Formative Assessments
“I will walk next to you as you learn the skills to become independent.”
-Teacher (? Claudia) at Buena Vista Horace Mann Community School
What is a formative assessment?
Formative Assessment is an ongoing assessment practice that regularly measures student learning in order to shape instruction. Teachers use a variety of formative assessment strategies to gather data on student learning in relation to targeted learning objectives, and intentionally take pedagogical action in response to that data. Formative assessments can take a variety of different forms, and can be conceptualized as the intersection between a mindset of instructional iteration based on student learning needs and the strategies to gather information about those learning needs. Strong formative assessments engage students in assessing and pursuing their own learning needs as part of an ongoing process.
Foundational Reading
Tips for using formative assessment to help you differentiate instruction and improve student achievement.
Formative Assessment in Action
A teacher demonstrates the use of ongoing formative assessment through a TTP (Teaching Through Problem-solving) elementary math lesson.
Performance Assessment
Performance Assessments invite students to demonstrate standards proficiency through task-based application. These tasks offer opportunities for students to use higher-order thinking skills as they create a product or perform a task. Ideally, these tasks mirror the work of professionals, providing students opportunities to engage in authentic work.
Foundational Reading: Performance-Based Assessment: Reviewing the Basics
See Ron Berger from EL Education demonstrate the transformative power of models, critique, and descriptive feedback to improve student work.
Critique & Iteration
Students revise projects/tasks through a study of exemplars and by engaging in a culture of critique with peers and educators. Feedback is reciprocal with a set of feedback norms, such as “be kind, specific and helpful. Students continually revise and reflect on coursework, tracking their progress on a given project/task towards mastery. The emphasis of coursework is on quality over quantity of work and building craftsmanship.
Visit EL Education to learn more.
Iteration
Students continually revise and reflect on coursework, tracking their progress on a given project/task towards mastery. The emphasis of coursework is on quality over quantity of work and building craftsmanship.