ASSESSMENTFormative, Summative,and Performance-Based

ECED 4289 Assessment Module

Thinking MomentThink back over your previous

learning experiences, in or outside of school.

Identify the best feedback system you ever encountered. What were the characteristics of the feedback that made it so effective?

Questions to PonderHow are formative assessments and

summative assessments similar and different? What is performance-based assessment?

What processes and strategies support checks for understanding and assessment?

When do you assess students?

The Assessment-Instruction ProcessPre –

Assessment “finding out”

Formative Assessment “checking in”

“feedback” “student involvement

Summative Assessment

“making sure”

Pre-Assessment StrategiesChecklistPre-testKWL Charts Graphic

OrganizersPre-testStudent

DiscussionsStudent

Demonstrations

Student ProductsStudent Work

SamplesShow of hands/EPR

(Every Pupil Response)

Standardized Test Data

Teacher ObservationWriting Prompts

Formative Assessment

Assessments FOR learning happens while learning is still underway.

These are assessments that: are conducted throughout teaching and

learning to diagnose student needs plan the next steps in instruction provide students with feedback they can use

to improve the quality of their work help students see and feel how they are in

control of their journey to success

Formative assessment delivers information during the instructional process, before the summative assessment. Both the teacher and the student use formative assessment results to make decisions about what actions to take to promote further learning. It is an ongoing, dynamic process that involves far more than frequent testing, and measurement of student learning is just one of its components.

Almost any assessment instrument can be used for summative or formative purposes, but some, by design, are better suited to summative use and others to formative use.

Effective Formative Assessments Provide the Following:

1. Provide a clear and understandable vision of the learning target

2. Use examples and models of strong and weak work

3. Offer regular descriptive feedback.

4. Teach students to self-assess and set goals.

5. Engage students in self-reflection, and let them keep track of and share their learning.

Conference

Cooperative Learning

Demonstrations

Exit Card

Graphic Organizers

Interviews

Journal Entry

Sentence Stems

Learning Logs

Oral Attitude Surveys

Oral Presentations

Problem Solving

Questioning

Quiz

Response Groups

Self-Evaluations

3-2-1

Formative Assessments Examples

Summative AssessmentA summative assessment/evaluation is

designed to:provide information make judgments about student achievement at

the end of a sequence of instruction, (e.g., final drafts/attempts, tests, exam, assignments, projects, performances)

It is a means to determine a student’s mastery and understanding of information, skills, concepts, or processes.

Summative Assessment Strategies

Unit TestPerformance Task

Product/ExhibitDemonstrationPortfolio Review

Summative Assessment

It is assessment of learning Used to determine a student’s mastery and understanding of information, skills, concepts, or processes. should reflect formative assessments that

precede it should match material taught may determine student’s exit achievement may be tied to a final decision, grade or report should align with instructional/curricular

outcomes may be a form of alternative assessment

Comparison Chart

Formative Summative

Occurs before or during instruction

Assessment for learningDescriptive feedbackFeedback is the central

function ContinuousInformalHigh impact on learningGuides instruction

Occurs after instruction Assessment of learningEvaluative feedbackPeriodicFormalLimited positive impact

on learningMay be used as

diagnostic assessment

Performance-Based Assessmentderivative of the summative assessment. focuses on achievement.often aligned with the standards-based

education reform and outcomes-based education movement.

A well-defined task is identified.Students are asked to create, produce or do

something, often in settings that involve real-world application of knowledge and skills.

Proficiency is demonstrated by providing an extended response. 

Performance-based assessments (also known as

performance assessments) require students to apply

knowledge and skills.

Performance assessments can be used formatively

or summatively.

These assessments can be labor- and time-intensive.

They also tend to be quite diverse.

Work is evaluated using pre-established criteria consist of two components:

a performance task (actual prompt or activity) a scoring rubric (scoring guide consisting of pre-

established performance criteria)

Students may complete individually or in small groups.

Permits direct observation of student skills and capabilities (very different from pencil-and-paper tests)

Performance assessments: • must be linked to instructional objectives• tend to be less abstract than more traditional

forms of assessment (more “real world”)• based in the “real world” = authentic assessment

the assessments, by themselves, are meaningful learning activities

• concept of performance assessments is not new; used for years in other fields

Advantages• Can assess students’ abilities “to do.”• Can assess skills that cannot be assessed

through more traditional methods.• Can assess thinking processes as well as

products.• Can be used to improve instructional practice.

Limitations• Main limitation is the amount of time involved.• Inefficient when used to assess lower-level

skills.• Due to subjectivity, reliability tends to be

lower.• Students of lower abilities may experience

frustration

Designing Performance Tasks:Step-by-Step Procedure

Step 1: Determine the purpose of the assessment.

Step 2: Specify the skills and outcomes along with their respective taxonomic level.

Step 3: Specify the performance criteria that will be used to judge student work, and identify observable indicators of those criteria.

Step 4: Create an authentic and meaningful context for the task.

Step 5: Develop a scoring instrument.

Step 6: Generate or select exemplary student responses.

Step 7: Revise the task, as necessary.

Points to Remember:All lesson plans need to have an assessment. The assessment must evaluate the objective

for the lesson.The assessment is usually informal and

formative in nature for most lessons.Summative comes at the end of the chapter

or unit.VARIETY helps keep everyone engaged.

Informal assessment strategies allow you to diagnose on the spot who understands concepts being taught (Kronowitz, 2008).

Formative Assessment:Refers to what happens on a daily basis in

the classroomProvides teachers with information about

specific next instructional steps for students Assessment Drives

Instruction

Students know where they are at instructionally and where they need to go

On-going assessment provides continual feedback that helps students progress over time

“Assessment is today’s means of understanding how to modify tomorrow’s instruction”

Carol Tomlinson