Formative
vs. Summative Assessments
Formative Assessment
Formative
assessment includes a variety of procedures such as observation, feedback, and journaling.
When incorporated into classroom
practice, it provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning
while they are happening. In this sense, formative assessment informs both
teachers and students about student understanding at a point when timely
adjustments can be made. These adjustments help to ensure students achieve
targeted standards-based learning goals within a set time frame. Although
formative assessment strategies appear in a variety of formats, there are some
distinct ways to distinguish them from summative assessments. One way to think
of formative assessments is that it is “practice”.
Examples
of Formative assessments:
·
Feedback from the teacher
·
Curriculum-based measurement (CBM)
·
Self-assessment
·
Observation
The
benefits of formative assessment would be able to use on a daily bases and can
be changed on a last minute note. This is a very flexible way of assessing the
students.
Summative Assessment
Summative
assessments are given periodically to determine at a particular point in time
what students know and do not know. Many associate summative assessments only
with standardized tests such as state assessments, but they are also used at
and are an important part of district and classroom programs. Summative
assessment at the district/classroom level is an accountability measure that is
generally used as part of the grading process.
The
list is long, but here are some examples of summative assessments:
·
State assessments
·
District benchmark or interim assessments
·
End-of-unit or chapter tests
·
End-of-term or semester exams
·
Scores that are used for accountability for schools (AYP) and
students (report card grades)
The
benefits of summative assessments overall learning as well as an indication of
the quality of classroom instruction, especially when they are accompanied by
other sources of information and are used to inform practice rather than to
reward or sanction.
Assessment
Example:
Arizona’s
Common Core Standards
1.MD
Measure
lengths indirectly and by iterating units.
Tell
and write time.
Summative
Assessment
Formative
Assessment
The
teacher will have clocks put up on the board and the students will come up and
write the time or tell what time is on the clocks. The teacher will check this
will a check sheet.
