# data[].attributes.headline
10 Innovative Formative Assessment Strategies

# data[].attributes.subject
10 Innovative Formative Assessment Strategies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Innovative formative assessment examples are part of what defines any modern classroom. They provide crucial information about what students understand and what they don't. These ungraded assessments are also valuable guides for students. It can help them enhance their performance. Teachers can use them to determine if further instruction is necessary.

Using innovative formative assessment consistently and effectively removes the surprises from getting final grades. When integrated into teaching and learning on an ongoing basis, students can constantly improve and excel. One important tip from our best-selling book Mindful Assessment, is that when a number is provided, the learning stops:

"... a parent teaching a child to cook would never say, "That was 74 percent." Instead, the parent would watch, demonstrate, and allow the child a chance to get better. These acts of mindful nurturing and guidance are examples of natural learning, and we perform them instinctively."

(from Mindful Assessment: The 6 Essential Fluencies of Innovative Learning)

With this in mind, think of formative assessment as not necessarily identifying what was done well or correctly. Instead, it places focus on what opportunities there are to improve.

10 Innovative Formative Assessment Examples

What follows are 10 innovative formative assessment strategies for teachers to try out. Remember that true formative assessment is assessment for learning and as learning. It's the continual cycle of feedback and improvement that makes that learning both useful and effective.

1. Analyzing Student Work

A great deal of information can be learned from students' homework, tests, and quizzes. This is especially so if the students are required to explain their thinking. When teachers take the time to analyze student work, they gain knowledge about:

A student's current knowledge, attitudes, and skills about subject matter

Strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles

Need for further, or special, assistance

This approach lets teachers modify their instruction to be more effective in the future.

2. Round Robin Charts

This strategy involves passing charts among groups to assess understanding. Each group of 4 or 5 students begins with a chart and some markers. The group records an answer to an open-ended question. They can also share knowledge they have on a topic covered in class. Once the students finish with the chart, they pass it on to the next group. Once every group has worked on every chart, responses are discussed as a class.

3. Strategic Questioning

Questioning strategies may be used with individuals, small groups, or the entire class. Effective formative assessment strategies involve asking students to answer higher-order questions such as "why" and "how." Higher-order questions require more in-depth thinking from the students. They can help the teacher discern the level and extent of the students' understanding.

4. 3-Way Summaries

The idea here is to use different modes of thinking and attention to detail. Students can work in groups or individually. In response to a question or topic inquiry, they write three different summaries:

10-15 words long

30-50 words long

75-100 words long

You can even have students use Twitter. Chances are you've got a lot of students who use it already. They'll have experience communicating messages with minimal wording and characters.

5. Think-Pair-Share

This is one of the many formative assessment strategies that is simple for teachers to use. The instructor asks a question, and students write down their answers. Students are then placed in pairs to discuss their responses. Teachers are able to move around the classroom and listen to various discussions. It lets them gain valuable insight into levels of understanding.

6. 3-2-1 Countdown

This is a true test of relevant and meaningful learning. When students learn something they find useful, they're likely to want to use that learning in some way. Have students end the day with this one. Give them cards to write on, or they can respond orally. They are required to respond to three separate statements:

3 things you didn't know before

2 things that surprised you about this topic

1 thing you want to start doing with what you've learned

You can also ask them different kinds of questions. These are suggestions, so feel free to make up your own.

7. Classroom Polls

Polls let students give responses quickly and accurately. A silent poll is perfect for those "shy" students who have trouble speaking up. These are also a quick way to check understanding using mobile technology. Try tools like Poll Everywhere or SurveyPlanet.

8. Exit/Admit Tickets

A simple but effective formative assessment is the exit ticket. Exit tickets are small pieces of paper or cards that students deposit as they leave the classroom. Students write down an accurate interpretation of the main idea behind the lesson taught that day. Next, they provide more detail about the topic.

