Benchmark, Common, and Formative Assessments

Assessments that fall between the large scale summative assessments and classroom based formative assessments

Used to predict, inform, and evaluate student performance

Should be aligned or correlated to the summative assessments

(2007) Center for Assessment

Predict student achievement on summative test (e.g., early warning)

Provide information on how best to target curriculum to meet student needs

Provide aggregate information on how students in a school/ district/state are doing and where areas of weakness are

Determine students' knowledge/skills levels to group them for instruction

Encourage students to evaluate their own knowledge and discover the areas in which they need to learn more.

Evaluate the effectiveness of various curricular and/or instructional practices

Reinforce curricular pacing Practice for summative test Increase teacher knowledge of assessment, content

domain, and student learning(2007) Center for Assessment

Benchmark

Common

Formative

Benchmarks Assessment developed by district Typically given on a schedule developed

by the districtMay not be as instructionally relevant

as other assessments Given by teacher Focused on student performance

Benchmarks (Uses) Data can be used to inform instruction

Possibly to inform intervention decisions Used to evaluate instructional

effectiveness Measure student progress Usually too far removed from instruction

Beginning of the year

End of the year

Typical School Year

STAR 85%

Benchmark Assessments

Predict Performance

Common Much more teacher focused

Teams of teachers develop and schedule▪Example: All 6th grade teachers at a site

Data to be used in small group discussion to help the instructional process

Tied directly to learning objectives being taught in a specific short time period

Beginning of the year

End of the year

Typical School Year

STAR 85%

Benchmark Assessments

Common Assessments

Predict Performance

Formative Assessments An assessment is formative to the extent

that information from the assessment is used, during the instructional segment in which the assessment occurred, to adjust instruction with the intent of better meeting the needs of the students assessed.

(2007) Center for Assessment

Formative Assessments Not truly interim as they can be minute

by minute Used by teachers in a classroom setting

to inform instructional decisions Example: Checking for understanding

Does not need to be written