Formative Assessment Resources
Formative Assessment
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The Formative Assessment process used by teachers can help them determine the status of student learning, giving them the ability to adjust their teaching – in the moment - and to move all learners forward. Embedding formative assessment dimensions in everyday teaching is a research-based practice to improve individual student learning.
A central goal of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is for every individual in the state’s education system to work in concert to enhance student achievement. To that end, the ADE has developed a formative assessment framework.
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View the 2-page overview of the ADE Formative Assessment Framework document.
- Clarifying learning goals and success criteria within a broader progression of learning;
- Eliciting and analyzing evidence of student thinking;
- Engaging in self-assessment and peer feedback
- Providing actionable feedback
- Using evidence and feedback to move learning forward by adjusting learning strategies, goals, or next instructional steps.
| What Formative Assessment is... | What Formative Assessment is not... |
| A process used by leaders, teachers, and students in partnership | A checklist of what students can’t do or don’t know |
| Grounds decision making in ongoing evidence of learning | Separate from learning/working processes |
| Transparent about the learning expectations and how to get there | Points, scores, or grades |
| A process that moves all student learning forward | A mini-summative assessment, e.g., a test or quiz |
| Informs learning, rather than sums up learning with a score | Interpreted only by teachers or leaders |
Framework Roles in Formative Assessment
Contact Information: k12standards@azed.gov
