The Ontario achievement chart explained: categories, levels and percentages
Every Ontario curriculum document includes an achievement chart. It's the common language teachers use to describe how well a student has met the expectations, whatever the subject.
The four categories
- Knowledge and Understanding: subject-specific content (knowledge) and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding).
- Thinking: the use of critical and creative thinking skills, such as planning, processing and inquiry.
- Communication: conveying meaning through oral, written and visual forms, with clear organization and the conventions of the subject.
- Application: using knowledge and skills to make connections within and between contexts, including the world beyond the classroom.
The exact wording of each category's criteria varies a little by subject, so check the chart in your own curriculum document.
The four levels
The chart describes each category at four levels with consistent qualifiers:
| Level | Knowledge and Understanding | Thinking, Communication, Application | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | thorough | a high degree of effectiveness | 80–100% |
| 3 | considerable | considerable effectiveness | 70–79% |
| 2 | some | some effectiveness | 60–69% |
| 1 | limited | limited effectiveness | 50–59% |
In Grades 9 to 12, a final mark below 50% means the student hasn't met the expectations for the course and doesn't earn the credit.
What Level 3 means
Level 3 is the provincial standard. A student at Level 3 has achieved the expectations well, and is well prepared for the next course. Level 4 goes beyond the standard; it isn't "perfect", and Level 2 isn't failing.
Using the chart when you plan
- Balance the categories. A unit that only tests recall is missing Thinking, Communication and Application. Aim for every category across the course.
- Use the qualifiers in your rubrics. "Uses evidence with considerable effectiveness" tells a student far more than "good use of evidence".
- Report with the same language. Report card comments that use the chart's qualifiers are clearer and more consistent. The free report card comment builder does this for you.
Converting levels and percentages
Many teachers record levels with plus and minus (for example 3+ or 4-) and convert them to percentages for the final mark. The +/- splits are a common convention rather than provincial policy, so follow your board's chart. The free marks calculator converts levels and percentages both ways.
Build rubrics from the chart
The rubric builder has an "Ontario achievement chart" preset with all four categories and levels ready to edit, and you can print it or paste it into Docs or Word.
Every summative in a K9solutions course comes with a four-level rubric built on the achievement chart.