Assessment Guide

Assessment Guide  #

Principles  #

  • The intent of the assessment process is to record the student’s capability rather than record how well they perform in a testing environment. It is acceptable (and encouraged) to re-assess a student if:
    • there were unexpected circumstances during the assessment (e.g. choked on water, another student interrupted them, etc.)
    • the student performed significantly lower during the assessment compared to what was observed during the instruction activities, or
    • there were other circumstances during the assessment such that the instructor is confident the student would demonstrate an improved performance if the assessment were to be repeated.
  • Assessments should be performed after you have finished teaching a skill, all students have a grasp of it, or you need to move on to the next skill or set of skills. You may integrate assessments within the teaching process and do not have to formally administer assessments separate from instruction.
  • An assessment should be recorded for each student who was present on the day that the assessment was performed. Assessment should be left blank only if a student is absent.
  • You may choose to re-assess a student on a later day if you think they will demonstrate improvement after learning subsequent skills.
  • Goggles should not be used during the assessment of any skill unless required for medical reasons.
  • The willingness of a student to “try”, although commendable, should not be a factor in determining a student’s score.

Application  #

  • All skills are to be performed without assistanceAssistance / AssistedPerforming a skill or a component of a skill with the use of a structure, instructor, or flotation aid. or aids (e.g. flotation device, instructor support, pool wall, pool bottom, etc.) unless otherwise specified in the skill description and/or assessment instructions.
  • All skills should be performed without interruption — if a student stops performing the skill, or stops performing the spirit of the skill, the assessment should be stopped.
  • Some skill assessment definitions specify a Test Course to be used to limit variations in scores attributed to different testing configurations or environments.
  • If a student exhibits a deficiency specified for a score, it does not necessarily mean that is the score the student should receive. The student must have satisfied all of the performance requirements for that score AND should not exhibit a deficiency associated with a lower score.
  • The student should receive a score of ‘0’ if they did not attempt or were unable to perform the skill; excluding absences.
  • Students will often push off the pool bottom or wall to start a swim skill assessment. If the push-off was the primary contributor to the total distance traveled, the student’s score should not include the portion of the distance attributed to the push-off. For example, if a beginner level student traveled a total distance of only 3 yards during a front swim assessment, and it was apparent the student only achieved the distance due to the momentum of the wall push-off, the student’s score should be reduced accordingly (likely ‘0’). Conversely, if an intermediate level student traveled a total distance of 20 yards during a distance swim assessment but pushed off the wall and glided 2 yards before starting their arm strokes and kick, the student’s score should not be reduced since the glide was not a primary contributor to the total distance swum.

Combination skills  #

  • When assessing Combination SkillsCombination skill / Combined skillA set of skills performed in conjunction with one another to increase an individual's ability to interact with water. , the score reflects the overall execution of the combined skill rather than the nuanced motor patterns that may have been specified in the skill description for each component skill. For example, if a combination skill specifies a 5 yard front swim followed by a front float, and the student is able to swim 5 yards on their front but with a technically incorrect front crawl or breaststroke swim, the student should be credited with the completion of the front swim segment as long as they remained on their front and swam without stopping for 5 yards.
  • The Combination Skills are designed to demonstrate the ability to perform multiple skills in a sequence. As with all other skills, the combination skill should be performed continuously. Interrupting any component or transition between components with the use of aids (such as the pool bottom) or an unspecified float or tread is not properly demonstrating the skill and results in a reduced score.
  • When assessing a Combination Skill, the instructor may modify one component of the combined skill if the modification would allow the student to complete the remaining components. For example, if a student is unable to perform a required back swim component the instructor may direct the student to swim on their front instead. However, any such modification would preclude the student from receiving a full score.