Formative and summative assessments both help educators understand student learning, but they serve different purposes. Formative assessments support learning while it is happening. Summative assessments evaluate what students have learned at the end of a unit, course, or instructional period. Understanding formative vs summative assessments helps teachers choose the right method at the right time. […]
Summative assessments have traditionally played a key role in educators’ evaluation strategies, but they can be difficult to align across different classrooms and ability levels. As a result, teachers and administrators often struggle to manage software and make assessments accessible to all students. However, with educators shifting towards a more personalized, formative approach to testing, […]
Formative assessments are issued throughout a learning period to give educators and students insight into progress against learning objectives. However, they can be time-consuming to issue and grade, eating away at opportunities for classroom instruction and student engagement. Meanwhile, at the district level, it can be difficult to ensure that the data teachers collect from […]
Benchmark assessments can provide educators with critical insight into student progress. However, a lack of proper implementation can lead to missed opportunities for growth, poor student engagement, and a lack of actionable insights. To get the most from benchmark assessments, educators need to involve parents, take a granular approach to data, and adopt a regular […]
In a perfect world, assessments give teachers a precise snapshot of students’ true abilities. But that isn’t always the case—especially for traditional assessments that don’t always engage all students or accommodate different learning needs and preferences. When tests aren’t personalized, students may not perform to their potential. Fortunately, a variety of innovative formative and summative […]
Online learning is here to stay, and the fact is that hybrid or virtual learning modalities present a whole new set of challenges to educators. Without the opportunity to interact with one another face to face, students often find themselves distracted and disengaged in virtual environments. Yet, while the challenges of online learning are unique, […]