Been doing a lot of reading on formative and summative assessments, so I just thought I’d share ... We are a nation of tests, tests, and more tests. For some teachers, they teach; they assess; they grade, never to speak of that assessment again. Teachers are tired of giving tests and students are tired of taking them. Yet we continue the process. Why? Because we have to show proof of student learning. Did the student pass? What was the grade? Students, parents, teachers, and administrators all want to see the grades. Those grades are used to rate schools and districts, which translates into funding dollars. Assessments are not going away because there is too much at stake. Maybe if we changed what we did with assessments, we could change how we feel about assessments. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I‘ve heard numerous times that assessment drives instruction. Assessments should be more than just a grade. Assessments should be used to develop instruction and monitor student progress. Do we have time in a day to continually monitor every student? Probably not. But do you have time to do some type of formative assessment a few times a week? Probably so. If we perform formative assessments during the unit and adjust teaching strategies as needed, the scores on the summative assessments shouldn’t be a surprise.
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