Admit tickets are done at the very beginning of the class. Students may respond to questions about homework, or on the lesson taught the day before.

9. One-Minute Papers

One-minute papers are usually done at the end of the day. Students can work individually or in groups here. They must answer a brief question in writing. Typical questions posed by teachers center around:

Main point

Most surprising concept

Questions not answered

Most confusing area of topic

What question from the topic might appear on the next test

Without formative assessments, the first indication that a student doesn't grasp the material is when they fail a quiz or a test. An innovative formative assessment strategy like this can take failure out of the classroom.

10. Creative Extension Projects

Students can create a large scope of projects to demonstrate comprehension. Quick projects help them apply the higher-order levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. These don't have to be big and complicated. They can take a day, a half-day, or even an hour. Here are some extension ideas for quick projects:

Create a poster or collage illustrating the subject matter

Record a rehearsed skit or podcast discussing the topics covered

Build a diorama about the subject and create a narrative behind it

Let students design their own flashcards to test each other with

Keynote presentations made by students on the topic

Additional Reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Innovative Formative Assessment Examples for Teachers to Know

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Innovative formative assessment examples are part of what defines any modern classroom. They provide crucial information about what students understand and what they don't. These ungraded assessments are also valuable guides for students. It can help them enhance their performance. Teachers can use them to determine if further instruction is necessary.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I like to use card sorts in my math classroom. I've been working on various sets. Recently I created a card sort for identifying the difference between linear and nonlinear functions. The card sort has 20 cards - 12 equations and 8 tables. Get the link below to the set of cards!

When I use card sorts, I don't always tell students the categories I'm looking for. I might tell them how many categories I want them to create. Keeping the categories open allows for a rich discussion about what they see on the cards, and how they choose to sort them. It allows students to show off their understanding of math vocabulary and to make connections that I might not have thought of.

A card sort can be used at several different levels. It can be used as a discovery activity, a pre-test, and a post-test. The sort can be used as both a formative and a summative activity. The card sort works well if you use math stations. Students can work on the card sorts individually or in pairs. Sorts can be glued into notebooks, or checked as they are completed on the desk.

After sorting the cards, I like to ask students to create another set of cards - for each category. In creating their own set, they demonstrate understanding of the concepts. You can use student create cards for additional practice during the unit!
Check out the card sort ... it's free ... try it and let me know how it works for you!
On my Google Drive
In my TpT Store

PS ... How would you use this card sort? What cards would you add? What concepts work well as a sorting activity?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I like to use card sorts in my math classroom. I've been working on various sets. Recently I created a card sort for identifying the difference between linear and nonlinear functions. The card sort has 20 cards - 12 equations and 8 tables. Get the link below to the set of cards!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A " formative assessment" is a test that is typically given mid-year to measure how student learning has progressed and to guide future instructional decisions for the remainder of the year. It does not represent the cumulative product of learning, but is rather a snapshot of the learning in progress. In most cases, many formative assessments take place intermittently throughout a year.

The opposite of a formative assessment is a "summative assessment" that measures the sum of a student's learning at the end of a unit or year. Where formative assessments are used to measure progress, summative assessments measure the end point-thereby revealing more about outcomes instead of where to go in the future.

Most effective teachers well-versed in classroom management utilize a combination of these assessments. While summative assessments (like unit tests or final exams) are familiar curricular tools, it is imperative that teachers properly employ formative assessments to most powerfully impact their students' learning. Here's how.

Allow for recalibrating. As you examine the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and classes, let the students' results contribute to how you design the next phase of instruction.

Give insights to differentiate instruction. In addition to guiding your instruction, take it a step further by considering the unique needs of each student the assessment might reveal. You can differentiate your instruction to target students' weaknesses and bring them all up to par.

Allow students to revise and reflect on formative assessments. In addition to giving you insights into your next steps, formative assessment results must be examined by students as well. Students ought to be part of the reflection process, recognizing how they performed to properly outline a strategy to improve their performance.

