Understanding Formative Assessment: A Special Report

Formative assessment is one of the most widely used—but poorly understood—instructional techniques. This special report highlights common misconceptions about the approach and shows how formative assessment differs from other kinds of assessments, such as summative or benchmark tests. It also illuminates some ways that educators can use formative assessment in their classrooms to find out on the spot whether students are really "getting it."

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OVERVIEW
Searching for Clarity on Formative Assessment
Ask five teachers what formative assessment is and you're likely to get five different definitions.
November 11, 2015 – Education Week

Q&A: Misconceptions About Formative Assessment
Richard J. Stiggins, an advocate of classroom assessments in the service of learning, identifies common misunderstandings about formative assessment.
November 11, 2015 – Education Week

Should Formative Assessments Be Graded?
Experts warn against grading formative assessments, but teachers sometimes worry that students won't take the tasks seriously any other way.
November 11, 2015 – Education Week

New Tools Help Track Common-Core Learning
PARCC and Smarter Balanced have formative assessments that enable teachers to see if students 'get it' long before the tests.
November 11, 2015 – Education Week

Students 'Self-Assess' Their Way to Learning
In a growing number of schools, student self-assessments are just another part of the learning process.
November 11, 2015 – Education Week

Arizona Leans In on Formative Assessment
In the Grand Canyon State, teachers are getting a leg up in their efforts to improve the on-the-spot assessments and instructional decisions they make in the classroom.
November 11, 2015 – Education Week

Learning Progressions: Maps to Personalized Teaching
In Denver and elsewhere, learning progressions offer one tool teachers can use in the formative-assessment process.
November 11, 2015 – Education Week

Technology Fed Growth in Formative Assessment
Education-technology tools have made it easier for teachers to keep tabs on students' understanding.
November 11, 2015 – Education Week

Types of Assessments: A Head-to-Head Comparison
What is the difference between formative and interim assessments? This chart provides a guide for distinguishing different kinds of student assessments.
November 11, 2015 – Education Week

Formative-Assessment Videos
Watch how formative-assessment techniques play out in the classroom.
November 11, 2015 – Education Week

Understanding Formative Assessment: A Live Chat With An Expert
In this live chat, Richard J. Stiggins, a national authority on classroom assessment for student learning, will answer your questions about what formative assessment is—and isn’t.
November 17, 2015 – Education Week

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