week holds more than two major IA deadlines Overdue
One joint MYP 5–DP 1 standardisation cycle in every subject group Marco Ellison (Anna Vester) 11 Nov to 15 Dec 2026 Waits on the open decision: who agrees the standard across programmes (Jonas Berg) Each subject group has one moderated sample Waiting on Jonas
TOK exhibition internal standardisation Anna Vester By 1 Mar 2027 TOK exhibitions are standardised internally on one shared student example. Teachers mark the shared example within one band Moving
Predicted grade conversations Helen Okonkwo 12 Jan to 1 Apr 2027 Predicted grades are compared across three subjects before reports go out. Every predicted grade compared in a group of three before reports Not started

Reflection, from the record

Analysis and examples of impact

  • Baseline, 11 Jul 2026: 68% (15 of 22).
  • Checked decisions so far: 1 partly worked, 1 didn't work.

Understanding and application

Written at the end of the plan, in June 2028.