FORMATIVE

ASSESSMENT

by Jeanette Love
 WHAT IS FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT?
Formative assessment is ongoing student assessment designed to follow a
learners progress as he or she attains essential outcomes as a unit of study
progresses.

Formative assessments measure students readiness, interest, and learning

profiles

Formative assessment is essential to planning for and supporting

student variance.

Source: Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010, pg. 21

 WHY IS FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IMPORTANT?

Provides teachers with information so that teaching may be immediately

adjusted to better fit student needs

Helps the student to practice while the teacher checks for understanding

Teachers can utilize the information obtained to plan for future instruction
 STEPS IN UTILIZING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
1. Assignment- assign students work based on one particular objective (scaffold based on readiness).
2. Choice- i.e. students are asked to solve either the even or odd number problems, or are given similar
instructions.
3. Check for mastery- *this is the critical step* the teacher reviews the students work, and then asks the
scholar to explain his methodology. This oral interaction can be categorized in four different ways:
They get it
They almost get it
They have significant struggles
They cheated
4. Remediation (if necessary)- provide appropriate remediation and have the students complete
the work.
5. Check for mastery (again)- upon receiving the appropriate remediation, check again for
mastery.
***REPEAT AS NECESSARY***

Source: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-steps-formative-assessment-jon-bergmann
Formative assessment strategies meet the learning needs and interests of all
learners.

The following slides represent a few examples of formative assessment

strategies and their preferred learning styles.

Source: https://wvde.state.wv.us/teach21/ExamplesofFormativeAssessment.html
 VISUAL LEARNER
Web or Concept Map- any of several forms of graphical organizers which allow
learners to perceive relationships between concepts through diagramming key
words representing those concepts http://www.graphic.org/concept.html

Writing Frames- students are given either a sentence or a paragraph in which

they must fill-in-the-blanks. These include, but are not limited to:
problem/solution paragraph, compare/contrast paragraph, description
paragraph, cause/effect paragraph, sequence paragraph

Student Data Notebooks- A tool for students to track their

learning: Where am I going? Where am I now? How will I get there?
Source: K. Lambert, OCPS Curriculum Services
 AUDITORY LEARNER
Misconception Check- Present students with common or predictable
misconceptions about a designated concept, principle, or process. Ask them
whether they agree or disagree and explain why.

Choral Response- In response to a cue, all students respond verbally at the

same time. The response can be either to a question or to repeat something
the teacher has said.

Say Something- Students take turns leading discussions in a

cooperative group on sections or a reading or video.

Source: K. Lambert, OCPS Curriculum Services

 KINESTHETIC LEARNER
Hand Signal (thumbs up/down)

Slap It - Students are divided into two teams to identify correct answers to
questions given by the teacher. Students use a fly swatter to slap the correct
response posted on the wall

Word Sort - given a set of vocabulary terms, students sort into

given categories or create their own categories for sorting

Source: K. Lambert, OCPS Curriculum Services

 LEARNING BY WRITING
One Sentence Summary- Students are asked to write a summary sentence
that answers the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about the
topic.

Quick Write- This strategy asks learners to respond in two-to-ten minutes to

an open-ended question or prompt posed by the teacher before, during, and
after reading.

Newspaper Headline- Create a newspaper headline that may have

been written for the topic being studied. Capture the main idea of
the event.

Source: K. Lambert, OCPS Curriculum Services

ADVANTAGES OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
They are not graded

Teachers check the students understanding during the lesson

Less reteaching is necessary, as struggle with mastery is addressed prior to

the final

Source:
http://oureverydaylife.com/advantages-disadvantages-formative-assessment-28407.html
 DISADVANTAGES OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Teachers complain about sacrificing time to assess during the lesson and fear
that they may not finish the lesson

Students may not take the assessments seriously, which may cause teachers
to misread feedback from students

Teachers may feel the need to rush through a series of units, which
causes students to lack mastery of concepts

Source: http://oureverydaylife.com/advantages-disadvantages-formative-assessment-28407.html
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UTILIZING
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Because the purpose of formative assessment is to provide ongoing feedback
to support and increase student learning, the recommendation for utilizing
formative assessment is ongoing throughout a unit. Upon checking for student
mastery, try one or more of the following formative assessment strategies:

Journal Entry
Student Conference
Observation
Exit Card
Hand Signals
WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH INDICATE?
Formative assessment produces greater increases in student achievement

Formative assessment that occurs within instructional units (medium-cycle

assessment) and between lessons (short-cycle assessment) has been shown to
enhance student achievement

In classrooms where medium- and short-cycle formative assessment

was used, teachers reported greater professional satisfaction and
increased student engagement in learning.

Source:
http://www.nctm.org/Research-and-Advocacy/research-brief-and-clips/Benefits-of-Formati
ve-Assessment/