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Confirmative assessment, similarly to the formative assessment, is a method of evaluating student learning and progress throughout the learning process. Unlike summative assessment, which is conducted at the end of a unit or course to measure the overall achievement, confirmative assessment is ongoing and focuses on providing immediate feedback to students to help them improve their understanding and performance.

The primary goal of confirmative assessment is to gather information about students' knowledge, skills, and understanding to inform instructional decisions. It allows teachers to assess students' strengths and weaknesses, identify misconceptions, and adjust their teaching strategies accordingly. Additionally, confirmative assessment promotes active learning and student engagement by involving learners in self-assessment, reflection, and goal-setting.

There are various methods and tools used in confirmative assessment, including:

1. Classroom observations: Teachers closely observe students' behaviors, participation, and interactions during class activities and discussions. This helps them gauge students' engagement, identify areas where students may be struggling, and provide immediate feedback or interventions.

2. Questioning: Teachers ask questions during lessons to assess students' understanding. They may use techniques like wait time (providing a pause after asking a question to allow students to think) and random selection (calling on students randomly) to encourage participation from all students and gain a broader understanding of their comprehension.

3. Quizzes and tests: Short quizzes and tests are administered periodically to assess students' knowledge and understanding of specific topics. These assessments can be in the form of multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, or problem-solving tasks. The results help teachers identify areas where students may need additional support and re-teaching.

4. Peer and self-assessment: Students assess their own work and that of their peers using predetermined criteria or rubrics. This promotes metacognitive skills and helps students develop a deeper understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement. Peer feedback also encourages collaboration and fosters a supportive learning environment.

5. Classroom discussions and debates: Students engage in structured discussions and debates on relevant topics. These activities provide opportunities for students to articulate their thoughts, defend their positions, and challenge their peers' ideas. Teachers assess students' contributions and provide feedback on their reasoning, argumentation skills, and ability to consider different perspectives.

6. Portfolios and projects: Students compile portfolios of their work, including assignments, projects, and reflections, to demonstrate their learning progress over time. Portfolios can include written pieces, artwork, multimedia presentations, and other artifacts that showcase the depth and breadth of students' understanding.

The key features of confirmative assessment include timely feedback, opportunities for reflection, and a focus on the learning process rather than just the final outcomes. By continuously assessing students' progress, teachers can make informed instructional decisions, tailor their teaching strategies, and provide targeted support to help students achieve their learning goals.

https://www.evelynlearning.com/confirmative-evaluation-meaning-scope-purpose-and-model/

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Placement tests and Diagnostic assessments

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Placement tests and Diagnostic assessments

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Placement tests are  tests that act as indicators of a student’s academic abilities in any given subject.

They allow teachers to identify strong and weak students at the start of the year and if the school system allows, allocate students into appropriate academic ability levels .

Diagnostic assessments are intended to assess the student’s current knowledge and mastery of a subject or subject area.

Diagnostic tests are important as they assist the teacher in preparing lessons and materials, can help gauge the level of the student.
They can help in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a class, which may help with planning lessons, the curriculum or revision for examinations.

https://www.goodwin.edu/glossary/placement-tests#:~:text=Placement%20tests%2C%20sometimes%20called%20placement,aptitude%2Dappropriate%2Dlevel%20courses.
https://www.teflcourse.net/blog/the-importance-of-diagnostic-tests-in-an-esl-classroom-ittt-tefl-blog/

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“Involving Students in the Assessment Process.” Self-Assessment, www.queensu.ca/teachingandlearning/modules/assessments/25_s3_03_self_assessment.html. Accessed 6 June 2023.

“Strategies for Student Self-Assessment.” Education, 8 Dec. 2022, education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/professional-learning/teacher-quality-and-accreditation/strong-start-great-teachers/refining-practice/peer-and-self-assessment-for-students/strategies-for-student-self-assessment.

Wride , Michael. Guide to Self-Assessment, 2017, www.tcd.ie/academicpractice/Assets/pdf/Academic%20Practice%20Resources/Guide%20to%20Student%20Self%20Assessment.pdf.

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Learning journals or learning logs

Learning journals and learning logs are records where students can write about their learning processes, set goals, and monitor their progress. They can use prompts like "What did I learn today?" or "What challenges did I face?" to reflect on their experiences.

