What is Formative Assessment and Why Does it Matter?
Formative assessment is a process used during teaching and learning to improve student outcomes. It’s one of the most effective instructional interventions that schools can adopt. View this short video by formative assessment expert Margaret Heritage, and check out our informational briefs to learn more.
What is Formative Assessment?
What Teachers Need to Know About the Formative Assessment Process
Formative assessment is an ongoing classroom process comprised of several distinct practices that work in concert to promote robust student learning. Some parts of the formative assessment process may be familiar to teachers, yet it will require them to re-envision their practice.
- Formative assessment is an ongoing process rather than an isolated event such as a single test or indicator
- Teachers AND students engage in the formative assessment process
What Teachers Need to Know About the Formative Assessment Process
Suggested Use #1
Use at a faculty meeting to begin conversations and begin to create shared understanding.
Suggested Use #2
Use it as a way to promote FAME teams and recruit team members. The live links embedded could be another source of dialogue.
What Administrators Need to Know About the Formative Assessment Process
School administrators juggle many competing responsibilities while working to fulfill most districts’ stated mission to provide a quality education to all students. Toward that goal, they are charged with helping their staffs select the instructional methods, programs, and support needed to help all students learn. This is where the formative assessment process enters the picture.
- Formative assessment process and improved learning
- Greatest impact on low-performing students
What Administrators Need to Know About the Formative Assessment Process
Suggested Use #1
Use at administrative meeting and have discussion on impact on their role as a learning leader.
Suggested Use #2
Use at a staff meeting to provide additional perspectives on how we all work together to use the formative assessment process.
What Local and State Policymakers Need to Know About the Formative Assessment Process
Did you know that the formative assessment process is one of the most effective instructional interventions that schools can adopt? This revelation is just one of the many important facts policymakers need to know about the formative assessment process and how it fits into a balanced system of assessment of learning and assessment for learning.
- Effective instructional intervention to close achievement gaps
- Using the formative assessment process in concert with other initiatives
What Local and State Policymakers Need to Know About the Formative Assessment Process
Suggested Use #1
Share this article with your local school board perhaps using a jig saw protocol. The intent is to build board member awareness and add to their assessment literacy.
Suggested Use #2
Have a conversation on how the formative assessment process connects to other school improvement initiatives.