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Formative Assessment

Description

Teachers use a variety of formative practices every day in their classrooms. Assessing students formatively provides both teacher and student with continuous awareness of student performance in relation to their learning goals. Teachers and instructional coaches collaborate to develop strategic assessments – including their daily formative practices as well as interim assessments that benchmark and monitor progress – and to routinely analyze data. This process drives improved instructional practices, proven to increase student outcomes.

Application

Kennedy Elementary School teachers use formative assessments to effectively monitor all students’ progress. Teachers analyze data to identify students who need additional support and areas on which teachers and students need to focus. Within a classroom, teachers can identify the needs of a group of students, plan a specific lesson focused on that need, and work with students to improve their achievement.