Teaching and learning may be a complex process, but it can be simplified. If you're looking to help your child or your students experience growth and gain confidence, the information I'm about to share with you can make it happen. This simple method of instruction will also make you a more confident teacher, I promise.

Throughout my 29 years of teaching, I researched what seemed to be endless new methods of teaching, dug into brain research, and collected binders of data in hopes of discovering how to more effectively increase student achievement. There were many discoveries that impacted my teaching to some degree.

However, one created a foundational shift that has proven its impact year after year. It completely changed the way I interacted with my students because I redefined my role in the classroom and that's why I want to share this information about Formative Assessment with you.

Before I knew about Formative Assessment, I excitedly implemented the core curriculum with the intention of delivering information to my students. I thought I was doing a great job because I successfully covered the content and made it through the curriculum as outlined by the school district. Students grades were entered at the appropriate time, and wow, was I great at managing the paperwork! I was praised for this by district leadership, so it must have been quality, right?

Thank goodness my students were the benefactors of continual evolution as I researched and implemented new methods and pedagogies in my classroom. Developing my skills of Formative Assessment truly was an evolution. It allowed me to shift away from the traditional role of the teacher as information giver and move towards the role of learning facilitator.

This is what I discovered: Formative Assessment helps teachers and students become partners in the learning process. It increases the teacher's understanding of students' background knowledge while increasing students' academic accountability as communication between students and teacher.

In hindsight, I realized my first years in education were not stellar. At the time I thought I was doing great. I kept up with deadlines, outlined easy to follow lessons, and documented their grades with confidence. It hurts to admit it. I thought I this meant I was a pretty good teacher.

It was a few year into my career when I realized the powerful impact I could make on the depth of students' engagement. Students were active in my class. They bought into the urgency I created about learning specific skills and concepts. But, I needed to find out how to make the most of their willingness to participate in my daily lessons and activities.

I started letting go of the belief that students needed to learn what was prescribed at the same time. I stopped assuming what students knew. It took me a while, but I shifted my attention away from teaching looked towards learning. Becoming aware of Formative Assessment helped me become a more effective teacher.

Hopefully, this information can help you, too.

What is Formative Assessment?

A planned practice to elicit evidence of learning minute to minute, day by day in the classroom; along with non-summative assessments that occur while content is still being taught. Both of these can inform teachers of what students know or do not know, help students understand what it is they are ready to learn next, so teachers can adjust their instruction accordingly for each of their students. - Dylan Wiliam

Traditionally, we have used assessments to measure how much our students have learned up to a particular point in time. This is called “assessment of learning” — or what we use to see whether our students are meeting standards set by the state, the district, or the classroom teacher.

Formative Assessments are assessments for learning. Rather than an end in the learning process, these ongoing assessments are part of the process of learning. Think of these as “understanding checks”. The judgment of student performance waits for summative assessment when students demonstrate mastery of identified standards.

The Process of Learning

Formative assessments are considered part of the learning process. They serve as a guide for teacher decision making about future instruction. They also provide feedback to students so they better able to improve their performance. Formative assessments help instructors to differentiate learning and thus improve student achievement.

Removing emotion and judgment, formative assessment is meant to be a subjective observation of student performance. Rick Stiggins suggests

“the student’s role is to strive to understand what success looks like and to use each assessment to try to understand how to do better the next time.” This does not happen alone. A meaningful partnership between teacher and student is essential.

Many teachers believe they lack the time to implement “understanding checks” and the differentiated instruction and learning that follows. The fear of losing time for content instruction while implementing formative assessment is real. But, in a rush to cover more content, students actually learn less. The meaningful elements of interaction with new information and reflection on performance against predefined standards help students retain and transfer information with greater agility.

Formative assessments, when thought of as part of the learning process, are not something “extra” teachers need to accomplish in their day. They are an integral part of the learning culture, a culture where both teacher and students are willing to risks for the sake of deep learning in every classroom.

Formative Assessment Features

• Pre-assessment
• Share learning targets/expectations with students
• Providing mentor texts or exemplars for investigation
• Student self-assessment against established criteria
• Provide effective feedback throughout
• Student created checklists or rubrics based on established criteria
• Peer assessments based using provide or student created checklist/rubric
• Understanding checks (repeated multiple times over the course of a lesson)
• Performance evaluation before summative assessment
• Reteaching based on needs throughout learning process
• Differentiated activities to display understanding of standard

How to Plan for Formative Assessment

Planning for formative assessment requires a clear understanding of the predetermined learning standard along with the necessary learning progression required for success. Anticipation of misunderstandings is key. As you visualize the lesson, intentionally design opportunities for formative assessment. Keep in mind, there are always opportunities for information assessment and meaningful dialogue that advance learning. Take advantage of these moments. But always embed formative assessment intentionally.

Planning for Formative Assessment

Look at differentiation through the same lens. Plan opportunities for differentiation based on what you already know about the students. However, allow yourself the flexibility to create differentiated elements as needs arise. Remaining flexible is your professional prerogative.

Questions for Planning Formative Assessment

1. What standard am I addressing in this lesson?
2. Do I have access to mentor texts/exemplar to share with students before the learning begins?
3. What types of formative assessment might be most appropriate for this lesson?
4. What choices will my students have the process of learning?
5. Will students be involved in the creation of a self-evaluation tool that reflects the success criteria?
6. What specific indicators are required in their work to demonstrate proficiency? Mastery?
7. How will differentiation play a role in supporting students who are “not there yet”?
8. How will I assess student learning multiple time through the learning process?
9. Have I designed summative assessment(s)?

Formative Assessment includes a collection of well thought out step by the teacher OR the students OR both the teacher and students. These are not “formative quizzes” or “Formative Test”. Understanding checks are opportunities to check performance. From an objective view, teachers partner with students to observe learning. Focus on the thinking about learning. What is revealed about student understanding then drive instruction in lessons and instruction that follow.

Formative Assessment is all about teachers observing student understanding and teachers using those observations to drive instruction to help student move closer to the learning objectives.

Remove Emotions and Judgments

Get emotions and judgments out of the way. Help students see formative assessment as non-threatening opportunities for adjustments. One way to accomplish this is to take a moment to ask students how their work thus far compares to the established standards or exemplar provided.

Allow them to respond and question further about what steps are necessary to make further progress in their understanding. For instance, you may want to ask students, "What did you do effectively in this lesson?" rather than "What are you good at in this lesson?" or "What do you need to practice more to improve your skill in this lesson?" rather than, "What are you struggling with in this lesson?"

When you respond, respond with clear, actionable steps, free of judgment descriptors. Stick to the facts, and stick to the plan when you have a verbal exchange with the learner. This dialogue involves informal assessment feedback to both the teacher and the student, but it also plays a role in the process of learning itself.

If you want to enhance teaching and learning in your classroom take a deep dive into Formative Assessment. Dig deeper into some of the educational leaders in education, specifically assessment. You can start by checking out Dylan Wiliam's website, Rick Stiggin's website, or Rick Wormeli's videos and start discovering more about Formative Assessment.

Happy Teaching!