What is Formative Assessment?
Formative assessment or formative practices are strategies used to gauge student understanding on a learning target or topic of study and are designed to quickly provide specific and immediate feedback to students during the learning process.
Formative Assessment Video
In the video, formative practices are used to adjust instruction and promote ongoing reflection for BOTH students and teachers. This deliberate process occurs in the teaching and learning cycle to transform student learning and improve outcomes with these four critical steps:
- Gain a deep understanding of learning goals
- Envision proficiency in each standard
- Designed by teachers
- Feedback is used to adjust instruction
Formative Assessment Practices for Distance Learning
The Office of Educational Accountability is committed to supporting families and students during this unique time of social distancing, school closures, and distance learning. We believe families can support at-home learning in a variety of ways including formative assessment-related activities.
The following resources contain simple strategies that students and parents can engage in during at-home learning to check for student understanding of a learning target or topic of study. Although some strategies are specific to classroom settings, several can be used during at-home learning.
- 60 Formative Assessment Strategies - This resource was developed by Orange County Public Schools as a list of simple practices teachers can use to check for student understanding.
- Quick and Easy Formative Assessments - The organization Squarehead Teachers provides quick and easy formative assessment practices, several including student self-reflection with writing prompts.
- 10 Useful Approaches for Formative Assessment - This infographic created by wabisabilearning.com provides 10 useful strategies to use including creative extension projects to formatively assess student learning.
- 10 Assessments You Can Perform in 90 Seconds - This list provides quick and easy ways of assessing student understanding.
Please see Formative Assessment Practices for Distance Learning for a one-page informational resource.