The aim of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning and to encourage student achievement, and not just provide a mark for reporting purposes.
Assessment and evaluation practices throughout the province of Ontario are guided by a variety of Ministry of Education curriculum policies. The assessment, evaluation, and reporting requirements for all Ontario school boards are standardized through elementary and secondary report cards that indicate student achievement.
During the elementary school there are three formal report cards each year, and in secondary there are usually four formal reporting periods.
Secondary school students receive a report card which lists the courses completed, the mark for each course as a percentage, credits completed, as well as other student achievement indicators such as learning skills and work habits, teacher comments, and a tally of any missed classes and number of times late to class. In addition the course median is indicated for each course the student is studying. For students who are English Language Learners and course expectations have been modified to accommodate English language learning needs, report cards will have the “ESL/ELD” boxes checked for the appropriate subject(s)/strand(s).
Based upon specific provincial curriculum expectations, curriculum specific achievement charts and professional judgement, teachers assess and evaluate student achievement based on evidence of student performance.
| Achievement Level | Description | Report Card Grade |
| Level 4 | Achievement exceeds the provincial standard. The student has demonstrated the required knowledge and skills with a high degree of effectiveness. | 80-100% |
| Level 3 | Achievement meets the provincial standard. The student has demonstrated the specified knowledge and skills with considerable effectiveness. | 70-79% |
| Level 2 | Achievement approaches the provincial standard. The student has demonstrated the required knowledge and skills with some effectiveness. | 60-69% |
| Level 1 | Achievement is limited – far below the provincial standard. The student has demonstrated the required knowledge and skills with limited effectiveness. | 50-59% |
| Insufficient evidence to determine the required knowledge or skills. No credit is granted. | Below 50% |
Throughout Grades 9-12, the final percentage mark is based on two main evaluation components:
Reports cards also include information about each student’s learning skills and work habits in the following six areas:
For each course, the teacher reports on each of these learning skills and work habits with a designated letter for the student. (E = Excellent; G = Good; S = Satisfactory; N = Needs Improvement). Note that the learning skills and work habits are considered important for student achievement of the curriculum expectations, but are not used in determining the student’s percentage grade.
All Ontario schools are required to keep an Ontario Student Record (OSR) which documents all evaluation records for each student.
*Reports cards for Catholic schools have some differences.