Formative Assessment Research Paper

In order to answer this question, I first must differentiate between the functions and purposes of the summative assessment versus formative assessments. The purpose of a summative assessment is to judge whether a student has mastered topic that is taught this can be a skill and or content. It is usually given at the end of a chapter unit or school year, as in the case of End of course assessments. While formative assessments are used to measure the progress a student is making with a topic, formative assessments are usually considered assessment on or for teaching and are meant to inform the teachers instructional planning only. They are not meant to be used as graded work. On teaching means the assessment is evaluating students progress

They can be check ins that the teacher utilizes throughout the class period but typically occur at the end of the period in the form of short closure task. For example, they can be exit slips, 321 summaries, and/or think pair share assignments. These types of formative assessment helps the teacher to gage her lesson planning in the moment or for the next day (does he or she need to reteach a topic or can he or she continue) The for teaching formative assessments commonly come in the form of common formative assessment. These are evaluations that students take before the teacher creates with her teaching partner and students take before they begins a unit of study so that the teacher can plan for what skills and content his or her student needs throughout the unit and can be used multiple times within a unit by the teacher to see if he or she is making progress on the goals they set for themselves and their students at the beginning of

As a teacher I utilized multiple types of formative assessments, written, technologically based, and oral. I enjoyed being able to triangulate the data that a received from the students to better understand what their needs were. There were some students who responded to differently to different modes of assessments. Students who could answer orally may not be able to adequately respond in written form.

I also appreciated being able to collaborate with my colleagues around standards, grade level expectations, assessment format and instructional strategies and materials. Being able to work with someone else instead of alone in a silo allowed access too many resources. It also gave us consistency across the grade level. No matter which teacher a student had he or she knew the expectations for being successful was the same.

The teachers I have worked with appreciated the timely feedback they could attain form continuous use of formative assessments. This allowed them to make adjustments for all their students either through planning for future lessons or during a class