8/7/2016 Types of Assessments: A Head-to-Head Comparison - Education Week

Published  Online:  November  9,  2015

Published  in  Print:  November  11,  2015,  as  Comparing  Assessments

T pe  of A e ment : A Head-to-

Head Compari on
What i  the difference  etween formative and interim
a e ment ? Thi  chart provide  a guide for di tingui hing
different kind  of  tudent a e ment .

Full Report: Under tanding Formative A e ment: A

pecial Report

Formative Learning Formative Diagno tic enchmark/Interim ummative

A e ment A e ment A e ment A e ment

What i  it?  What i  it?  What i  it?  What i  it? 

Formative learning i Formative diagno tic enchmark or interim ummative a e ment
the proce  of teaching a e ment i  a a e ment i  a i  a compari on of the
tudent  how to  et proce  of que tioning, compari on of  tudent performance of a
goal  for their learning, te ting, or under tanding or tudent or group of
to identif  their growth demon tration u ed to performance again t a tudent  again t a  et
toward  tho e goal , to identif  how a  tudent et of uniform of uniform  tandard .
evaluate the qualit  of i  learning, where hi tandard  within the
their work, and to trength  and ame  chool  ear. It
identif   trategie  to weakne e  lie, and ma  contain h rid
improve. potential  trategie  to element  of formative
improve that learning. and  ummative
It focu e  on individual a e ment , or a
growth. ummative te t of a
maller  ection of
content, like a unit or
eme ter.

Who i   eing Who i   eing Who i   eing Who i   eing

mea ured?  mea ured?  mea ured?  mea ured? 
Individual  tudent  are Individual  tudent . Individual  tudent  or The educational
mea uring them elve The wa  the  an wer cla e . environment: Teacher ,
again t their learning give  in ight into their curricula, education
goal , prior work, other learning proce  and tem , program , etc.
tudent ’ work, and/or how to  upport it.
an o jective  tandard
or ru ric.

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8/7/2016 Types of Assessments: A Head-to-Head Comparison - Education Week

How often?  How often?  How often?  How often? 

Ongoing: It ma   e Ongoing: Often a  part Intermittent: Often at Point in time: Often at
u ed to manage a of a c cle of in truction the end of a quarter or the end of a curricular
particular long-term and feed ack over eme ter, or a unit or cour e, or
project, or  e included time. Re ult  are midpoint of a annuall  at the  ame
in ever da  le on . immediate or ver curricular unit. Re ult time each  chool  ear.
Feed ack i  immediate rapid. are generall  received
or ver  rapid. in enough time to
affect in truction in the
ame  chool  ear.

For what purpo e?  For what purpo e?  For what purpo e?  For what purpo e? 

To help  tudent To diagno e pro lem To help educator  or To give an overall
identif  and internalize in  tudent ’ admini trator  track de cription of  tudent ’
their learning goal , under tanding or gap tudent ’ academic tatu  and evaluate the
reflect on their own in  kill , and to help trajector  toward long- effectivene  of the
under tanding and teacher  decide next term goal . Depending educational
evaluate the qualit  of tep  in in truction. on the timing of environment. Large-
their work in relation a e ment feed ack, cale  ummative
to their own or thi  ma   e u ed more a e ment i  de igned
o jective goal , and to inform in truction to  e  rief and
identif   trategie  to or to evaluate the uniform,  o there i
improve their work and qualit  of the learning often limited
under tanding. environment. information to
diagno e  pecific
pro lem  for  tudent .

What  trategie  are What  trategie  are What  trategie  are What  trategie  are
u ed?  u ed?  u ed?  u ed? 
elf-evaluation and Ru ric  and written or Often a conden ed ummative
metacognition, oral te t que tion , and form of an annual a e ment  are
anal zing work of o ervation protocol ummative a e ment, tandardized to make
var ing qualitie , de igned to identif e.g. a  horter term compari on  among
developing one’  own pecific pro lem area paper or te t. It ma tudent , cla e , or
ru ric or learning or mi conception  in e developed   the chool . Thi  could a
progre ion , writing learning the concept or teacher or  chool, ingle pool of te t
la orator  or other performing the  kill. ought commerciall , que tion  or a
reflective journal , peer or  e part of a larger common ru ric for
review, etc. tate a e ment judging a project.
tem.

Reporting  :  arah D.  park  | De ign  : Love  Cooper

Vol.  35,  Issue  12

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