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KnowledgeBases > The Classroom Assessment KnowledgeBase > Element 3 > Activity 1 > Task 1: Determine When to Use the Assessment

Guideline:

Formative assessments enable teachers to assess how well students understand the concepts being taught. In addition to being used in pre- and post-lesson situations, formative assessments are most useful when used informally as teachers adjust instruction in response to how well students are grasping the lesson concepts.

References Benefits of Formative Assessment _EXTERNAL_LINK

This National Council of Teachers of Mathematics research brief offers guidance on when to use formative assessment in the classroom.

References Curriculum-Based Evaluations _EXTERNAL_LINK

Authored by Dr. Tracey Hall, this Center for Applied Special Technology article provides an overview of curriuclum-based evaluations and their classroom application.

References Five "Key Strategies" for Effective Formative Assessment _EXTERNAL_LINK

This National Council of Teachers of Mathematics research brief offers five key strategies for effective formative assessment. It gives teachers insights on when and how to use formative assessment.

References Formative Assessment: Helping Students Grow _EXTERNAL_LINK

This article from The Council Chronicle, published by the National Council of Teachers of English, emphasizes the feedback loop between the teacher and student and gives examples of formative assessments being used in the classroom.

References Research Institute on Progress Monitoring _EXTERNAL_LINK

This link is to the Research Institute on Progress Monitoring. As noted at its website, "The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has funded the Research Institute on Progress Monitoring to develop a system of progress monitoring to evaluate effects of individualized instruction on access to and progress within the general education curriculum. The Institute is housed at the Institute on Community Integration and the Department of Educational Psychology, Special Education in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. Iowa State University for Science and Technology is a lead collaborator in this research."

References Selecting and Administering Assessments _EXTERNAL_LINK

Developed with funding from The Meadows Foundation and the Texas Education Agency, Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties: The Reading Teacher's Sourcebook offers middle school reading teachers an overview of research-based instructional approaches for teaching struggling readers. Chapter Two: Selecting and Administering Assessments reviews how different assessment tools can be used in the classroom.

References The National Center on Student Progress Monitoring _EXTERNAL_LINK

This link is to the National Center on Student Progress Monitoring's website. Though no longer functioning as a technical assistance center, the website's content remains accessible for information purposes.

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Next: Task 2: Create a Comfortable and Productive Environment in which to Conduct the Assessment


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