What is Formative Assessment? Definitions and Practices from the Literature and the Field

• In Event: Exploring the Current Status of Formative Assessments in California’s P-12 Schools as Compared With Schools Nationwide: A National Science Foundation-Funded Project

Abstract

This session presents primary and secondary research about current definitions of formative assessment, types of formative assessment, and instruments and practices used in the process of formative assessment. It presents findings from research literature, as well as, primary data from a variety of professional perspectives, including researchers, teachers, school and district administrators, and experts in the field of formative assessment, to provide a deeper understanding of formative assessment processes and practices.

Much of the research indicates that formative assessment is a process, rather than a single procedure or instrument. One well-regarded definition states that an assessment is formative to the extent that information from the assessment is used, during the instructional segment in which the assessment occurred, to adjust instruction with the intent of better meeting the needs of the students assessed (Popham, 2008). Furthermore, the process includes the gathering of evidence and the provision of feedback by both teachers and students to move learning forward.

The methods utilized include a current review of research literature, a series of five focus groups with 40 education professionals, expert interviews, a survey of 9000 school principals in California, and a survey of all district assessment administrators in California.

Findings were divergent across data sources, displaying various views of and approaches to formative assessment, and highlighted challenges and pertinent questions related to implementation. Practitioners often viewed formative assessment as instruments, such as chapter tests, common assessments, and benchmark exams. School and district administrators referred more often to published instruments as formative assessment. Researchers, on the other hand, distinguish instruments as tools that may be used in a formative assessment process. The use of data from these and other assessments to adjust instruction and student learning, within the instructional setting, is highlighted in the research literature as the defining factor in formative assessment. Teachers tended to define formative assessment by the many examples of its assessment elements. Namely, they listed a set of informal classroom assessment practices, such as exit checks, response tiles, oral quizzes, and math journals. Almost all suggested that formative assessment is used as a means of identifying student learning, improving instruction, and advancing student performance outcomes. That is, the formative nature of the process was a point of agreement across all data sources. However, the definition of formative assessment varied to include a range of instruments, practices, and processes.

The findings also highlighted challenges in the implementation of formative assessment. Focus group results revealed that teachers utilize on-the-spot formative assessments to adjust instruction according to student needs, but teachers often feel burdened by time constraints and hindered by pacing guides, curriculum maps, and textbook-driven instructional programs that limit their flexibility to develop a balanced assessment and instruction program.

The session will advance the understanding of teachers, administrators, district and state assessment personnel, and researchers about various types and approaches to formative assessment and its application.

References:

Popham, J. (2008). Transformative Assessment. Alexandria VA: ASCD.

Authors

• Nazanin Zargarpour, Claremont Graduate University

• Barbara Marino, Claremont Graduate University

• Holly Holloway-Friesen, Azusa Pacific University

• Sladjana Sandy Rakich, Claremont Graduate University