Why Is Formative Assessment So Misunderstood?

In this EdWeek article, our old pal Jim Popham sets the record straight on formative assessments, and why they're all about process:

The formative-assessment process involves teachers' and/or students' use of assessment evidence to make adjustments in what they're doing. This assessment evidence can be gathered in a variety of ways—from traditional written tests to a wide range of informal assessment procedures, such as securing students’ self-reports of their own understanding of an issue.

This process revolves around the use of assessments to collect evidence, and then the employment of such evidence by teachers and/or students to decide whether they need to adjust what they are doing. The formative-assessment process uses assessments as an integral tactic to determine whether any adjustments are needed.

The formative-assessment process involves choices and decisions about what, when, and how to check for understanding, and whether and how to adjust instruction based on feedback. When implemented well, the formative-assessment process can double the speed of student learning. But when thought of as a kind of test, Popham says, "it can turn out to be of little value to students."

Want to read more about the formative-assessment process? Check out "Applying the Formative Assessment Process" (full text available online for free), Chapter One of Popham's latest ASCD book, Transformative Assessment in Action.