Formative Assessment

Many educators are grappling with defining the differences between formative and summative assessment. Simply put, formative assessment is part of the day-to-day instructional process. It happens during instruction, not after. As practice, formative assessment gives teachers and students information to help students clarify learning misunderstandings and refine skills. 

• clarifying learning goals and sharing criteria for success
• creating and fostering effective classroom discussions, questions, and learning tasks that draw out evidence of learning
• providing descriptive feedback to help move students forward
• making students aware that they are owners of their own learning, and
• empowering students to act as instructional resources for one another. 

The key to effective formative assessment is what teachers actually do with the information they gather on student learning. We guide educators through the process of putting formative assessment data to work to impact instruction and learning.

From our point of view, formative assessment isn’t a test; it’s a culture of learning.

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For more information, please call Professional Development Services at 877.678.3787 or send us an E-mail.