Summative & Formative Assessments
CPD: Assessment for Teachers (by Dawn Cox), topic 1.2.1
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Test yourself on Summative & Formative Assessments
What can be said about formative assessment?