Formative+and+Summative+Assessment

FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

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__** //Formative assessment// **__** provides direction for improvement and/or adjustment to a program for individual students or for a whole class (e.g., observation, quizzes, homework, instructional questions, initial drafts/attempts) ****. ** ** //__Summative assessment__// **** //__/evaluation__// provides information to be used in making a judgment about a student’s achievement at the end of a sequence of instruction (e.g., final drafts/attempts, tests, exams, assignments, projects, performances). **



Students should be assessed or checked on everything (or almost everything) they do BUT everything that is assessed and/or checked does not need a score AND every score should not be included in the grade.

“The thrust of formative assessment is toward improving learning and instruction. Therefore, the information should not be used for assigning “marks”as the assessment often occurs before students have had full opportunities to learn content or develop skills.”



TERMS & DEFINITIONS

Diagnostic - assessment which takes place prior to instruction; designed to determine a student's attitude, skills or knowledge in order to identify student needs.

Formative - Assessment designed to provide direction for improvement and/or adjustment to a program for individual students or for a whole class, e.g. observation, quizzes, homework, instructional questions, initial drafts/attempts.

Summative - Assessment/evaluation designed to provide information to be used in making judgment about a student’s achievement at the end of a sequence of instruction, e.g. final drafts/attempts, tests, exams, assignments, projects, performances.

Mark / Score - the number (or letter) "score" given to any student test or performance. 7/10 or 5 or 2

Grade(s) or grading - the number (or letter) reported at the end of a period of time as a summary statement of student performance. A, B, C, D, F, or E,S,P,N, or 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

“The use of columns in a grade book to represent standards, instead of assignments, tests, and activities, is a major shift in thinking. . . Under this system, when an assessment is designed, the teacher must think in terms of the standards it is intended to address. If a (test) is given that covers three standards, then the teacher makes three entries in the grade book for each student - one entry for each standard - as opposed to one overall entry for the entire (test). Marzano, R., and J. Kendall, A Comprehensive Guide to Developing Standards-Based Districts, Schools, and Classrooms, McREL, Aurora, CO, 1996