Hi everyone,
 
Thanks for your post David – subscribers:  I’m surprised that no one has
responded to David’s post!  Isn’t one of our biggest conundrums/topics
of discussion the ‘formative assessment versus summative assessment’
situation (although we may not call it this)?  In the on-line assessment
course that I facilitate, participants talked about this fairly
in-depth, and pointed out that formative assessment is what happens all
the time in teachers’ classrooms – where the ‘real’ substance of
teaching and learning are gauged.  This has been touched on here before
as well – if you go to the Assessment Archives at:  
http://www.nifl.gov/cgi-bin/texis/webinator/search_discussions?cq=2 
and type ‘formative assessment’ in the search box you get 21 entries.
 
But David is looking for studies and further info – there are nearly 500
subscribers here so I’m pretty sure someone has some resources to share.
And if not, you have your experiences to share.  David said:
“I am interested in the details of how this is done, in examples of
where it is done especially well, and where it is systematically used.”
 
Perhaps this is a good place to start.  Please let’s hear from you,
Thanks!
marie cora
Assessment Discussion List Moderator
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of djrosen at comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 4:43 AM
To: assessment at nifl.gov
Subject: [Assessment 328] Formative Assessment
 
Assessment colleagues,
 
The term ¨formative assessment" may not be familiar to many of us
working in adult literacy education in the United States. It is more
widely used in Europe, and possibly in Canada, Australia and New
Zealand, and more common in elementary and secondary education. I am
quite interested in this topic and would be interested to learn about
examples in adult literacy education in the U.S., especially of
systematic formative assessment. 
 
So, what is formative assessment?
 
It's the opposite of summative assessment. Its focus is assessment _for_
learning; whereas summative assessment's focus is assessment _of_
learning. Formative assessments give teachers and learners information
about learners' goals and objectives, about how they are progressing
toward them, about what methods do -- and do not -- work for them.
Formative assessments are carried out by a learner on her/his own
(self-assessment) , by a group of learners (peer assessment) by a
teacher and learner together, and possibly by a learner and a counselor
or intake worker.  Formative assessments are not usually standardized
tests. They do not usually result in a grade, official score or
certificate. They provide information for decision-making by learners
and teachers, often together, about the learning itself. Some people in
the U.S. use the term " alternative assessment," or are familiar with
one formative assessment process referred to as "portfolio assessment."
S ome te achers, when they understand what "formative assessment" means
say "Yes, of course, I do this all the time. It's part of the learning
process. I just don't have a name for it."  
 
I am interested in the details of how this is done, in examples of where
it is done especially well, and where it is systematically used.  I am
especially interested because I am doing a case study right now on how
formative assessment is being used in Belgium, part of a larger OECD
study being carried out in several countries where formative assessment
is used in adult literacy education. I am also interested because there
is evidence from elementary and secondary education research that
formative assessment works, that is, that its use results in higher
student achievement.
 
If you use a formative assessment process in your classroom, or if you
have studied formative assessment and/or if you know of good studies of
formative assessment, please let us all know -- here -- or email me a
djrosen at comcast.net.
 
David J. Rosen
newsomeassociates.com
djrosen at comcast.net
 
 
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