Putting Testing into Perspective

An Article Summary

February 23, 2016

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Formative Assessment

◦ Formative assessments are those assessments completed

during learning.

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Formative Assessment

◦ Formative assessments are those assessments completed

during learning.
◦ These assessments inform teachers’ instructional decisions
along the way to student success.

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Formative Assessment

◦ Much interest and investment has been placed on summative

assessments, but recently formative assessment has become
increasingly prominent as a school improvement strategy.

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Formative Assessment

◦ Much interest and investment has been placed on summative

assessments, but recently formative assessment has become
increasingly prominent as a school improvement strategy.
◦ There are strategies to improve formative assessment in our
schools, and these strategies fall into 3 categories:

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Formative Assessment

◦ Much interest and investment has been placed on summative

assessments, but recently formative assessment has become
increasingly prominent as a school improvement strategy.
◦ There are strategies to improve formative assessment in our
schools, and these strategies fall into 3 categories:
▶ More Frequent Testing

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Formative Assessment

◦ Much interest and investment has been placed on summative

assessments, but recently formative assessment has become
increasingly prominent as a school improvement strategy.
◦ There are strategies to improve formative assessment in our
schools, and these strategies fall into 3 categories:
▶ More Frequent Testing
▶ Effective Data Management

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Formative Assessment

◦ Much interest and investment has been placed on summative

assessments, but recently formative assessment has become
increasingly prominent as a school improvement strategy.
◦ There are strategies to improve formative assessment in our
schools, and these strategies fall into 3 categories:
▶ More Frequent Testing
▶ Effective Data Management
▶ Assessment for Learning

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More Frequent Testing

◦ Frequent testing can be used to inform instructional decisions

along the way.

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More Frequent Testing

◦ Frequent testing can be used to inform instructional decisions

along the way.
◦ Teachers use summative assessments in formative ways:

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More Frequent Testing

◦ Frequent testing can be used to inform instructional decisions

along the way.
◦ Teachers use summative assessments in formative ways:
▶ Teachers can identify standards not yet mastered by students.

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More Frequent Testing

◦ Frequent testing can be used to inform instructional decisions

along the way.
◦ Teachers use summative assessments in formative ways:
▶ Teachers can identify standards not yet mastered by students.
▶ Teachers can identify students who are not progressing
appropriately.

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Effective Data Management

The key to this practice is the belief that it is not the evidence that is
gathered, but how that evidence is managed. Assessment results
must be collected and analyzed with maximum efficiency, and then
instruction should be based upon the achievement data.

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Assessment for Learning

◦ Simply having more assessments does not ensure more

learning.

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Assessment for Learning

◦ Simply having more assessments does not ensure more

learning.
◦ Various methods of assessment should be used to provide
teachers, students, and parents with continual feedback.
◦ Students need to understand what they are expected to learn
from the onset of the learning process, and then they should be
active participants in monitoring their progress.

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Assessment for Learning

◦ Simply having more assessments does not ensure more

learning.
◦ Various methods of assessment should be used to provide
teachers, students, and parents with continual feedback.
◦ Students need to understand what they are expected to learn
from the onset of the learning process, and then they should be
active participants in monitoring their progress.

Student involvement is key!!

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Comparing Methods

Assessment For Learning

1. Informs both teachers and
First Two Methods students about the current
status of student
1. Inform teachers about the
achievement.
current status of student
achievement. 2. This method rests of the fact
that students are data-based
2. Teachers are decision
decision makers.
makers.
3. Focuses on progress of
3. More frequent assessment of
student learning in day-to-day
mastery of standards.
movement along the
scaffolding toward learning a
standard.

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A Positive Attitude

◦ A student’s success is determined by their emotional response to

assessment results.

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A Positive Attitude

◦ A student’s success is determined by their emotional response to

assessment results.
◦ Assessment for learning focuses on provided an optimistic
response from students:
1. Provide students with a clear, student-friendly learning target.

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A Positive Attitude

◦ A student’s success is determined by their emotional response to

assessment results.
◦ Assessment for learning focuses on provided an optimistic
response from students:
1. Provide students with a clear, student-friendly learning target.
2. Provide students with models of strong and weak work so that
students know the expectations of learning.

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A Positive Attitude

◦ A student’s success is determined by their emotional response to

assessment results.
◦ Assessment for learning focuses on provided an optimistic
response from students:
1. Provide students with a clear, student-friendly learning target.
2. Provide students with models of strong and weak work so that
students know the expectations of learning.
3. Provide students with descriptive feedback. This is key for
students to self-assess and set goals.

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Seeking Assessment Synergy

◦ There needs to be a blend of traditional formative assessments

and assessment for learning in the classroom.

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Seeking Assessment Synergy

◦ There needs to be a blend of traditional formative assessments

and assessment for learning in the classroom.
◦ Both the measurement community and information management
systems need to understand the goals of classroom assessments
to help support the classroom teacher.

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Summing it Up

These are the conditions necessary to use assessment

productively:
1. Achievement targets must be clear.

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Summing it Up

These are the conditions necessary to use assessment

productively:
1. Achievement targets must be clear.
2. Attention must be paid to information needed for all decision
makers.

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Summing it Up

These are the conditions necessary to use assessment

productively:
1. Achievement targets must be clear.
2. Attention must be paid to information needed for all decision
makers.
3. Assessments must be accurate and produce dependable results.

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Summing it Up

These are the conditions necessary to use assessment

productively:
1. Achievement targets must be clear.
2. Attention must be paid to information needed for all decision
makers.
3. Assessments must be accurate and produce dependable results.
4. Communication of assessment results must happen in a timely
manner and involve communication with students (and allow
students to communicate results to others).

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Summing it Up

These are the conditions necessary to use assessment

productively:
1. Achievement targets must be clear.
2. Attention must be paid to information needed for all decision
makers.
3. Assessments must be accurate and produce dependable results.
4. Communication of assessment results must happen in a timely
manner and involve communication with students (and allow
students to communicate results to others).
When all these factors are in play, you will see formative assessment
changed into Assessment for Learning

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