1.2.1

Summative & Formative Assessments

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Summative Assessment

The National Foundation for Educational Research defines summative assessment as what pupils achieve at the end of a period of time, in relation to national standards and learning aims.

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Examples of summative assessment

  • Examples of summative assessment in schools:
    • An end of year test reported on with a grade.
    • A pupil presentation at the end of a topic.
    • A completed portfolio of pupil work.
    • National tests. Eg. SATs, GCSEs, A Levels.
    • Baseline tests at the start of a course/year.
  • Note that summative assessments are used to measure what a pupil has learned over a specific time period.
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Uses of summative data

  • The data obtained from summative assessments are used to:
    • Report to parents and other stakeholders.
    • Teacher accountability.
    • Compare pupil performance over time.
    • Compare with other pupils (within a school and/or nationally).
    • School accountability. E.g. national league tables.
    • Evaluate the quality/implementation of a scheme of work/program of study.
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Problems with summative assessment

  • Summative assessments have a few problems, such as:
    • It can lead to inaccurate inferences about learning.
    • Tracking and data collection can take time.
    • Misunderstandings about cumulative summative assessment results.
    • Where data flight paths are used, data is misused by assuming progress is linear.
    • Accountability measures influence the validity of the data it can produce
    • Teachers need to be cautious comparing the results of different summative assessments.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is the day-to day practice of checking what pupils have learned and then adapting teaching to address the key issues.

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Engagement

  • According to Wiliam (2007), using formative assessment leads to greater engagement in class and higher achievements. It also makes teachers find more professional fulfilment in their work.
  • Formative assessment is closely linked to feedback on assessments.
  • Some assessments can be formative and summative, such as tests that generate grades but also provide teachers with information about their pupils' strengths and weaknesses.
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Examples

  • Examples of how formative assessments are used in schools:
    • Giving a test and identifying what pupils need to improve on.
    • Using feedback strategies, such comment only marking and whole class feedback.
    • Use of ‘hinge’ questions that accurately diagnose if a pupil knows and understands a key concept.
    • Quizzes where correct/incorrect answers are analysed.
    • Oral feedback to pupils whilst they are working in class.
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Use of formative assessment

  • For Wiliam and Thompson (2007), formative assessment can be used to:
    • Establish where the learners are in their learning.
    • Establish where they are going.
    • Establish how to get there.
  • Actions need to be taken after the formative assessment diagnose areas for improvement. E.g:
    • Teachers plan their lessons to address misconceptions or mistakes.
    • The pupil improves their work by addressing their weaker areas according to feedback received.
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Making plans

  • For NFER, it is easier to plan the next steps if both the teacher and the students understand what has been achieved so far.
  • As the learning goes on, more formative assessments will indicate whether teaching plans should be amended to extend or reinforce learning.
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Problems

  • Formative assessment can have a few problems, such as:
    • Variation when defining formative assessments.
    • It can take significant teacher time to implement.
    • Needs to go beyond identification and include further actions.
    • When linked to feedback, does a pupil truly understand how they can improve?
    • When feedback is given, time needs to be allocated to help the pupil improve.

Jump to other topics

1Introduction to Assessment

2Feedback

2.1Feedback

3Assessment Methods

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