Formative Assessments

By Elzbieta Indyk

April 21, 2023

Formative Assessment True or False

1.Formative assessment is a special kind of test or series of tests that teachers learn to use to find out what their students know.

TRUE2.Formative assessment is an intentional learning process teachers engage in with their students to gather information during the learning process to improve achievement

TRUE

Formative Assessment True or False

3.Formative assessment is a program that teachers adopt and add to what they already do.

FALSE4. Formative assessment is a philosophy of

teaching and learning in which the purpose of assessing is to inform learning, not merely audit it.

TRUE

Formative Assessment True or False5. The following is an example of formative

assessment: A high school teacher notes a troubling pattern on

the exam for her World War II unit. Half of her students mistakenly identified Germany as the country that suffered the most lasting damage from the war. As a result, she plans to change the way she teaches the concept of lasting damage so that her future students can draw conclusions that are more accurate.

FALSE

Defining Formative Assessment and The Five (5) Essential Components to Formative Assessment

 

Clear Learning TargetsTuning Into Students’ Minds

Effective QuestioningImmediate & Specific Feedback

Peer & Self-AssessmentExplore Online Resources, Articles, and

Printables in all five (5) of the above areas

Definition“Formative assessment is a

process used by teachers and students during instruction that

provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning

to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.”

Council of Chief State School Officers

Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers

Formative Assessments

Enhances learning during learning.

Gains are the largest reported for an educational intervention

(Black and Wiliam, 1998).

GOALSTo provide evidence that will

guide and inform daily instruction

To actively involve all students in the teaching/learning

process

To narrow the achievement gap between low and high

achievers

The Assessment–Instruction Process

Summative Assessment “making sure”

Pre – Assessment “finding out”

Formative Assessment “checking in” “feedback” “student involvement”

Formative Assessments

Where are you now?

Where do you

need to go?How can you

get there?

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

SevenSeven StrategiesStrategies

Where am I going?

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

2. Use examples and models of strong and weak work

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

SevenSeven StrategiesStrategies

Where am I now?

3. Offer regular descriptive feedback.

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

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

SevenSeven StrategiesStrategiesHow can I close the gap??

5. Design lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time.

6. Teach students focused revision.

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

Aspects of formative assessment

Where the learner is going

Where the learner is

How to get there

TeacherClarify learning

intentions

Engineering effective

discussions

Providing feedback that moves learners

on

PeerUnderstand/

clarify criteria for success

Activating students as instructional resources for one another

LearnerUnderstand criteria

for successActivating students as owners of their

own learning

Formative Assessment Strategies

Conference Cooperative Learning

Activities Demonstrations Exit Card Graphic Organizers “I Learned”

Statements Interviews Journal Entry KWLs

Learning Logs Oral Attitude Surveys Oral Presentations Peer Evaluations Problem Solving Activities Products Questioning Quiz Response Groups Self-Evaluations

Formative Assessment for Special Education StudentsPresentation Is a verbal demonstration of skill/knowledge and understanding. The child

describes, shows and offers to answer questions about his/her task.

Conference Is a one to one between the teacher an the student. The teacher will

prompt and cue the student to determine the level of understanding and knowledge

Interview Helps a teacher to clarify the level of understanding for a specific purpose,

activity or learning concept.

Observation Observing a student in the learning environment is a very powerful method

to assess. It can also be the vehicle for the teacher to change or enhance a specific teaching strategy.

Performance Task Is a learning task that the child will do while the teacher assesses his/her

performance.

Self-Assessment We always want our students/children to be able to identify their own

strengths and weaknesses.

Practical techniques: feedback

Comment-only gradingExplicit reference to rubrics

Suggestions on how to improve– ‘Strategy cards’ ideas for improvement– Not giving complete solutions

Re-timing assessment– (eg two-thirds-of-the-way-through-a-unit

test)

Practical techniques:peer and self-assessment

Students assessing their own/peers’ work – with scoring guides, rubrics or exemplars– two stars and a wish

Training students to pose questionsIdentifying group weaknesses

Self-assessment of understanding– Red/green discs– Traffic lights– Smiley faces– Post-it notes

End-of-lesson students’ review

Practical techniques: sharing learning expectations

Explaining learning objectives at start of lesson/unit

Criteria in students’ languagePosters of key words to talk about learning

– eg describe, explain, evaluate

Planning/writing framesAnnotated examples of different standards to ‘flesh out’ assessment rubrics (e.g. lab reports)Opportunities for students to design their own

tests

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

Formative Assessment:Formative Assessment:

Refers to what happens on a daily basis in the classroom

Provides teachers with information about specific next

instructional steps for students: Assessment Drives Instruction.Assessment Drives Instruction.

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

On-going assessment provides continual feedback that

helps students progress over time

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

This Type of Assessment

is NOT about accountability…

it is about GETTING GETTING BETTERBETTER!!!!

The greatest value in formative assessment lies in teachers and students making use of results to improve real-time teaching and learning at every turn.

(Stephen Chappuis and Jan Chappuis

Formative Assessments

Elzbieta Indyk

April 21, 2023