Portfolios

Portfolios are collections of student work that show their progress and achievements. Students select samples that demonstrate their growth over time and reflect on their learning. Portfolios can be shared with teachers and parents to communicate their accomplishments.

Student-led conferences

In student-led conferences, students take the lead in discussing their learning with teachers, peers, and parents. They showcase their work, explain how feedback has helped them improve, and set goals for their future learning.

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Empowering Students to Own the Assessment Process

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Self-assessment is used for several important reasons:

1. Self-assessment encourages individuals to reflect on their own learning, performance, and progress. It helps them gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, learning preferences, and areas for improvement. This self-awareness is valuable for personal growth and development.

2. Self-assessment empowers individuals to take ownership of their learning journey. By evaluating their own work, setting goals, and monitoring their progress, individuals become active participants in their education. This sense of ownership promotes motivation, engagement, and a lifelong learning mindset.

3. Self-assessment allows individuals to tailor their learning to their specific needs. By identifying areas of weakness or gaps in understanding, individuals can focus on targeted areas for improvement. They can set personal learning goals and select appropriate strategies and resources to support their growth.

4. Self-assessment promotes metacognition, which is the awareness and understanding of one's own thinking and learning processes. It helps individuals develop critical thinking skills, reflect on their learning strategies, and make adjustments as needed. This metacognitive awareness enhances learning effectiveness and efficiency.

5. Self-assessment provides individuals with feedback on their own work and progress. It allows them to evaluate their performance and identify areas that require further development. This feedback can then be used to set realistic and meaningful goals for improvement.

6. Engaging in self-assessment helps individuals build confidence in their abilities. Recognizing their strengths and achievements boosts self-esteem and empowers individuals to tackle challenges and take on new learning opportunities.

7. Self-assessment fosters skills that are valuable beyond the classroom. The ability to reflect, set goals, self-monitor, and adapt one's learning approach are essential for lifelong learning and success in various contexts.

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Self-assessment is defined as ‘the involvement of learners in making judgements about their achievements and the outcomes of their learning’ (Boud and Falchikov (1989; p 529) and ‘identifying standards and/or criteria to apply to their work and making judgements about the extent to which they have met these criteria and standards’ Boud (1995; p4). Thus, self-assessment is intimately bound up with issues of power, control and authority and the extent to which these are transferred from academic staff to students (Brew, 1999).

Self-assessment provides students with an opportunity to self-evaluate, or make judgments about their learning process and products of learning, based on criteria that they have agreed on with their instructor.

It involves reflecting on one's own work, progress, strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Self-assessment allows individuals to take an active role in evaluating their own learning and development, providing valuable insights for self-reflection and self-directed growth.

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Setting goals

Helping to set and clarify effective goals, against which students can assess their performance

Providing examples

Providing examples of good performance, or setting the standard against which students will assess themselves

Providing criteria

Providing specific criteria to help students generate internal feedback

Giving opportunities

Providing multiple opportunities for students to assess themselves, and to thereby help them close the gap between their current performance and the desired performance

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Setting goals Helping to set and clarify effective goals, against which students can assess their performance Providing examples Providing examples of good performance, or setting the standard against which students will assess themselves Providing criteria Providing specific criteria to help students generate internal feedback Giving opportunities Providing multiple opportunities for students to assess themselves, and to thereby help them close the gap between their current performance and the desired performance

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Criterion-referenced assessment (CRA) is the process of assessing (and scoring) student learning against a set of pre-specified qualities or criteria, without reference to the achievements of others. Pre-specified qualities or standards are things students must do during assessment to demonstrate that they have achieved learning outcomes.

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Schools use criterion-referenced assessments to examine specific knowledge and abilities that students are most likely to acquire. This determines how close they are to mastering the standard. They allow teachers to assess how they are helping students progress in specific areas. Standards-referenced assessments will show you where your learners stand against accepted standards, enabling you to tailor instruction and assistance to your students. Examples of standard referenced assessments include driving tests, end-of-school unit tests, clinical skills competency tools, etc.

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What is a Functional Behavioral Assessment?

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What is a Functional Behavioral Assessment?

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A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) is an evaluation tool used support children's behavioral and emotional development (Lee, 2023). The FBA is conducted by a trained professional, such as a school psychologist or behavioral specialist. The FBA gathers evidence of student's challenging behaviors to understand why the behavior occurs (Lee, 2023). After the data is analyzed, strategies and interventions are implemented to redirect and improve the behaviors. This is usually implemented as a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).

