Improving Formative Assessment Practice to Empower Student Learning

E. Caroline Wylie - Educational Testing Service, USA
Arlen R. Gullickson - The Evaluation Center, Western Michigan University
Katharine E. Cummings - Western Michigan University, USA
Paula E. Egelson - Southern Regional Education Board
Lindsay Akers Noakes - Western Michigan University, USA
Kelley M. Norman - Topeka Kansas Public Schools
Sally A. Veeder
Improving Formative Assessment Practice to Empower Student Learning
February 2012 | 160 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781452283692
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ISBN: 9781412997010
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Description

Supercharge your formative assessment skills and watch student learning soar!

Teachers routinely ask and answer a series of three questions with and for students: Where are my students headed? Where are they right now? How can I close the gap between where they are and where I want them to be? This text suggests that teachers also ask these parallel questions of themselves:

  • Where am I going?
  • What can formative assessment practice look like?
  • Where am I currently in my formative assessment practice?
  • How do I close the gap?

Readers are then encouraged to select a specific aspect of formative assessment to investigate, explore relevant personal practice relevant to that aspect, implement necessary changes, reflect on those changes, and continue the change process.

This practical guide can be used by individual teachers or collaboratively as a study guide for a learning community. The authors describe an effective four-step process for improving teachers' formative assessment practices that provides opportunities to reflect, consider alternative instructional approaches, and apply what they have learned. Case studies provide examples of formative assessment in practice, along with examples of teacher-implemented changes. A companion website includes an array of tools and templates for organizing, gathering, and systematically using information to strengthen formative assessment skills.

This practical guide can be used by individual teachers or collaboratively as a study guide for a learning community. Case studies provide examples of formative assessment in practice, along with examples of teachers implementing changes in their practice. A companion website includes an array of tools and templates for organizing, gathering, and systematically using information to strengthen formative assessment skills.

Contents

List of Web Tools

List of Web Tools

Foreword

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

Preface

  • Who Is This Book For?
  • Special Features of This Book
  • Chapter Highlights
  • 1. Introduction to Improving Formative Assessment Practice
  • Formative and Summative Assessment
  • Evaluation and Formative Assessment
  • Evaluation and Professional Development
  • The Self-Evaluation Process
  • Overview of the Chapters
  • 2. Examining Formative Assessment
  • Formative Assessment in Practice
  • Understanding Formative Assessment
  • The Impact of Formative Assessment on Learning
  • Formative Assessment Characteristics Used in the “How-To Guide”
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 2
  • Questions for Individual Consideration
  • Questions for Consideration as a Learning Community
  • 3. Getting Started on Your Self-Evaluation Journey
  • Beginning the Self-Evaluation Process
  • Developing Familiarity with Formative Assessment
  • Am I Ready to Engage in This Process?
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 3
  • 4. A Targeted Look at One Area
  • Personal Reflection on Strengths and Areas for Improvement
  • Collecting Evidence of Practice
  • Assessing Quality of Information
  • Selecting an Area for Improvement
  • Act-Reflect-Revise
  • Summary: The Big Idea for Chapter 4
  • 5. Support for Making Changes to Practice
  • The Cycle-Within-The-Cycle: Act, Reflect, Revise
  • Sources of Support
  • How Will I Know When I am Ready to Choose a New Target or Characteristic?
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 5
  • 6. Self-Evaluation of Changes to Practice
  • Chain of Evidence
  • Collecting Evidence of Effects
  • Sources of Evidence
  • Additional Considerations
  • Summing Up
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 6
  • 7. Putting It All Together

Index

Index

Description

Supercharge your formative assessment skills and watch student learning soar!

Teachers routinely ask and answer a series of three questions with and for students: Where are my students headed? Where are they right now? How can I close the gap between where they are and where I want them to be? This text suggests that teachers also ask these parallel questions of themselves:

  • Where am I going?
  • What can formative assessment practice look like?
  • Where am I currently in my formative assessment practice?
  • How do I close the gap?

Readers are then encouraged to select a specific aspect of formative assessment to investigate, explore relevant personal practice relevant to that aspect, implement necessary changes, reflect on those changes, and continue the change process.

This practical guide can be used by individual teachers or collaboratively as a study guide for a learning community. The authors describe an effective four-step process for improving teachers' formative assessment practices that provides opportunities to reflect, consider alternative instructional approaches, and apply what they have learned. Case studies provide examples of formative assessment in practice, along with examples of teacher-implemented changes. A companion website includes an array of tools and templates for organizing, gathering, and systematically using information to strengthen formative assessment skills.

This practical guide can be used by individual teachers or collaboratively as a study guide for a learning community. Case studies provide examples of formative assessment in practice, along with examples of teachers implementing changes in their practice. A companion website includes an array of tools and templates for organizing, gathering, and systematically using information to strengthen formative assessment skills.

