The Best Value in Formative Assessment

Varying definitions of formative assessment have blurred the meaning of the term and caused confusion among educators. To determine whether a test is formative or summative, write the authors of this article, we need to ask, "How are the results going to be used? and Who is going to use them? The purpose of summative assessment is to make a judgment after the learning process is finished--to assign a grade, measure program effectiveness, or determine whether a school has met adequate yearly progress. Formative assessment, on the other hand, informs the teacher and learner about the status of learning during the instructional process, allowing adjustments to achieve greater learning. A key ingredient of formative assessment is descriptive feedback that identifies the student's strengths and suggests what he or she needs to do to improve.