Fostering High Quality Formative Assessment: A policy Brief by the National Council of Teachers for English.

What is formative assessment? Formative assessment is a way to assess students work and a way for teachers to get feedback for modifications to instruction. What is the CENTRAL purpose of formative assessment? Improving student achievement  is the central purpose for formative assessment. Connect a best practice in formative assessment to one research-based strategy. Providing feedback is one research-based strategy that is great for formative assessment because providing feedback gives students or even teachers the feedback to improve for the future. Give an example of how a specific assessment can be used formatively and summatively. A rubric is a good example because its specific so the students know exactly whats expected and its a great assessment for a final summative presentation, portfolio, project, ect. Give an example from your field placement related to formative assessment and timing. Using a pre and post test to get feedback on what needs need more instruction on and what they already know is an example from my field experience. What are some strategies to help formative assessment be more effective when providing students with feedback? By using a rubric or checklist, students will know exactly what is to be expected. Another strategy is to state concise directions of what is expected and to reinforce what is to be expected. Name two advantages to high quality formative assessment. One advantage for the teacher is that high quality formative assessment allows teachers with the feedback to see what students are struggling, on grade level, above grade level, and what they need to be taught more in depth and what they can move on from. One advantage for students is it gives the students the structure of knowing exactly what to do and what the teacher expects to be done for the assignment.  What are some challenges to implementing high quality formative assessment? TIME, time is a big issue. That is truly the most important thing I have learned in my field experience so far is that time is a huge issue. The teacher is constantly running like a well oiled machine from the time the morning bell rings to the end of the day. Teachers are constantly on a time crunch to get everything he or she needs to cover that day.