Contents

List of Web Tools

List of Web Tools

Foreword

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

Preface

  • Who Is This Book For?
  • Special Features of This Book
  • Chapter Highlights
  • 1. Introduction to Improving Formative Assessment Practice
  • Formative and Summative Assessment
  • Evaluation and Formative Assessment
  • Evaluation and Professional Development
  • The Self-Evaluation Process
  • Overview of the Chapters
  • 2. Examining Formative Assessment
  • Formative Assessment in Practice
  • Understanding Formative Assessment
  • The Impact of Formative Assessment on Learning
  • Formative Assessment Characteristics Used in the “How-To Guide”
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 2
  • Questions for Individual Consideration
  • Questions for Consideration as a Learning Community
  • 3. Getting Started on Your Self-Evaluation Journey
  • Beginning the Self-Evaluation Process
  • Developing Familiarity with Formative Assessment
  • Am I Ready to Engage in This Process?
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 3
  • 4. A Targeted Look at One Area
  • Personal Reflection on Strengths and Areas for Improvement
  • Collecting Evidence of Practice
  • Assessing Quality of Information
  • Selecting an Area for Improvement
  • Act-Reflect-Revise
  • Summary: The Big Idea for Chapter 4
  • 5. Support for Making Changes to Practice
  • The Cycle-Within-The-Cycle: Act, Reflect, Revise
  • Sources of Support
  • How Will I Know When I am Ready to Choose a New Target or Characteristic?
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 5
  • 6. Self-Evaluation of Changes to Practice
  • Chain of Evidence
  • Collecting Evidence of Effects
  • Sources of Evidence
  • Additional Considerations
  • Summing Up
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 6
  • 7. Putting It All Together

Index

Index

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Improving Formative Assessment Practice to Empower Student Learning

E. Caroline Wylie , Arlen R. Gullickson , Katharine E. Cummings , Paula E. Egelson , Lindsay Akers Noakes , Kelley M. Norman , Sally A. Veeder
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February 2012 | 160 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 28/04/2023 9781412997010 $39.95
Lifetime 28/04/2023 9781452283692 $36.00

Supercharge your formative assessment skills and watch student learning soar!

Teachers routinely ask and answer a series of three questions with and for students: Where are my students headed? Where are they right now? How can I close the gap between where they are and where I want them to be? This text suggests that teachers also ask these parallel questions of themselves:

  • Where am I going?
  • What can formative assessment practice look like?
  • Where am I currently in my formative assessment practice?
  • How do I close the gap?

Readers are then encouraged to select a specific aspect of formative assessment to investigate, explore relevant personal practice relevant to that aspect, implement necessary changes, reflect on those changes, and continue the change process.

This practical guide can be used by individual teachers or collaboratively as a study guide for a learning community. The authors describe an effective four-step process for improving teachers' formative assessment practices that provides opportunities to reflect, consider alternative instructional approaches, and apply what they have learned. Case studies provide examples of formative assessment in practice, along with examples of teacher-implemented changes. A companion website includes an array of tools and templates for organizing, gathering, and systematically using information to strengthen formative assessment skills.

This practical guide can be used by individual teachers or collaboratively as a study guide for a learning community. Case studies provide examples of formative assessment in practice, along with examples of teachers implementing changes in their practice. A companion website includes an array of tools and templates for organizing, gathering, and systematically using information to strengthen formative assessment skills.


Table Of Contents:

  • List of Web Tools
  • Foreword
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Authors
  • Preface
  • Who Is This Book For?
  • Special Features of This Book
  • Chapter Highlights
  • 1. Introduction to Improving Formative Assessment Practice
  • Formative and Summative Assessment
  • Evaluation and Formative Assessment
  • Evaluation and Professional Development
  • The Self-Evaluation Process
  • Overview of the Chapters
  • 2. Examining Formative Assessment
  • Formative Assessment in Practice
  • Understanding Formative Assessment
  • The Impact of Formative Assessment on Learning
  • Formative Assessment Characteristics Used in the “How-To Guide”
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 2
  • Questions for Individual Consideration
  • Questions for Consideration as a Learning Community
  • 3. Getting Started on Your Self-Evaluation Journey
  • Beginning the Self-Evaluation Process
  • Developing Familiarity with Formative Assessment
  • Am I Ready to Engage in This Process?
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 3
  • 4. A Targeted Look at One Area
  • Personal Reflection on Strengths and Areas for Improvement
  • Collecting Evidence of Practice
  • Assessing Quality of Information
  • Selecting an Area for Improvement
  • Act-Reflect-Revise
  • Summary: The Big Idea for Chapter 4
  • 5. Support for Making Changes to Practice
  • The Cycle-Within-The-Cycle: Act, Reflect, Revise
  • Sources of Support
  • How Will I Know When I am Ready to Choose a New Target or Characteristic?
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 5
  • 6. Self-Evaluation of Changes to Practice
  • Chain of Evidence
  • Collecting Evidence of Effects
  • Sources of Evidence
  • Additional Considerations
  • Summing Up
  • Summary: The Big Idea of Chapter 6
  • 7. Putting It All Together
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

"This is the book I was looking for when I was teaching and supervising teachers. I appreciate the much- needed focus on the "Self-Evaluation Journey." I hope to see a copy in every educator’s hands as they deal with the enormous challenges facing all of us with life-long commitments to student learning."
Donald B. Yarbrough, Chair Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, University of Iowa Educational Measurement and Statistics Department
“This book belongs on the desk of all teachers who are committed to increasing student learning. The authors explain how to implement formative assessment practices in a realistic and manageable way. I found creative examples from the book that I was able to incorporate into my lessons the very next day!”
Nicole Cobb, Director, Center for School Climate, Tennessee Department of Education
“This text is an excellent tool to help teachers understand the power of formative assessments. Learning how to reflect on your own practice, collect evidence of student learning, and use this as a lens to guide your own teaching is liberating and the hallmark of a professional.”
Sherry L. Markel, Professor, Northern Arizona University College of Education
“This book provides a very useful way for teachers to implement a study and improvement of their assessment methods. Instead of a lot of professional jargon that could turn off the busy teachers who are looking for something useful, it contains aids that will strengthen classroom performance.”
Barbara Weaver, Adjunct Faculty, College of William and Mary, School of Education, Williamsburg, VA

Recommendations