Show students what success looks like. Students can see their own performance, but a formative assessment is also an opportunity for students to see what success at that particular task should look like. Then they can compare their own skill level to the standard.

Come in a variety of forms. There's no single way to assess student learning, and formative assessments can assume formal or informal shapes. See the "Types of Formative Assessments" below section for ideas on different strategies you can use. It is essential that you collect a variety of evidence to give a well-rounded impression of student performance level.

Should track the data. Since you're giving multiple formative assessments throughout the year, it is important that you're able to demonstrate progress. To do this, keep track of student scores and compare their performance on one assessment to their accomplishments on another.

Alert for intervention or remediation. Formative assessments might reveal more than weaknesses-they might show a glaring deficiency in student performance. If special interventions or remediation are necessary beyond the normal curricular allowances, now is the time to make those adjustments.

Are thought of as practice. If summative assessments are the "big game," then formative assessments are the scrimmages preceding them. We want our students' final products to be stellar; so just like athletes preparing for a championship, our students need to hone their skills through practice. Consider formative assessments as their opportunity to play, experiment, fail, and figure out what it takes to get stronger. In many cases you may have students revise their formative assessment.

Are graded differently from summative assessments. Because formative assessments are practice, we don't need to grade them the same way as their summative counterparts. Summatives are naturally going to carry more weight in a student's overall grade; formatives will be more frequent but present a lighter impact. In fact, in some cases you might give a score, but not a grade at all for formative measurements.

Types of Formative Assessments

As stated above, there's no single way to assess students. In fact, the more diverse your assessment approaches, the better idea you have of student performance capabilities. Let's take a look at a few types:

Student Reflections. Simply giving students an opportunity to reflect on their learning can give insight into their capability. This can be done in something like a formal journal, or something informal like an Exit Slip. Students can perform a reflection or summary of recent content by responding to a class activity, assignment, or direct instruction.

Discussion. This can be a very informal process, but just giving students a chance to talk to one another about the content through guided discussion can go a long way in determining how well they understand the material. Whole class, small group, or partner discussions are great ways to gain insight into how they are processing content.

Traditional Homework and Quizzes. Infinite varieties of homework and quizzes exist, but if you utilize some of these, you will have a fairly concrete, measurable product that indicates student learning.

Test-like Preparations. If there is an upcoming summative assessment, then perhaps design quasi-formal formative assessments modeled off of the summative. This will show students exactly what they're expected to perform on the end of year (or unit) test and help prepare them to do well.

Collaborative Activities. In addition to discussions, having students work with one another to create a concrete product helps students solidify their learning and demonstrate their proficiency.

As you more frequently implement formal and informal formative assessments along the above guidelines, you will be able to better respond to student progress. While we commonly rely on summative assessments to determine what students have learned, the better we can utilize formative assessments along the way will help students perform more proficiently in the long run.
What are different formative assessment strategies you have, and how you use them to guide instruction in your classroom? Share your experiences in the comments below! Jordan Catapano is an English teacher at Conant High School in a Chicago suburb. In addition to being National Board Certificated, he also has worked with the Illinois Association of Teachers of English and currently serves as a school board member for a private school. You can follow him on Twitter at @BuffEnglish, or visit his website ACTWritingTips.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Classroom Management: Best Uses of Formative Assessments

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A " formative assessment " is a test that is typically given mid-year to measure how student learning has progressed and to guide future instructional decisions for the remainder of the year. It does not represent the cumulative product of learning, but is rather a snapshot of the learning in progress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
teach the earth:enhancing your teaching:teaching methods

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
higher education :undergraduate (lower division)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Compiled by Mark Francek ( This site may be offline. ) at Central Michigan University (more info) What is Gallery Walk? -a discussion technique for active engagement Gallery Walk gets students out of their ...

