1. Formative Assessment Strategies
Hanan Alzubaidi, Jeanette Love, and Christina Manzo-Marquez

2. Formative Assessment Strategies
Provide teachers with information so that teaching may be adjusted while it is still happening.
This process helps the student practice while the teacher checks for understanding.
Teachers can utilize the information that they obtain to plan for future instruction.

3. Steps in Utilizing Formative Assessment
Assignment- assign students work based on one particular objective (scaffold based on readiness).
Choice- i.e. students are asked to solve either the even or odd number problems, or are given similar instructions.
Check for mastery- *this is the critical step* the teacher reviews the student’s work, and then asks the scholar to explain his methodology. This oral interaction can be categorized in four different ways:
They get it
They almost get it
They have significant struggles
They cheated
4. Remediation (if necessary)- provide appropriate remediation and have the students complete the work.
5. Check for mastery (again)- Upon receiving the appropriate remediation, check again for mastery. Repeat as necessary.
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4. Formative assessment strategies meet the learning needs and interests of all learners.
The following slides represent a few examples of formative assessment strategies and their preferred learning styles.
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5. Kinesthetic Learner Hand Signal (thumbs up/down)
Slap It - Students are divided into two teams to identify correct answers to questions given by the teacher. Students use a fly swatter to slap the correct response posted on the wall
Word Sort - given a set of vocabulary terms, students sort into given categories or create their own categories for sorting
Source: K. Lambert, OCPS Curriculum Services

6. Visual Learner
Web or Concept Map- any of several forms of graphical organizers which allow learners to perceive relationships between concepts through diagramming key words representing those concepts
Writing Frames- students are given either a sentence or a paragraph in which they must fill-in-the-blanks. These include, but are not limited to: problem/solution paragraph, compare/contrast paragraph, description paragraph, cause/effect paragraph, sequence paragraph
Student Data Notebooks- A tool for students to track their learning: Where am I going? Where am I now? How will I get there?
Source: K. Lambert, OCPS Curriculum Services

7. Auditory Learner
Misconception Check- Present students with common or predictable misconceptions about a designated concept, principle, or process. Ask them whether they agree or disagree and explain why.
Choral Response- In response to a cue, all students respond verbally at the same time. The response can be either to a question or to repeat something the teacher has said.
Say Something- Students take turns leading discussions in a cooperative group on sections or a reading or video.
Source: K. Lambert, OCPS Curriculum Services

8. Learning by Writing
One Sentence Summary- Students are asked to write a summary sentence that answers the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about the topic.
Quick Write- This strategy asks learners to respond in two-to-ten minutes to an open- ended question or prompt posed by the teacher before, during, and after reading.
Newspaper Headline- Create a newspaper headline that may have been written for the topic being studied. Capture the main idea of the event.
Source: K. Lambert, OCPS Curriculum Services

9. Advantages and Disadvantages of Formative Assessment
They are not graded.
Teachers check the students’ understanding during the lesson.
Less reteaching is necessary, as struggle with mastery is addressed prior to the final assessment.
Disadvantages of formative assessment:
Teachers complain about sacrificing time to assess during the lesson and fear that they may not finish the lesson.
Students may not take the assessments seriously, which may cause teachers to misread feedback from students.
Teachers may feel the need to rush through a series of units, which causes students to lack mastery of concepts.
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10. Recommendations for Using Formative Assessment
Because the purpose of formative assessment is to provide ongoing feedback to support and increase student learning, the recommendation for utilizing formative assessment is ongoing throughout a unit. Upon checking for student mastery, try one or more of the following formative assessment strategies:
Journal Entry
Student Conference
Observation
Exit Card
Hand Signals

11. Research The research indicates the following conclusions:
Formative assessment produces greater increases in student achievement.
Formative assessment that occurs within instructional units (medium-cycle assessment) and between lessons (short-cycle assessment) has been shown to enhance student achievement.
In classrooms where medium- and short-cycle formative assessment was used, teachers reported greater professional satisfaction and increased student engagement in learning.
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