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Summative assessments are a common method of measuring student progress, in which the data is used by students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Aside from summative assessments used regularly in classes by teachers, standardized tests are another common example of these, that provides data to all interested parties.

Typically employed at the end of an instructional period, unit, course, program, semester, or school year, data can be evaluated to determine if learning objectives and expectations were met for a specific time period by the student. Equally important, summative assessments help to assess the effectiveness of educational programs, measure progress in improvements, and help make course displacement decisions.

These assessments are usually graded by letter or numerical score although they can also not be graded. Grades are recorded into student academic records, end up on report cards, and are also widely used in the college admission process (e.g., SAT or ACT). Other types of standardized tests include Advanced Placement (AP) tests, International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, and MAP tests.

Other variations of summative assessments include:

portfolios

projects

presentations

essays

interviews

Summative assessments are said to be for learning, contrasting with formative assessments which are said to be of learning.

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Summative Assessment: Overview & Examples

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Writing for Medium, Susan Brookhart says that "as opposed to tests, which gather evidence about students' conceptual knowledge, performance assessments gather evidence about what a student can do with their knowledge." (Brookhart). An effective performance assessment will allow students to apply knowledge to solve a problem or demonstrate a skill. Also called project assessments, in performance assessments students demonstrate or construct something, which is then assessed through observation and judgement in conjunction with a rubric.

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Steps of a Functional Behavioral Assessment

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Steps of a Functional Behavioral Assessment

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According to the IRIS Center (n.d.), these are the steps to conducting a Functional Behavioral Assessment:

1. First, the class teacher will contact the specialist team to communicate their concerns about the behavior and how behavior management strategies have been unsuccessful.

2. The specialist team will conduct observations and gather evidence. They will identify the specific problem(s) are causing the student to exhibit the behaviors. An ABC chart is commonly used to break down the steps that led to the behaviors. ABC stands for Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence. Antecedent is what happened right before the behavior. Behavior is the reaction the student has. Consequence is the result of the behavior that is enforced by the teacher. This may include the lesson changing to math, then the student disrupting the class so they can be sent out of the classroom, and therefore not have to do the work.

3. The team will then create interventions and strategies to redirect and eliminate unwanted behaviors.

4. After implementation, they will review the effectiveness of their plan and adjust the interventions if necessary.

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National Understanding of Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning

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National Understanding of Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning

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https://www.teachingandlearning.ie/our-priorities/student-success/assessment-of-for-as-learning/

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Examples of assessment for and of learning

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Examples of assessment for and of learning

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Summative assessment is the assessment of learning. Teachers use summative assessment when they are assessing how far a child has come and what they have achieved. Examples include end of topic tests, GSCEs, and A Levels.

Assessment for Learning examples：
1 – Round the Room Questioning
2 – Whole-Class Questioning
3 – Peer and Self-Assessment

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When used effectively, assessment for learning, or AFL, can be a highly impactful teaching tool, acting as a bridge between where a student currently is in their learning and achievement and where they want to get to.

In this article, we will address the question ' what is assessment for learning?', list the benefits of AFL, explain the role of the teacher within the assessment process, and outline how you can embed AFL within your teaching practice.

Want an Assessment for Learning Training Course? We are looking to develop an Assessment for Learning course and need your help! For over a decade, High Speed Training has delivered CPD courses to teachers, teaching assistants and education professionals all across the UK. Please use this AFL course registration form and let us know if you are interested in a course to help you and your team improve your abilities in using Assessment for Learning in the classroom.

What is Assessment for Learning?

AFL is a cyclical approach to teaching and learning used by both teachers and students to help learners fulfil their potential. The information created through AFL notifies both learners and teachers where students are in their learning. This then informs the teaching practice so that educators know how to amend their approach accordingly - to support students in getting where they need to be. Through this cycle, students are actively engaged in their learning, and they also learn the strategies required to maximise their own progress.

The Teachers' Standards stipulate that all teachers in England 'must make use of formative and summative assessment to secure pupils' progress.' Almost every teaching and learning task or activity presents an assessment opportunity. AFL can therefore be used on a regular basis to guide the learning process - to assess, to inform teaching, and to provide impactful feedback.

When implementing AFL, teachers need to consider where the learner is going in the lesson, course, or unit of work. Educators should aim to present intended outcomes and success criteria in a universal way, so that they are clear and transparent to all. They should be broken down into small steps to ensure they are as accessible as possible.

