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KnowledgeBases > The Classroom Assessment KnowledgeBase > Element 1 > Activity 1 > Task 2: Understand the Rationale for Formative Assessment

Guideline:

To be willing practitioners of ongoing formative assessment, district and school staff members must grasp the rationale for including the tool as part of the assessment process. Possessing this understanding enables the staff members to embrace, apply, and speak knowledgeably about formative assessment.

Practical Tips Formative Assessment: An Enabler of Learning _EXTERNAL_LINK

This Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center brief on formative assesssment explains how it is used to improve student learning.

References Formative Assessment: Not Just Another Test _EXTERNAL_LINK

This WestEd article explains how formative assessment is a process to help teachers understand their students learning progress.

References Helping Students Understand Assessment _EXTERNAL_LINK

In this Educational Leadership article, author Jan Chappius offers seven strategies designed to help students better understand learning goals, recognize their own skill level in relation to the goals, and take responsibility for reaching the goals.

References Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment

In this 1998 article, Black and Wiliam present evidence pointing out the usefulness of formative assessment for raising the standards of classroom achievement. In it, they emphasize that formative assessment is the most effective tool for improving student achievement.

References Putting Testing in Perspective: It's for Learning

In this article, Rick Stiggins and Stephen Chappuis suggest an approach to formative assessment within the context of assessment for learning. As an instuctional tool, true formative assessment will bring teachers and students together every step of the way.

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Next: Task 3: Be Knowledgeable About the Multiple Forms of Assessment Previous: Task 1: Review the Concepts of Formative Assessment


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