Formative Assessment

Assessment of student progress has been a centerpiece of the standards and accountability movement in education since the early 1990s. The focus of the movement has been primarily on assessment of learning; i.e., annual testing of students to provide evidence of achievement for public reporting purposes. Throughout this time period, however, there have been calls for a greater emphasis on assessment for learning; that is, ongoing classroom assessment that helps students learn more. Also known as "formative assessment," the practice has been defined in various ways, but generally refers to assessment carried out during the instructional process to help teachers and students modify their work to improve student learning. Recent studies of high-performing, high-poverty schools have shown that ongoing assessment of individual students is critical to improving student achievement and closing the achievement gap. This evidence, combined with pressure to improve student achievement on state tests, has begun to bring formative assessment to the forefront as states, districts, and schools search for ways to improve learning for all students.

Conference or Meeting

The CRESST Conference: The Future of Education Accountability URL: HTTP://WWW.CSE.UCLA.EDU Format: URL, Professional Development Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) Abstract: This conference will be held January 22-23, 2007, at UCLA. Concurrent sessions are expected to include the new CRESST POWERSOURCE Formative Assessment System and Technology to Improve Assessment and Learning. read more > How to read this information >

Professional Association

Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center URL: HTTP://WWW.AACOMPCENTER.ORG Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: WestEd Abstract: The Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center, operated by WestEd and CRESST, began its work in 2005. It provides resources on special populations, English language learners, data systems, accountability models, and high school assessment read more > How to read this information >

National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) URL: HTTP://WWW.CSE.UCLA.EDU/ Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) Abstract: The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) provides information on formative assessment. Go to their Web site and search under key word "formative assessment" for a list of reports and policy briefs by CRESST. Additionally, CRESST has conducted a number of studies and issued reports relevant to ELL. read more > How to read this information >

SCASS Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers (FAST) URL: HTTP://WWW.CCSSO.ORG/PROJECTS/SCASS/PROJECTS/ Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Abstract: The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has a new State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards (SCASS) called Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers (FAST). The inaugural meeting was held in Austin, Texas, in October 2006, and featured nationally recognized experts on the topic and readings/resources. Similar meetings may be held in the future. read more > How to read this information >

The Assessment Reform Group URL: HTTP://WWW.ASSESSMENT-REFORM-GROUP.ORG/ Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Assessment Reform Group Abstract: The Assessment Reform Group is a British organization that has played a key role in bringing research evidence about assessment for learning to the attention of the education community. The ARG commissioned the Black and Wiliam work, Inside the Black Box (see below,) and the follow-up Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box. The Web site contains a great deal of information about formative assessment, including a downloadable leaflet titled Assessment for Learning: 10 Principles. Research-based principles to guide classroom practice. read more > How to read this information >

Professional Development

ETS Assessment Training Institute (ETS/ATI) URL: HTTP://WWW.ASSESSMENTINST.COM/ Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Educational Testing Service (ETS) Abstract: ETS Assessment Training Institute (ETS/ATI) helps K-12 educators improve student achievement by integrating student-involved classroom assessment with day-to-day instruction. The Web site lists professional development and other resources for formative assessment. read more > How to read this information >

Institute for Improving Student Learning URL: HTTP://WWW.MEASUREDPROGRESS.ORG/PD/WORKSHOPS/ Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Measured Progress Abstract: This 2-day workshop offered by Measured Progress combines Examining Student Work To Improve Achievement and Teacher as Effective Classroom Assessor. 2007 institutes are scheduled for February in Atlanta, April in Baton Rouge, June in Atlanta, and July in Louisville. read more > How to read this information >

Professional Development in Assessment Literacy URL: HTTP://WWW.ASSESSMENTINST.COM/PROF_DEV_PROGRAMS.PHP Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: ETS Assessment Training Institute (ETS/ATI) Abstract: Professional Development in Assessment Literacy from the ETS Assessment Training Institute (ATI) is centered on classroom assessment for student learning. ATI trainers provide some of the initial and ongoing sessions, but the program is a train-the-trainer model that relies on local collaborative learning teams. The basic ATI literacy development program requires 50 to 70 hours to complete, including 6 to 11 meetings of teams that include three to seven educators each. Typically, teams complete the work over several months. All ATI training materials, including print materials and interactive videos, have been designed for use by learning teams. read more > How to read this information >

Research

Assessment and Classroom Learning URL: HTTP://WWW.INFORMAWORLD.COM/SMPP/CONTENT~CONTENT=A739137310~DB=ALL Format: PDF, URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Carfax Publishing Company Abstract: This special issue of the journal Assessment in Education contains the full results of the research review that is summarized in the widely-read Kappan article, Inside the Black Box. The authors reviewed 250 research sources and concluded that improving formative assessment raises standards. Rating: Claims of Effectiveness: No claims of effectiveness are made. How to read this information >