# data[].attributes.body
"Scavenger Hunt in your Seat"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sorry my posting has been so sporadic of late. It turns out that teaching, grad school, and wedding planning is waaaaaaaaaaaay more than a full-time job. Today, I want to share another self-checking practice activity I made for my Algebra 2 students. It's a Question Stack to practice simplifying and adding/subtracting rational expressions.

Here's a quick overview of how a Question Stack works:

Lay out all of the cards with the answers facing up.

Flip over one card to reveal a question.

Work that question out.

Find the answer on another card.

Flip that card over and lay it on top of the first question card to start a stack of questions and answers.

Work the new problem that was just revealed.

Repeat until you run out of cards.

I have my students work through these in groups with mini dry erase boards.

This was very hastily put together because 1) I am a procrastinator and 2) I have first hour planning period. That is NOT a good combination. So, if it bothers you that I copied and pasted some questions and typed others, I apologize. If your kids are super astute and will notice the font differences, you should probably fix this. My kids were so stressed out about rationals that they didn't seem to notice.

I put a Q on the question side of the cards to avoid confusion. I still had one group waste a lot of time trying to solve a problem. They couldn't figure it out. I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't simplify. Finally, I realized that they were looking at the answer side of the card that was already simplified. The rest of the class gave them a whole lot of grief over that!

Here are the questions I used:

And, here are the answers. The cards do not print with the question and answer on the same card when printed double sided. This is by design. The cards should form a sort of loop.

Download the file (PDF or Publisher) here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sorry my posting has been so sporadic of late. It turns out that teaching, grad school, and wedding planning is waaaaaaaaaaaay more than a full-time job. Today, I want to share another self-checking practice activity I made for my Algebra 2 students. It's a Question Stack to practice simplifying and adding/subtracting rational expressions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I love watching my students work together on a common goal - especially when that goal is producing the best work they can.

I've been doing activities similar to my Stick-It Together resources for a while in the classroom. Students work in groups of 4. Each student in the group individually answers the problem or question on a sticky note. They then place all their sticky notes on a common page and read through the answers. Taking the very best parts of each person's answer, they discuss and work together to build the best possible answer they can.

I've done these types of activities in both language and math, and a variation of this activity is included in my Building Better Responses resources.

Earlier this year I created my first Stick-It Together Resource - a collaborative activity for reader responses.
Soon after, I began to get requests for a similar resource for math. So here it is ... myStick-It Together for Collaborative Problem-Solving. The resources are specifically geared to the common core standards - with one question for every single standard. (I have completed 4th, 5th and 6th grade resources already. Working on other grades is next on my list).

Each page contains a problem geared to a specific standard, an "I can ..." learning goal, problem-solving success criteria, space for students' individual sticky notes, and a space for the students to build their best collaborative answer.

Also included in the resource are levelled exemplars for students to see and discuss what makes a level 1, 2, 3, and 4 response. There is also a rubric for assessment, and an answer key.

My students love working together on tasks like this, and I love the collaboration and team work skills they build ... not to mention the review of concepts and help from peers. When groups complete the task, I like to project their work over the whiteboard and let them present their final responses to the class. They can take turns explaining how they arrived at the answer, and why they believe they accomplished the task of building the best answer they could.

You can take a peek at my newest resource by clicking HERE or on the picture to the right. Take a peek at some of the sample pages from the resource below.

Click the links below to see the different grade levels in this series:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I love watching my students work together on a common goal - especially when that goal is producing the best work they can. I've been doing activities similar to my Stick-It Together resources for a while in the classroom. Students work in groups of 4.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I gotta be honest, before this year I'd never really heard about task cards, let alone used them in my math classroom. But, I've been converted and now I can't imagine teaching without them. Math task cards take center stage in my classroom now. I'm so excited to share with you 10 simple ways math task cards can energize your classroom!

What are task cards?

