Having read the article, “A critical analysis of the use of formative assessments in schools,” by Colin Marsh, I have to agree that formative assessments are necessary in the classroom and beneficial for all students. Formative, meaning tests that are not graded but that are used to inform both teachers and students to guide and enhance their learning. Having students self evaluate themselves is also key. Students who reflect over their work are actively involved in their own learning and it allows them assess their work and understand how to improve.
With the No Child Left Behind Act and heavy emphasis on standardized tests teachers have shifted focus and conduct more summative assessments, rather then formative. With all the examinations and pressure to reach high academic results, teachers don’t necessarily have time to focus on how much progress a student has made but instead must make sure that the student is at or above the minimum standard.
There are several ways instructional strategies can be used formatively. I think as a teacher it’s important to constantly observe your students. It allows the teacher to gain a sense of what the student knows and understands and guides them in how they should plan instruction. Also teachers should set goals for their students and get them involved. Establishing a goal will get students to understand where they need to be and how they are going to get there. Students can also keep portfolios and running records of their work to help them see where they’ve started and the progress they’ve been making.
Marsh, C. (2007) A critical analysis of the use of formative assessments in schools. Educ Res Policy Prac, 6, 25-29.
Sophia,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. I agree formative assessments are key to directing instruction and tracking your students’ progress. Assessments can be given at the beginning, middle, and end of the year to see the skills that students have mastered and the areas of concern. They can be used to show feedback and to show a teacher what techniques are working and which ones need to be adjusted. They can show signs of a learning disability or perhaps expose the talents of a gifted learner. They can be used for all the students in a class and can also help the teacher form learning groups for reading, writing, science and math classes. These test results can also serve as guides when conducting parent teacher conferences and when meeting with your administration. Here is a great article that discusses the importance of formative assessments when developing your curriculum: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2966/formative-assessment.html
Hi Sophia!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post on formative assessments. I agree that formative assessments are absolutely essential to quality instruction. Intuitively, it would seem that the best teachers would be making informal formative assessments and providing feedback repeatedly throughout the school day as an organic aspect of the teaching process. I can also see how the most effective assessment systems probably incorporate both formative and summative assessments. I came across a report written by Margaret Jorgensen and published by Pearson - on a comprehensive assessment program that includes some interesting information. The report is entitled, “Toward Complete Assessment Systems: Stanford Learning First”. According to the report, “Stanford Learning First™ is an assessment system that incorporates formative and summative classroom assessments that are closely aligned to state content and performance standards.” Stanford Learning First can be described as comprehensive, by including both summative and formative assessments; coherent and integrated, through its horizontal alignment to standards and vertical alignment to the goals and structure of education systems; and continuous, by using multiple periodic assessments to track student achievement.” Although Pearson is aiming to sell their product on a national level, there are still some interesting ideas and summary definitions in the report.