Educational Assessment: Special Issue: Assessing to Teach URL: HTTP://WWW.LEAONLINE.COM/DOI/ABS/10.1207/S15326977EA1103&4_1 Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) Abstract: This special issue of the journal Educational Assessment (Vol. 11, Nos. 3 & 4), edited by Margaret Heritage and Allison Bailey of the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), brings together five articles on the topic of formative assessment. Rating: How to read this information >

Tool

Assessment Format: Print Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Hodder Education Abstract: Based on available research (in L. Darling-Hammond & J. Bransford [Eds.]), Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do (pp. 275-312), this chapter includes a lengthy section on formative assessment. It presents a model for formative assessment followed by several specific strategies and tools teachers may use as part of everyday instructional routines. Rating: How to read this information >

Assessment Crisis: The Absence of Assessment for Learning URL: HTTP://WWW.MEASUREDPROGRESS.ORG/PD/PRODUCTS/PAPERS/INDEX.HTML Format: Print, URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Phi Delta Kappa International Abstract: This is an opinion piece by one of the leading national experts on formative assessment. Stiggins argues for balancing the assessment of learning, which is a centerpiece of the testing and accountability movement, with assessment for learning, which employs ongoing classroom assessments that help students learn more. Rating: Claims of Effectiveness: No claims of effectiveness are made. How to read this information >

Assessment for Learning URL: HTTP://CMS.CURRICULUM.EDU.AU/ASSESSMENT/AT/DEFAULT.ASP Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Assessment for Learning Abstract: The Assessment for Learning Web site is an Australian source of 32 assessment tasks in the areas of English, Science, Studies of Society and Environment and Health and Physical Education, Languages Other Than English, Technology, the Arts and Mathematics. In each learning area there are four assessment tasks-two at primary level and two at secondary level. For each task, the following details are provided: necessary prior learning, a series of scaffolding activities, resources for students and teachers to assist in completing the task, rubrics for both teachers and students, annotated work samples, suggested follow-up teaching and learning activities. While the items are linked with Australian curriculum, some might be of use in teaching Kentucky's core content. read more > How to read this information >

Assessment for Learning: Putting It Into Practice URL: HTTP://WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK/ASSESSMENT-LEARNING-PUTTING-INTO-PRACTICE/D... Format: Print, URL Focus Area: Assessment Abstract: Assessment for Learning is based on a 2-year project that involved 30+ teachers in schools in the United Kingdom. It is an expansion of Inside the Black Box and Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box by the same authors. After a brief review of the research background and of the project itself, successive chapters describe the specific practices that teachers found fruitful and the underlying ideas about learning that these developments illustrate. This book offers valuable insights into assessment for learning as teachers describe in their own words how they turned the ideas into practical action in their schools. Rating: Claims of Effectiveness: No claims of effectiveness are made. How to read this information >

CRESST POWERSOURCE© URL: HTTP://WWW.CRESSTPOWERSOURCE.COM/ Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) Abstract: CRESST POWERSOURCE© formative assessments in middle school pre-algebra and algebra focus on big mathematical ideas. Development of the assessments is funded by a $10 million grant obtained in 2005 from the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. Assessments will be developed for 6th grade the first year, 7th grade the 2nd year, and 8th grade the third year. read more > How to read this information >

Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning URL: HTTP://HEPG.ORG/HEP/BOOK/53 Format: Print, URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Harvard Education Press Abstract: Not focused solely on formative assessment, this book provides useful information on data use as a whole. The book presents a blueprint for school leaders on how examining test scores and other classroom data can become a catalyst for schoolwide conversations that will enhance schools' ability to capture teachers' knowledge, foster collaboration, identify obstacles to change, and enhance school culture and climate. read more > How to read this information >

Educative Assessment: Designing Assessments to Inform and Improve Student Performance URL: HTTP://WWW.JOSSEYBASS.COM/WILEYCDA/WILEYTITLE/PRODUCTCD-0787908487.... Format: Print, URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Jossey-Bass Abstract: In this book, Grant Wiggins outlines design standards for performance-based assessments that promise students of all ability levels clear and worthy performance targets, useful feedback, coaching, and the opportunity to progress towards excellence. Designed as a practical guide, the book furnishes the information needed to design performance-based assessments, craft performance tasks that meet rigorous educational standards, score assessments fairly, and structure student portfolios. It also shows how performance assessment can be used to improve curriculum and instruction, grading, and reporting, as well as teacher accountability. read more > How to read this information >

Formative Assessment and the Design of Instructional Systems URL: HTTP://WWW.SPRINGERLINK.COM/CONTENT/X7L185036H762M45/ Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: SpringerLink Abstract: Often identified as a seminal or landmark work on formative assessment, this article offers a theory of formative assessment and identifies the classroom conditions necessary for students to benefit from feedback. Rating: How to read this information >

