Study of Studies: Formative Assessment

Ryan Graham

Formative vs. Summative AssessmentFormative

AssessmentIs any assessment

which provides feedback to the teacher for the purpose of improving instruction.

(Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1996)

Summative AssessmentA culminating

assessment, which gives information on student’s mastery of content.

(ASCD, 1996)

Why formative assessment?“Empirical studies have shown the effectiveness of

formative assessment for students, and recent theoretical work indicates that the positive feedback aspect of formative assessment stimulates self-regulation and transformation, processes that are regarded as critical to developing intelligence.”

“When teachers understand what students know and how they think, and then use that knowledge to make more effective instructional decisions, significant increases in student learning occur.”

(Davis & McGowen, 2007)

Why formative assessment?“Firm evidence shows that formative

assessment is an essential component of classroom work and that its development can raise standards of achievement.”

(Black & Wiliam, 1998)

“Reviews of research have demonstrated that substantial learning gains are possible when teachers introduce formative assessment into their classroom practice”

(Wiliam, Lee, Harrison, & Black, 2004)

Categorizing formal assessmentASSESSING MATHEMATICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE•Use a vocabulary “Pre-test” before a unit to grasp student understanding

Categorizing formal assessmentASSESSING MATHEMATICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE•Use a daily quiz sheet as an exit slip on entry slip into class.

Categorizing formal assessmentASSESSING MATHEMATICAL PROCESS

•To try to get the students to “think about their thinking”, try using some of the following interview questions.

Categorizing formal assessmentASSESSING MATHEMATICAL DISPOSITIONS

•Try using the following question to get an understanding of how the student feels about math.

Use rich questioning Item 1 (success rate 88%)Which fraction is the smallest?

A. 1/6 B. 2/3 C. 1/3 D. 1/2

Item 2 (success rate 46%)Which fraction is the largest? A. 4/5 B. 3/4 C. 5/8 D. 7/10

Use rich questioning Have students write test questions.“There is a substantial body of evidence that

classroom learning is enhanced considerably by shifting from asking questions to making statements.” (Wiliam 1999)

EX. Instead of asking “Is a square a rectangle?” Make the statement “A square is always a rectangle. Explain why.”

Dialogue and Feedback“Successful teaching and learning is about

dialogue and feedback.” (Callingham, 2008)Find a task or activity that engages students. Provide feedback with two pieces of

information:1. An affirmation of what they can currently do 2. What they need to do next to improve their

understanding

Dialogue and Feedback“Feedback has to be tailored to the student

and the context, and there is no simple set of instructions that can be followed to ensure that it always provides a positive result.” (Callingham, 2008)

Remember that every student is an individual and every student learns differently. What works for one student may not work for another.

Student Self-AssessmentThe teacher must share criteria with the

students so that they know where it is they need to be. (a goal to reach for)

Students need to monitor their own progress towards that goal.

Formative AssessmentFormative assessment isn’t an adding piece

to the curriculumIt is something that teachers need to be

doing everyday within their teaching

Formative AssessmentIs there evidence that improving formative

assessment raises standards?YESIs there evidence that there is room for

improvement?YESIs there evidence about how to improve

formative assessment?YES

Bibliography Boston, C. (2002). The Concept of formative assessment. Practical

Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 8(9), Retrieved from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=8&n=9

Callingham, R. (2008, September 22). Dialogue & feedback assessment in the primary mathematics classroom. Australian Primary Mathematics, 13(3), 18-21.

 Davis, G.E., & McGowen, M.A. (2007). Formative feedback and the mindful

teaching of mathematics. Australian Senior Mathematics Journal, 21(1), 19-29.

 Heritage, M., Kim, J., Vendlinski, T. , & Herman, J. (2009). From Evidence

to action: a seamless process in formaative assessment?. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 28(3), 24-31. 

     

BibliographyLawson, D. (1999). Formative assessment using computer-

aided assessment. Teaching Mathematics And Its Applications, 18(4), 155-158.

 McIntosh, M.E. (1997, November/December). Formative

assessment in mathematics. Clearing House, 71(2), 92-99. Wiliam, D. , & Black, P. (1998, October). Inside the black box:

raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappa, 1-13.

Wiliam, D. (1999). Formative assessment in mathematics part 1: rich questioning. Mathematics and Special Educational Needs, 5(2), 15-18.

BibliographyWiliam, D. (2000). Formative assessment in

mathematics part 3: the learner's role. Mathematics and Special Educational Needs, 6(1), 19-22.

 Wiliam, D., Lee, C., Harrison, C., & Black, P.

(2004). Teachers developing assessment for learning: impact on student achievement. Assessment In Education, 11(1), 49-65.