Task cards are a set of cards with one question or task printed on each card. They provide a wonderful alternative to worksheets to provide students with the practice and repetitions that they need in order to reach mastery. One of the great things about task cards is that they're just so darn versatile to use. They can be used with students in a whole group setting, in small group or partners, or for individual practice. They can be used to play games like scoot. Or, task cards are ideal for learning centers while students are practicing a concept, as a challenge board for fast finishers, or for cyclical review of previously learned concepts.

How do I use math task cards in the middle school classroom?

In my classroom, I have used task cards in a variety of ways this year. I keep rings with task cards on topics that we've already studied near my teaching station to use as a sponge activity. Random moments can become quick cyclical review by projecting a task card for the class to work on with the doc cam. My students loved playing SCOOT with task cards- it introduced some movement into the classroom and they were super engaged on the practice task that they had in front of them for each of the 2-3 minute time frames. Altogether I've tested ten ways to use math task cards in my classroom, and I keep finding hit after hit. Do you see what I mean about being converted? And super versatile?

If you want a handy dandy task card reference guide- I've got you covered. All of these ideas are on a one page quick reference guide of ways I've used task cards that you can download here:

10 Ways to Use Task Cards- Free Download

#1 Whole Class

Each student has a whiteboard to show their work and answers. The teacher displays the card on the screen and monitors and gives feedback while students are working. When time is up, all students show their white boards and the teacher can quickly scan and see what all have done. This is a great form of formative assessment.

#2 Centers

Place cards in an envelope or on a binder ring in different centers. Students work on one center at a time while the teacher is monitoring and giving feedback. Student record their work and answers on their student record sheet for accountability.

#3 Independent Practice

Give each student a set or subset of cards. Then, students work on their set independently using the student record sheet to show their work and answers. You can have students come to the teacher when they have finished 1 card or a couple of cards to check on how they are doing and give short specific feedback to students individually. You can also stamp the students work on the record sheet to help keep students accountable and to show you quickly what students have accomplished.

#4 Showdown

Students work on groups of 3 or 4. They each have a whiteboard and a set of cards in the middle of their table. They turn a card over and everyone works on the task independently. When everyone is finished they show their work and answers. If students have different answers, the group members confer, explaining their reasoning, and determine which answer is correct.

#5 Exit Ticket

This is a formative assessment activity at the end of class. Show 1-3 task cards on the board and have students complete them and turn them in to quickly check understanding.

#6 SCOOT Game

Place one task card on each desk. Give students a certain amount of time to work on the card that they have (use student record sheet). When the time is up they look at the work and answer for the problem (copied on the back of the card) and then scoot to the next desk. Pro tip: use 8-10 cards for this activity (you'll need 3 sets distributed on the desks). Students will complete the activity after scooting to 8-10 desks and all students will work the same problems.

#7 Bell Work

Have a task card or two displayed on the board for students to complete when they come in the room.

#8 In Partners

Give students a set of cards to work on in partners. Each student should record their own work for individual accountability. When students work in partners you'll see an immediate uptick in math talk.

#9 Spiral Review

Pull out a set of task cards a month or two after teaching the topic and use them again as a way to review. Easy peasy! Students get great practice with very little prep time.

#10 Whole Class Game

There are a variety of games that you can play with task cards. You can have students complete a problem and then give them an opportunity to earn points by shooting a ball into a hoop, spinning a wheel with point values, trying to hit a target etc.

Final Thoughts

If you're not using them today, I encourage you to try them out. I think you'll find that math task cards really are low-prep tools that can ramp up student engagement in your classroom. Create your own, or download some from Teachers Pay Teachers- you'll find a range of high quality task cards available from a number of shops on just about any topic you are studying. Or, check out one of our best-selling task card sets here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Task Cards in the Middle School Math Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I gotta be honest, before this year I'd never really heard about task cards, let alone used them in my math classroom. But, I've been converted and now I can't imagine teaching without them. Math task cards take center stage in my classroom now.