Throughout my teaching career, I often noticed that several students would earn failing scores each time I graded a class exam or project. Then, when it was time to move on to the next lesson, these students were unprepared to move forward. In recent years, frustrated with not being able to better prepare all of my students, I began using formative assessment, which W. James Popham defines in his 2008 bookTransformative Assessment as "a planned process in which teachers or students use assessment-based evidence to adjust what they're currently doing."
Using formative assessments has had a positive impact on my instruction. Now, instead of scoring projects or essays on first viewing, I build in opportunities to discover any lack of mastery. Frequent evaluation of student progress informs me of when I need to reteach material to a small group, individual students, or to the full class, and if I need to modify the way I will deliver instruction in the future. As a result, students' grades and mastery of skills and knowledge have improved.
Surveys also serve as powerful formative assessment tools to gauge the effectiveness of instruction, classroom rules, and school culture. I have frequently engaged students in surveys to discern how I can most effectively serve their needs. The surveys give students an opportunity to think about their own learning habits, set goals, and make adjustments that would benefit them.
Formative assessment can occur in classrooms through numerous forms, including ongoing testing, multiple draft submissions, and student conferences. A colleague of mine who teaches math has students carry dry erase boards to class and hold up their answers as they complete problems. He receives immediate feedback and can then provide guidance during class to students who need it. Several teachers in our K–12 school use the writers' workshop model, which allows for frequent review of student work in individual conferences and also informs the process of grouping students for minilessons.
I also use formative analyses to inform my teaching. For example, a few years ago I observed the photographer of the students' graduation pictures give the boys diplomas and the girls roses to hold as props for their photos. When only one student was upset by this gender stereotyping, I realized I needed to prepare a few lessons on critical theory. The students studied feminist theory and wore paper eyeglasses as a way of viewing the world briefly with "feminist lenses" to show a different perspective. The students better understood the concern their classmate had that day. Throughout the rest of the school year, I heard students referring to feminist lenses and noting examples of degradation and gender-based stereotyping in video games, literature, and music. The lessons on critical theory were academic, yet the gains extended beyond the classroom.
Formative assessment looks different in every classroom, but it serves a common purpose—to improve instruction and help children achieve more. I hope that more teachers as well as administrators will embrace formative assessment as a means of moving all students forward.