Common Formative Assessments…

Assessing student progress is an important part of effective teaching and learning. Traditional assessments have been used to “test” students at the end of an established time of teaching. Such summative assessments provide information of learning (Dodge, 2009). In the Data-Based Decision Making module you learn that teachers gain critical information about their own teaching and about how and what their students are learning when ongoing and common data is collected throughout the instructional process in collaboration with colleagues. It is when the collaborative efforts of teaching teams come together to think, create, and reflect on assessments that common formative assessment practices have been implemented.

Common formative assessment at the classroom level is a systematic and cyclical process designed to provide timely teacher/student feedback on curricula and student learning to improve both instructional practices and academic achievement. Common formative assessment is not another instrument or event—but rather it is a collection of practices to improve teaching and accelerate learning (Chappius, Chappius & Stiggins, 2009).

Course Outcomes

Understand the clear purposes of assessment by clarifying:
- Why assess?
- Who will use the results of assessment?
- How will the assessment data be used to improve teaching and learning?
Develop clear and meaningful learning targets to guide instruction and student learning.
Construct quality assessment instruments which are of sound design and measure the learning target.