Teachers also need to consider where the learner is now, and how far they may be from reaching the intended outcomes. Educators can uncover this through snapshot assessment - which can be used to provide both students and teachers with a shared understanding of what they can already do and where there may be gaps in their learning.

Finally, teachers must think about how the learner can achieve their aims, and what steps they need to take to get there. Through this collection of evidence, educators can be responsive and reactive, adapting their high-quality teaching to best suit learners' needs.

This is the cycle of AFL. It ultimately helps us to understand if our teaching is leading to learning.

NFER

The Benefits of AFL

The many benefits of using effective assessment for learning include:

Improved relationships between teachers and students.

Improved attainment and achievement.

Improved confidence, resilience, and self-esteem amongst learners.

Improved classroom culture and teaching and learning environments.

Improved productivity and sense of motivation.

Improved metacognitive talk in the classroom.

What are the Different Types of Assessment for Learning?

When considering AFL, we need to make the distinction between formative and summative assessment.

Summative assessment is the assessment of learning. Teachers use summative assessment when they are assessing how far a child has come and what they have achieved. Examples include end of topic tests, GSCEs, and A Levels.

Formative assessment, or AFL, shapes learning. The most effective form of formative assessment takes place live, minute-by-minute, day-by-day. It is assessment that takes place while students are still engaged in the learning. Formative assessment allows students to identify and address any misconceptions before their summative assessments.

There are some forms of assessment which can be both formative and summative. If students completed a test paper in class to assess their knowledge at the end of a unit, but then mark it individually, or as a class or a group to receive immediate feedback that addresses misconceptions, then this would encompass both forms of assessment.

Educationalist and professor, Dr. Dylan Williams

What Williams is referring to here is the immediacy of formative assessment. Formative assessment informs learners how they can progress in their learning, and what steps they need to take to reach their destination. Anything more onerous than a direct, handwritten response may not impact the learning as effectively as if it were happening in the moment.

Why is the Role of the Teacher Important in AFL?

A teacher's role is to plan and manage the assessment. One aspect of their role is to make accurate and productive use of assessment. They then use their findings to inform next steps, both their own and the pupils'. This reactionary approach to teaching and learning keeps students at the heart of the process. Their findings provide teachers with the freedom to explore new strategies and concepts which will maximise students' learning.

In order for AFL to be successful, teachers must first create the right social, emotional, and classroom environments. Students need to feel safe, valued, and respected before they will feel empowered enough to engage in meaningful assessment opportunities. Teachers can do this by being positive, approachable, smiling, welcoming their students, adhering to the school's behaviour and teaching and learning policies, having high expectations, and understanding and empathising with their students.

Similarly, the way in which teachers communicate with students helps to lay a strong foundation for effective AFL. For example, if students are told that they are wrong or incorrect constantly, then their self-efficacy will be affected. Language like this, when used continually, will only cause students to disengage. Instead, teachers can address misconceptions in learning as opportunities for students to thrive and excel. This approach builds resilience in students as they believe they're not there yet, but they instead feel confident and informed enough to recognise and take their next steps.

To boost self-esteem and levels of motivation in the classroom, teachers can ask students to focus on their improvement rather than level of attainment.

How to Use Assessment for Learning Strategies in the Classroom

Let's look at three ways that you can use assessment for learning strategies in the classroom.

1 - Round the Room Questioning

Teachers can circulate around the room asking individual or group questions. Doing so helps them to immediately address any misconceptions or gaps in students' learning. Feedback provided should directly inform students what they need to do next to get to where they need to be. The general consensus may then inform the direction of the lesson or the unit of work. As well as welcoming any misconceptions which may arise, teachers can use the opportunity to praise students and offer hints, tips, and advice. Teachers can differentiate as they are circulating by asking different questions to different pupils.

2 - Whole-Class Questioning

Whole-class questioning is an excellent way for teachers to determine if all learners have understood the learning intentions. The best whole-class questions have both a correct and an incorrect answer, and thinking time should be given before students are expected to show their answer. Teachers can then easily scan the room to assess student understanding. If teachers receive a sea of correct answers, they know that the students are ready to progress in their learning or to deepen their understanding. If there are numerous misconceptions, then teachers may need to draw upon an element of high-quality teaching to help reframe the learning, such as chunking, scaffolding, or peer learning.

