The more I read about formative assessment the more
I realize it is the most important assessment practice. It is the most powerful means to improve
student learning and therefore must be part of the instructional process. Formative assessment is a dynamic on-going
process that provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning
while they are happening. These
adjustments help to ensure students achieve learning goals within a set time
frame. The more information we have
about students, the clearer the picture we have about achievement and/or where
the gaps occur.
Student involvement is key component of
formative assessment. If students are
not involved in the assessment process, formative assessment is not practice to
its full effectiveness. Students need to
be involved both as assessors of their own learning and as resources to other
students. Formative assessments communicate
clear and specific learning goals, and allow students to become self-reflective. When students provide feedback to each other,
they identify the learning intentions through someone else’s work. When students use feedback from the teacher
to learn how to self-assess and set goals, they increase ownership of their own
success. Formative assessment requires
students to become responsible for their own learning. According to Wiliam, “the most effective
learners are self-regulating.” We certainly want students to become owners of their own
learning.
