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THE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT DEFINED
(By Susan M. Brookhart and Jay McTighe)
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is an ongoing, dynamic process in which teachers gather feedback on student learning during instruction, allowing both teachers and students to identify areas for improvement and make adjustments in real time. It is not a formal test or a final evaluation, but rather a tool for improving learning as it happens. Formative assessments are designed to monitor student progress toward learning intentions, provide actionable feedback, and guide instructional decisions. The primary goal of formative assessment is to improve student achievement by addressing learning gaps and misconceptions as they arise, fostering a deeper understanding of content, and promoting active student involvement in the learning process.
THE FORMATIVE LEARNING CYCLE DEFINED
The tools that may be used to gather evidence (e.g., students' responses on a whiteboard or an exit card) are not what define formative assessment. Formative assessment is a process-part of a learning cycle best described by a series of questions that students ask. These questions reflect a formative learning cycle (based on Sadler, 1989).
Formative assessment is most effective in classrooms in which the learning process enables students to:
•Understand what they are trying to learn and the criteria by which they can assess that learning.
•Produce evidence of how they are doing.
•Receive formative feedback.
•Use the feedback to improve the quality of their work.
Formative assessment benefits students and teachers alike. For students, formative assessment can preview learning intentions, activate prior knowledge, spotlight success criteria, and offer ongoing feedback to help them improve their performance. For teachers, the information gleaned from pre- and ongoing assessments provides them with insights into their students' interests and preferred ways of learning, enables them to monitor learning along the way, and offers the feedback needed to guide instructional adjustments and differentiation.
(By Susan M. Brookhart and Jay McTighe)
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT RESOURCES
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