Formative Assessment in the Secondary Classroom URL: HTTP://WWW.HODDEREDUCATION.CO.UK/TITLESLIST/9585/FORMATIVE_ASSESSME... Format: Print, URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Hodder Education Abstract: This practical guide focuses on learning objectives, effective questioning, self- and peer assessment, and feedback as the key elements of formative assessment. Examples are provided from across the secondary curriculum and from practicing teachers. read more > How to read this information >

Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment Format: Print Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Phi Delta Kappa International Abstract: This widely-read, landmark review of the literature was the first in a series of articles on formative assessment by Black and Wiliam. This article was based on an extensive survey of the research literature, which concluded that improving formative assessment raises standards, particularly for low achievers. Research evidence is used to suggest ways to improve formative assessment. Rating: Claims of Effectiveness: No claims of effectiveness are made. How to read this information >

Linking Formative Assessment to Scaffolding URL: HTTP://WWW.MEASUREDPROGRESS.ORG/PD/PRODUCTS/PAPERS/INDEX.HTML Format: Print, URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Abstract: This brief article draws on prior research to identify and describe four effective strategies common to both formative assessment and scaffolding: (1) eliciting prior knowledge, (2) providing effective feedback, (3) teaching for transfer of knowledge, and (4) teaching students how to self-assess. Rating: Claims of Effectiveness: No claims of effectiveness are made. How to read this information >

Measured Progress URL: HTTP://WWW.MEASUREDPROGRESS.ORG/PD/PRODUCTS/PAPERS/INDEX.HTML Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Measured Progress Abstract: The Measured Progress Web site offers a number of articles on formative assessment that can be downloaded for free. read more > How to read this information >

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) URL: HTTP://WWW.NWEA.ORG/ASSESSMENTS/MAP.ASP Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Northwest Evaluation Association Abstract: Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), developed by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), is a state-aligned, computerized, adaptive assessment program that is grade-independent and adapts to each child's level. The tests may be administered four times a year to give teachers feedback to make instructional adjustments. Tests are available in reading, mathematics, and language usage. Scores are reported by means of percentiles, achievement, and student growth. In general, students in Grades 2 through 10 take MAP tests; because the tests are grade independent, they may be appropriate for students in lower or higher grades. NWEA is completing the development of tests for early primary grade students. read more > How to read this information >

Pearson PASeries® URL: HTTP://WWW.PEARSONPASERIES.COM/INDEX.HTM Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Pearson Educational Measurement Abstract: Progress Assessment Series: Pearson PASeries® for Grades 3-12 is designed to measure progress and forecast student growth toward state performance goals or grade level expectations. The PASeries (Progress Assessment Series®) for Reading, Mathematics, Algebra I, and Writing connects classroom instruction to results. read more > How to read this information >

Progress Toward Standards™ (PTS) Assessment Collection URL: HTTP://WWW.MEASUREDPROGRESS.ORG/ASSESSMENTS/CLASSROOM/ Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Measured Progress Abstract: The Progress Toward Standards™ (PTS) Assessment Collection offers classroom assessments designed to help identify student strengths and needs relative to state standards, help educators modify curriculum and instruction to improve student learning, cover content aligned with standards and grade-level expectations, and assess higher order thinking skills. The current version, PTS/2, features seven levels (grades 3-8, plus high school) in reading and mathematics. A newer version (PTS/3) will be available in 2007. Measured Progress will score the items and return results to schools in four weeks. read more > How to read this information >

PTS Item Bank URL: HTTP://WWW.MEASUREDPROGRESS.ORG/ASSESSMENTS/CLASSROOM/ITEMBANK.HTML Format: URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Measured Progress Abstract: This item bank from Measured Progress contains items that measure reading and math skills in Grades 1 through 12 and compare to items used in statewide tests. Student responses to these items can help identify learning strengths and weaknesses. read more > How to read this information >

Targeting Assessment in the Primary Classroom URL: HTTP://WWW.HODDEREDUCATION.CO.UK/TITLESLIST/9585/FORMATIVE_ASSESSME... Format: Print, URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: Hodder Education Abstract: This book provides practical strategies for planning and implementing assessment procedures that will advance children's learning and improve teaching, while also meeting statutory requirements. read more > How to read this information >

Using Data/Getting Results: A Practical Guide for School Improvement in Mathematics and Science with CD-ROM URL: HTTP://WWW.TERC.EDU/WORK/743.HTML Format: Print, URL Focus Area: Assessment Provider: TERC Abstract: This book combines practical tools and a conceptual framework for understanding data-driven reform. It includes guidelines, tools, and skills for using data as a catalyst for change. Building on this publication, TERC has developed a comprehensive, long-term professional development program and supporting materials designed for data facilitators. read more > How to read this information >

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