Formative Assessment Resources
Formative Assessment
Click the "Learn More"
button to sign up for one of the Micro-Courses!
The Formative Assessment process used by teachers can help them determine the status of student learning, giving them the ability to adjust their teaching – in the moment - and to move all learners forward. Embedding formative assessment dimensions in everyday teaching is a research-based practice to improve individual student learning.
A central goal of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is for every individual in the state’s education system to work in concert to enhance student achievement. To that end, the ADE has developed a formative assessment framework.
.
View the 2-page overview of the ADE Formative Assessment Framework document.
- Clarifying learning goals and success criteria within a broader progression of learning;
- Eliciting and analyzing evidence of student thinking;
- Engaging in self-assessment and peer feedback
- Providing actionable feedback
- Using evidence and feedback to move learning forward by adjusting learning strategies, goals, or next instructional steps.
| What Formative Assessment is... | What Formative Assessment is not... |
| A process used by leaders, teachers, and students in partnership | A checklist of what students can’t do or don’t know |
| Grounds decision making in ongoing evidence of learning | Separate from learning/working processes |
| Transparent about the learning expectations and how to get there | Points, scores, or grades |
| A process that moves all student learning forward | A mini-summative assessment, e.g., a test or quiz |
| Informs learning, rather than sums up learning with a score | Interpreted only by teachers or leaders |
Framework Roles in Formative Assessment
Formative Assessment Framework Micro Courses
Micro Course 1 | Micro Course 2 | Micro Course 3 |
|---|---|---|
  | Introduction to the Arizona Formative Assessment Framework  | The Teacher's Role in a Formative Assessment Classroom  |
State Leaders' Role
Framework Section
State Leadership Story
Going Deeper
District and Charter Leaders' Role
Framework Section
District Leadership Story
Going Deeper
Site Leaders' Roles
Framework Section
Site Leadership Story
Going Deeper
Teachers' Role
Students' Role
Familes' and Caregivers' Role
Framework Section
Going Deeper
- Families’ and Caregivers’ Formative Assessment Responsibilities
- Involving Parents in Assessment
- Equity as family/whānau opportunities for participation in formative assessment
General Resources
Arizona Formative Assessment Resources:
This learning series provides district and school teams with a process to guide and assist in building a foundation for systems change that will impact literacy outcomes by closing the achievement gap for students with specific learning disabilities. Every part of the professional learning series will empower students to be successful learners in a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment.
Other Resources
This document, by the Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers (FAST) State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards SCASS), provides an up-to-date, research-based definition of formative assessment. It also includes detailed descriptions of the formative assessment practices and the support teachers need to implement them.
Commissioned by the Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers (FAST) State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards (SCASS) of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), this observation tool includes ten dimensions of formative assessment to support the reflection and improvement of teachers’ formative assessment practice.
This article from the GettingSmart website provides an overview of research that grounds formative assessment practice.
This article from the Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation provides a foundation for learning and successful formative assessment implementation.
Contact Information: [email protected]