UMI Summer Institute July 14, 2015

"Informative assessment isn't an end in itself, but the beginning of better instruction." —Carol Ann Tomlinson

Formative Assessment A formative assessment is a tool teachers use to give feedback to students and/or guide their instruction. They serve as practice for students, just like a meaningful homework assignment. They check for understanding along the way and guide teacher decision making about future instruction.

Formative Assessment Formative Assessments also provide feedback to students so they can improve their performance. By varying the type of assessment you use, you can get a more accurate picture of what students know and understand, obtaining a "multiple- measure assessment ‘window' into student understanding."

Formative Assessment Examples Math Journals Using Math Journals with students is a great way for teachers to get a glimpse into students’ thinking as they work through the mathematical processes.

Formative Assessment Examples Some topics that may be used in the Math Journal include: Providing examples to show understanding of a concept Writing word problems Making predictions before a concept is taught Recording definitions of key vocabulary Writing descriptions or explanations of how a problem is solved Justifying a solution to a problem Writing a summary of the day’s lesson Reflecting on the student’s own understanding and the questions that may still exist.

Formative Assessment Examples Exit/Admit Slips Exit Slips are written responses to questions the teacher poses at the end of a lesson or a class to assess student understanding of key concepts.  They should take no more than 5 minutes to complete and are taken up as students leave the classroom.  The teacher can quickly determine which students have it, which ones need a little help, and which ones are going to require much more instruction on the concept.  By assessing the responses on the Exit Slips the teacher can better adjust the instruction in order to accommodate students' needs for the next class.

Formative Assessment Examples Admit slips are exactly like Exit Slips, but they are done prior to or at the beginning of the class.  Students may be asked to reflect on their understanding of their previous night's homework, or they may reflect on the previous day's lesson if the question required a longer response time. Exit and Admit Slips can be used in all classes to integrate written communication into the content area.

Formative Assessment Examples Think – Pair – Share Read the Formative Assessment Example placed at your table. Think about how it could be used in your classroom. Share/Compare your thoughts with those at your table.

Formative Assessment Photos to Assess Learning Traffic Lights Red/Green Card 3x Summation Two Roses and a Thorn Clickers Flubaroo Graphic Organizers Extension Projects Rotate Groups Google Forms

References http://wvde.state.wv.us/teach21/ExamplesofFormativeAssessme nt.html http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/what-are-formative- assessments-and-why-should-we-use-them THANK YOU!