There are many ways that students can record their responses to whole-class questioning, including on mini whiteboards, post its, traffic light or ABCD cards, emoji cards, and thumbs up or down. Students can also physically move to a zone in the room to indicate their response. In online spaces, this can be done via online polls, shared documents, scribble boards, and via emojis.

3 - Peer and Self-Assessment

Peer learning and self-assessment can only be successful if everyone has a universal understanding of the learning outcome.

Self-assessment tools include sheets or grids where students can signpost where they believe they are in their learning; 'I can' statements which can be ticked and dated, and KWL grids which detail what the student knows, what they would like to know, and what they have learnt.

Peer learning and assessment relies on close interactions between two or more students, so it is even more successful if the social and emotional setting is right. Pupils take responsibility for their own learning and are given the tools to help them evaluate their success. It has been found to be a low-cost teaching and learning tool, which can be particularly beneficial to learners with SEND. The Education Endowment Foundation states that teachers must 'carefully structure tasks so that sessions focus on existing knowledge.'

An example of peer learning would be students completing a test paper together based on acquired knowledge. Completing and marking the paper together can stimulate high-level discussion and deep metacognitive thought, which can be engaging and motivational for students.

Dr. Dylan Williams uses the analogy of a pilot to summarise the importance of assessment for learning. Pilots plan a course but then take readings as they go. They then change course as conditions dictate. Assessment for learning helps us to steer our learners back on track, with the ultimate goal of helping them to be the best they can be, and to achieve the best possible outcomes. Where implementing a new assessment for learning strategy, remember to do so because it works for you and your students. In doing so, you'll be keeping the students and their needs at the heart of AFL in your classroom.
Further Resources:

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How to Use Assessment for Learning in Schools

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When used effectively, assessment for learning, or AFL, can be a highly impactful teaching tool, acting as a bridge between where a student currently is in their learning and achievement and where they want to get to.

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Assessment for learning is a powerful tool for promoting student growth and success, and can have a significant impact on student achievement. By providing ongoing feedback and support, teachers can help students reach their full potential and achieve their academic goals.

Assessment as learning, also known as formative assessment, is a process that actively involves students in reflecting on their learning, monitoring their own progress, and taking ownership of their academic growth.

Assessment of learning, also known as summative assessment, is a process that involves teachers using evidence of student learning to make judgements about student achievement. This approach provides an opportunity to report evidence of achievement related to curricular outcomes, allowing teachers to determine whether students have met the learning objectives for a particular unit or course. Summative assessment occurs at the end of a learning cycle using a variety of tools, such as exams, projects, or assignments, to gather evidence of student learning.

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Clarity of instructions and/or a rubric is key to successful summative assessments. This allows students to fully convey their knowledge or comfort-level with the topic being assessed. Outside of standardized tests, there should be ample time to study for and complete the assessment. Time constraints can put undue pressure on a student that may disrupt their ability to display their acquired knowledge and skills.

Students should be given the opportunity to show their work which in turn will assess their ability to synthesize, evaluate, and apply content knowledge. This will prove a student's depth of knowledge.

To tackle differentiation in the classroom, choice boards and offering varying summative assessment types are crucial to give different opportunities for students to succeed. Multiple-choice and free-response questions should be used alongside other assessment methods to provide opportunities to students of all shapes and sizes.

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Functional Behavioral Assessment: The FBA

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Writing the Education Development Center, Jessica Bailey provides several reasons why performance assessments are important in the classroom. "Performance assessments allow students to play an active role in the assessment process." (Bailey). Any opportunity to empower students through their choices should be embraced. The role the students take and the choices they make in their performance assessments paves more ground for them to take ownership of their learning. Aside from being more involved with the assessment, Baily mentions several ways students collaborate with their teachers:

- Co-establish success criteria
- Co-develop rubrics
- Choose the topic
- Choose a way to demonstrate learning
- Provide peer feedback
-Reflect on their experience
- Self-assess and/or peer-assess (Bailey)

Student collaboration deepens knowledge of standards and performance outcomes that are both being taught and assessed.

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Peer assessment involves students evaluating the work or performance of their classmates. It is used to promote active learning, self-reflection, and the development of critical thinking skills. Peer assessment allows students to provide feedback, assess their peers' work against given criteria, and engage in collaborative learning. It also encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning and gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

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Observation is a systematic process of collecting information on children by watching them. Information recorded from observations can be used to:

Make curriculum and instruction decision

Select instructional materials

Assess developmental progress

Decide on how to group children

Decide when, if, or how to use formal tests

Provide a baseline for deciding whether or not to recommend a child for formal study.

