Day 22: Common Formative Assessments

Source:

Ainsworth, L. & Viegut, D. (2006). Common Formative Assessments: How to Connect Standards-based Instruction and Assessment. Corwin Press.

What is Sacred:

The benefits of common formative assessments:

• Regular and timely feedback regarding student attainment of most critical standards, which allows teachers to modify instruction to better meet the diverse learning needs of all students

• Multiple-measure assessments that allow students to demonstrate their understanding in a variety of formats

• Ongoing collaboration opportunities for grade-level, course, and department teachers

• Consistent expectations within a grade level, course, and department regarding standards, instruction, and assessment priorities

• Agreed-upon criteria for proficiency to be met within each individual classroom, grade level, school, and district

• Deliberate alignment of classroom, school, district, and state assessments to better prepare students for success on state assessments

• Results that have predictive value as to how students are likely to do on each succeeding assessment, in time to make instructional modifications

Connection to Current/Future Work:

There are several things going on, although they are currently at the back burner for me. One is creating authentic, culturally-relevant assessments. The other is in the creation of my new courses, to look at the kinds of signature assignments and formative assessment that will be sustainable and meaningful. Based on this, it is honing down my power standards.

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