Assessment Practices

There are lots of educational terms that get thrown around in conversation with teachers and administrators.  Two key ones are "formative" and "summative" in relation to assessment. Formative assessments are those that provide information to the teacher and student to guide changes in instruction or for improvement on the next try.  Formative assessments generally refer to the practice work that students do.  Summative Assessments are those that occur at the end of a unit or course of study that allow the teacher and student to see where they stand in relation to the established criteria.

Why are these important distinctions in assessment practice?  As we work with students we are constantly assessing their work and providing them with feedback in order to improve (formative). When we take this information and use it to determine a letter grade or final mark we change the perception of practice.  Practice can no longer be seen as a way to make mistakes and improve, it must be a finished product because "it counts". 

At David Cameron Elementary we are working as a staff to ensure that we understand the difference between these two forms of assessment and the impact that they have on student learning.  Our staff is constantly looking at our practices to ensure that we are supporting student learning in the best way that we can.