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Clarifying assignment goals and criteria: Peer assessment requires students to closely examine assignment criteria and apply them to multiple examples. This practice helps students understand assessment criteria and become aware of the traits that distinguish successful performance.

Learning through giving feedback: Providing constructive feedback engages students in complex problem-solving processes, helping them diagnose problems and suggest solutions. Elaborated feedback that describes problems and offers scaffolded solutions has been shown to benefit student learning.

Active engagement: Peer assessment engages students in the feedback process, promoting active learning and motivating them to use feedback to improve their work. It provides opportunities for earlier feedback, revision, and the incorporation of learned knowledge into subsequent assignments.

Increased critical engagement with assignments: Peer assessment prompts students to think critically about assignments, review, summarize, diagnose misconceptions, and consider deviations from the ideal. These activities reinforce and deepen learning.

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Peer Assessment: Reflections from Students and Teachers

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Examples of performance, or project, assessments include:

Broad:
- Essays
- Projects
- Demonstrations
- Portfolios

Specific:
- Creating a newspaper
- Acting in a play
- Creating a sustainability project
- Debates
- Oral reports
- Drawing interpretation of a character

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1. Formative Feedback:

Students provide constructive feedback on drafts.

Feedback is used for revisions before submitting the final product.

Instructor or TA gives the final grade.

Can be done in-class or using online tools.

2. Peer Grading:

Students assign grades to their peers.

Online tools randomly distribute assignments for peer review.

Peer grading based on assessment criteria and rubric.

Final scores calculated from median values of peer grades.

3. Peer Assessment of Group Work Participation:

Peer assessment used to supplement instructor grades for group assignments.

Students evaluate group members' participation using a rubric.

Instructor incorporates peer evaluations to determine individual participation grades.

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Brookhart, Susan. “Performance Assessment: What Is It and Why Use It?” Medium, 6 May 2021, medium.com/inspired-ideas-prek-12/performance-assessment-what-is-it-and-why-use-it-1394712c5d3.

Bailey, Jessica. “Engaging Students through Performance Assessment.” EDC, 2 Nov. 2020, www.edc.org/blog/engaging-students-through-performance-assessment#:~:text=Performance%20assessment%20allows%20students%20to,in%20turn%2C%20enhances%20their%20learning.&text=Assessments%20can%20be%20designed%20so,way%20to%20demonstrate%20their%20understanding.

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Lee, A. M. I. (2023, February 3). What is functional behavioral assessment (FBA)?. Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/functional-assessment-what-it-is-and-how-it-works

Vanderbilt University. (n.d.). Page 4: conduct a functional behavioral assessment. IRIS Center. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/fba/cresource/q2/p04/

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In the context of music, peer assessment can be implemented by having students listen to and provide feedback on their classmates' musical performances. Each student could be assigned a few peers' performances to evaluate, considering elements such as accuracy, tone quality, interpretation, and expression. They could provide constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement based on the criteria provided.

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Ideas and Strategies for Peer Assessments. (n.d.). Retrieved 1 June 2023, from https://isit.arts.ubc.ca/ideas-and-strategies-for-peer-assessments/

Ideas and Strategies for Peer Assessments. (n.d.). Retrieved 1 June 2023, from https://isit.arts.ubc.ca/ideas-and-strategies-for-peer-assessments/

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Anecdotal records

Functional Behaviour Assessment

Running records

Checklists

Rating scales

Above is an example of a rating scale. Rating scales state the criteria and provide three or four response selections to describe the quality or frequency of student work. Teachers can use rating scales to record observations and students can use them as self-assessment tools.

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Summative Assessment. T he Glossary of Education Reform. AUG 29 2013. https://www.edglossary.org/summative-assessment/.

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Summative assessments are used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period-typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program, or school year. Generally speaking, summative assessments are defined by three major criteria:

The tests, assignments, or projects are used to determine whether students have learned what they were expected to learn. In other words, what makes an assessment "summative" is not the design of the test, assignment, or self-evaluation, per se, but the way it is used-i.e., to determine whether and to what degree students have learned the material they have been taught.

