Formative Assessment

Get insights about short, classroom-based pulse checks teachers use to determine students’ growth and learning on skills and topics

Explainer

What Is Formative Assessment? An EdWeek Video Explainer
Formative assessment can be a tricky kind of testing to understand. EdWeek's video explainer can help.
Assessment Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Formative Assessment?
Answer 7 questions about formative assessment.
August 1, 2023
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Teaching What the Research Says Learning Acceleration: A Resource Guide
See more than two dozen resources on accelerating students' learning from Education Week's new mini-course on that topic.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 2, 2023
2 min read
Week 2: Formative Assessments 2700x1806
Adam Niklewicz for Education Week
Assessment Q&A How to Use Formative Assessment to Accelerate Learning
An assessment expert explains how the technique helps teachers find and address the holes in student learning.
Sarah D. Sparks, April 24, 2023
6 min read
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In the aftermath of disruption to classrooms brought on by the pandemic, schools across the country are recognizing the need for lasting, structural change.
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The critical role of phonics assessment in the Science of Reading
Phonics is a cornerstone skill, both in the context of the Science of Reading as well as across curricula.
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English-Language Learners Professional Development Tips for Supporting English Learners
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Ileana Najarro, February 28, 2023
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School & District Management Opinion Let's Dump the Obsession With Standardized Testing
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Larry Ferlazzo, March 8, 2022
13 min read
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Larry Ferlazzo, March 1, 2022
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Beware these danger zones when trying to determine what students know and need to learn this fall, experts say.
Catherine Gewertz, August 5, 2020
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Teacher Lee Gang-in gives an online class to her high school students amid the coronavirus outbreak in Seoul, South Korea.
Teacher Lee Gang-in gives an online class to her high school students amid the coronavirus outbreak in Seoul, South Korea.
Ahn Young-joon/AP
Teacher Preparation Classroom Routines Must Change. Here's What Teaching Looks Like Under COVID-19
Experts say there are some priorities for instruction this year that cut across virtual and brick-and-mortar environments.
Sarah Schwartz, August 5, 2020
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Assessment Opinion 9 Things You Can Do to Support Student Agency With Formative Assessment
Teachers and students from Arizona describe the three stages they went through to build a classroom culture for formative assessment.
Barbara Jones, July 22, 2019
6 min read
Abigail French
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Second grader Jace Willoughby plays the online game Keenville at Newnan Crossing Elementary School. The Newnan school is among dozens in Georgia using the game-based testing system with 1st and 2nd graders. The state plans to develop 31 such games by next fall for teachers to use as formative assessments.
Second grader Jace Willoughby plays the online game Keenville at Newnan Crossing Elementary School. The Newnan school is among dozens in Georgia using the game-based testing system with 1st and 2nd graders. The state plans to develop 31 such games by next fall for teachers to use as formative assessments.
Dustin Chambers for Education Week
Teaching How Digital Games Take the Stress Out of Formative Tests
Elementary school teachers in the Peach State are using "game-based" formative assessments to take a pulse on their students' learning.
Alyson Klein, February 5, 2019
7 min read