Many teachers learn about formative and summative assessments while they are engaging in education coursework; however, translating these types of assessments to the practical classroom can be a significant challenge. Using formative and summative assessments in tandem enables teachers to monitor progress and achievement while also implementing engaging and relevant authentic assessments for standards and criteria. The figure below outlines some differences between the two (Dixson and Worrell, 2016). Even if teachers understand the difference between formative and summative assessments, they can often struggle to identify how to use these in their classrooms. Below are some examples of formative and summative assessments used commonly by teachers (Yale, 2021). Formative: Exit tickets, class discussions, weekly quizzes, Kahoots, homework assignments. Summative: Projects, essays, standardized testing, unit tests, presentations. Striking a balance between formative and summative
Assessment can be quite difficult for parents and students to understand. Visualizing data in figures is an essential tool for interpreting data and applying it to instruction design. The use of data has also been proven to increase collaboration among teachers, which in turn increases student achievement (Cavalluzzo et al., 2013). Data can also be used to visualize growth and areas of challenge according to specific standards or criteria. At our school, we use data in a variety of ways in the assessment process. One of the most prominent is the schoolwide use of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) data. This data is gathered twice a year in reading and math, and is used to differentiate instruction as well as group students for interventions if necessary. The data is always available for parents to view, and the school has conducted workshops on reading and understanding these figures. Attached here is a sample from my daughter’s Grade 2 MAP test this past school year. The data is