Summative assessments are given at the conclusion of a specific instructional period, and therefore they are generally evaluative, rather than diagnostic-i.e., they are more appropriately used to determine learning progress and achievement, evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs, measure progress toward improvement goals, or make course-placement decisions, among other possible applications.

Summative-assessment results are often recorded as scores or grades that are then factored into a student's permanent academic record, whether they end up as letter grades on a report card or test scores used in the college-admissions process. While summative assessments are typically a major component of the grading process in most districts, schools, and courses, not all assessments considered to be summative are graded.

Summative assessments are commonly contrasted with formative assessments, which collect detailed information that educators can use to improve instruction and student learning while it's happening. In other words, formative assessments are often said to be for learning, while summative assessments are of learning. Or as assessment expert Paul Black put it, "When the cook tastes the soup, that's formative assessment. When the customer tastes the soup, that's summative assessment." It should be noted, however, that the distinction between formative and summative is often fuzzy in practice, and educators may have divergent interpretations and opinions on the subject.

Some of the most well-known and widely discussed examples of summative assessments are the standardized tests administered by states and testing organizations, usually in math, reading, writing, and science. Other examples of summative assessments include:

End-of-unit or chapter tests.

End-of-term or semester tests.

Standardized tests that are used to for the purposes of school accountability, college admissions (e.g., the SAT or ACT), or end-of-course evaluation (e.g., Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams).

Culminating demonstrations of learning or other forms of "performance assessment," such as portfolios of student work that are collected over time and evaluated by teachers or capstone projects that students work on over extended periods of time and that they present and defend at the conclusion of a school year or their high school education.

While most summative assessments are given at the conclusion of an instructional period, some summative assessments can still be used diagnostically. For example, the growing availability of student data, made possible by online grading systems and databases, can give teachers access to assessment results from previous years or other courses. By reviewing this data, teachers may be able to identify students more likely to struggle academically in certain subject areas or with certain concepts. In addition, students may be allowed to take some summative tests multiple times, and teachers might use the results to help prepare students for future administrations of the test.

It should also be noted that districts and schools may use "interim" or "benchmark" tests to monitor the academic progress of students and determine whether they are on track to mastering the material that will be evaluated on end-of-course tests or standardized tests. Some educators consider interim tests to be formative, since they are often used diagnostically to inform instructional modifications, but others may consider them to be summative. There is ongoing debate in the education community about this distinction, and interim assessments may defined differently from place to place. See formative assessment for a more detailed discussion.

Reform

While educators have arguably been using "summative assessments" in various forms since the invention of schools and teaching, summative assessments have in recent decades become components of larger school-improvement efforts. As they always have, summative assessments can help teachers determine whether students are making adequate academic progress or meeting expected learning standards, and results may be used to inform modifications to instructional techniques, lesson designs, or teaching materials the next time a course, unit, or lesson is taught. Yet perhaps the biggest changes in the use of summative assessments have resulted from state and federal policies aimed at improving public education-specifically, standardized high-stakes tests used to make important decisions about schools, teachers, and students.

Debate

While there is little disagreement among educators about the need for or utility of summative assessments, debates and disagreements tend to center on issues of fairness and effectiveness, especially when summative-assessment results are used for high-stakes purposes. In these cases, educators, experts, reformers, policy makers, and others may debate whether assessments are being designed and used appropriately, or whether high-stakes tests are either beneficial or harmful to the educational process. For more detailed discussions of these issues, see high-stakes test , measurement error , test accommodations , , score inflation , standardized test , and value-added measures .

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Summative assessments are used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period-typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program, or school year. Generally speaking, summative assessments are defined by three major criteria: The tests, assignments, or projects are used to determine whether students [...]

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Everything you need to know about observational assessments

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Everything you need to know about observational assessments

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The linked video is a fantastic resource to look into. In it the presenter describes what we can learn about children by carefully watching them, listening to them, and studying their work. This video can teach you how to document factual observations, and how to interpret the documented evidence to make instructional decisions.

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Everything You Need to Know about Observational Assessment

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Checklists, Rating Scales and Rubrics (Assessment). (n.d.). https://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mewa/html/assessment/checklists.html#:~:text=Rating%20scales%20state%20the%20criteria,them%20as%20self%2Dassessment%20tools.

Module 3: Observation for Assessment. (n.d.). Ppt Download. https://slideplayer.com/slide/10474482/

Pearson Assessments US. (2018, October 19). Everything You Need to Know about Observational Assessment [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfXF87eTKBk