Formative Assessment in Schools

Formative assessment is a great way to measure the success of your students and find out where they are academically in school. Over the years there have been many changes to the way teachers assess students and there are many fun, as well astraditional tools to be used. Kindergarten is a very important time to
assess students because this is the beginning of the rest of their
school careers and they need to be placed in the correct learning
  environment for their abilities.

Some of the more traditional ways to assess students are standardized
tests. Standardized tests are easy to administer and it is easy to grade
each child quickly. These tests have been considered very controversial
since it is a very limited way to assess, however many schools use them
and it is important to the schools and teachers that the students do
well so that the school can receive more funding.

Teachers and students are becoming more and more used to having tests be
a primary source of assessment. While this in fact may be a good way
for some students, there are plenty of other options to see where kids
excel and where they need more work. Some examples are using students homework,
class work, and questions they ask in class to asses. Teachers do
have to be careful not to prompt the answers to questions, but give
students an opportunity to think on their own.

Some assessments that work well for Kindergarteners are


   * Directed Listening Thinking Activites
   * Observations
   * Discussions

 Directed Listening Thinking Activity, or DLTA, is a great way to
formally assess students in reading. This program is directed at younger
grades and is for students who are not independent readers yet. Teachers help
students comprehend a story by asking questions about the book before,
during, and after a story. In older grades, students start using the
Directed Reading Thinking Activity, or DRTA, when they become more
independent readers. Unfortunately, this model is not used often because
it is very time consuming.

Some quick ways teachers can formally assess their students is by
observations and note taking throughout the school day. Although this
does not seem "formal," students do some of their best work when they are
not being watched. A good teacher can observe and take note of what a
student can and cannot do independently so that when they get one-on-one
time the teacher knows what to focus on with the particular student.
Since this is an on-going assessment the results will change, and
hopefully show improvement throughout the year.

Classroom discussions cannot be counted out as a way to formally assess
students. Conversations about any and all subjects is a great way to
learn what a student knows and what they need to work on. Students can
have disscussions with peers as well in models such as think-pair-share.

For quick and easy assessment tools teachers can turn to online tools
such as
   *  ClassScape
   * Quia 
   * Turning Point  

These all provide data about students learning and engage students
through technology.

The assessments that take up more classtime are always more engaging and
helpful for students. Assessing them in a low stress enviornment
where they feel comfortable will get you your best results. Using multiple strategies that will benefit all students is key. Be sure to vary the assessment tools so that all students are assessed fairly and accurately.

It is important to give a student a basis of what is expected of them
for each assignment so they know where to focus their attention.
Giving students useful and positive feedback is an important role in
assessing students. This will give students a chance to see what they
have to improve on instead of just receiving a grade. This way, the next
time they have an assignment they will know what to work harder on.