6 minute read
Definitions of Formative and Summative Assessment
Think about a fifth-grade student who is working on a project for science. This project asks students to create a model to describe how the energy in an animal’s food comes from the sun. The teacher has developed a feedback routine where each student receives recognition of a strength, information about an area that needs strengthening, and a brief description of what comes next. This student’s feedback indicates that a clear description of an animal’s food is present, but the connection to the sun is missing. It also provides a resource the student can use to learn more about this connection. The teacher devotes the first few minutes of work the next day to reading and preparing to respond to the feedback. She reminds students to look for explicit information in their feedback that describes next steps to improve their work. Students receive time to collaborate and improve before resubmitting their work to the teacher. The fifth-grade student is now empowered to gather information from that resource to further develop her project. This assessment process informs students of what comes next and gives them time to take action.
Assessment Informs Teachers of Immediate Needs
Because of this truth, teachers must constantly observe and collect data on the class’s needs in order to quickly adjust their instruction based on emerging evidence. The word immediate reiterates the fact that assessment is not an event but a process. Formative assessment for the purpose of determining immediate needs could come in the form of conversations, observations, think-pair-shares, turn-and-talks, or other unobtrusive classroom activities. (We will cover this type of formative assessment in more detail in chapter 4, page 73.) The critical elements are that teachers keep the end goal in mind and they are comfortable being agile in their instruction based on these classroom observations and formative data. Reflecting on the previous examples of the assessment truths, notice that each time the teacher is using the data in a formative manner. There is a focus on feedback, student ownership and response, and teacher agility to address student needs. Assessment should inform teachers of their next steps to maximize learning.
Let’s take a moment to make sure we are clear on how formative assessment differs from summative assessment.
Definitions of Formative and Summative Assessment
Assessment in the classroom setting generally falls into three categories: (1) preassessment (assessment to determine readiness), (2) formative assessment (assessment to inform next steps), and (3) summative assessment (assessment to verify learning). Preassessment can be considered as a part of the formative paradigm because its use guides decisions about future teaching and learning. Assessment should not be
defined by its timing, title, or task type; it should be defined by the type of evidence gathered and the instructional response to the collected data. An assessment should not be labeled formative just because it occurs in the middle of learning. Instead, what makes an assessment formative in nature is the instructional response to the data collected from learners. What makes an assessment summative is the collection of data to verify that learning has occurred.
The distinction between formative and summative assessment is not simply a determination as to whether to assign a grade to the work. The distinction lies in whether the teacher will use the data to guide student learning as a checkpoint or the teacher will use the data to determine proficiency. The same assessment can be used formatively (to instructionally respond to meet learners’ needs) or summatively (to record learners’ proficiency). A teacher might intend to use an assessment for the purpose of summative evaluation but might instead use it formatively if students do not display an adequate level of proficiency. Table 1.1 outlines some characteristics of formative and summative assessments and their uses in the classroom.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
• Provides robust data that allow for an instructional response
• Informs students of what comes next on their personal learning journey
• Allows for feedback that is actionable in nature
• Has the potential to have a profound and lasting influence on student
learning
• Is infused into everyday instruction to allow for agility on the part of the teacher • Guides the reporting process
• Confirms students’ proficiency level
• Occurs after students have had ample time to practice and develop proficiency
• Can also become formative in nature with an instructional response
It can also be argued that every assessment event can be labeled as formative if the teacher is constantly revising and adapting instruction and practice based on emerging learner evidence. The event does not dictate the response; every assessment event is an opportunity for everyone involved to learn and grow.
Research continues to show that formative assessment has a positive effect on student learning (Chappuis & Stiggins, 2020; Chappuis, Stiggins, Chappuis, & Arter,
2012; Heritage, 2008; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2005; Popham, 2008; Wiliam, 2018). Through their extensive research, Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam (1998a) describe that formative assessment is “amongst the largest ever reported for educational interventions” (p. 61). That is, formative assessment plays one of the largest roles in advancing student learning.
Formative assessment holds the promise that teachers and learners go through the learning journey together. The non-negotiable element is that teachers must pair formative assessment with an instructional response to see increased achievement. A quick internet search of the word formative (n.d.) produces the following definition: “serving to form something, especially having a profound and lasting influence on a person’s development.” The term assessment comes from the Latin root assidere, which means “to sit beside” (Slattery, 2018). When put together, formative assessment should be an experience where a teacher works alongside students to have a profound and lasting influence on their learning. The formative process should not quantify learning while students are still in the process of improving. It should give feedback, form a partnership between teacher and learner, and encourage continued growth and learning.
Here’s an example to further clarify the difference between formative assessment and summative assessment. Imagine that a sixth-grade mathematics teacher gives students each an exit ticket on adding and subtracting fractions. He aligns this assessment to the intended standard and indicates to students that the assessment is formative. That night, the teacher takes the exit tickets (or the digital results) home and looks over student work. Let’s consider two different scenarios of how the teacher might interact with the data: (1) using the assessment tool formatively and (2) using the assessment tool summatively.
Scenario 1: Using the Assessment Tool Formatively
When assigning the exit ticket, the teacher communicates to students that he plans to use this assessment formatively so he can target his instruction in the next couple of days to meet their needs. Thus, he encourages vulnerability and an understanding that their work should not be perfect—he must see what they know and what they need if he wants to plan accordingly.
When looking through the assessment results, the teacher searches for patterns. He finds that several students exhibit procedural fluency with the topic while several other students aren’t quite understanding the concept of a common denominator. He decides to split the class’s assessments into three groups: (1) students who need enrichment, (2) students who are close to the target and need a little more practice and guidance with manipulatives to truly understand common denominators, and
