Formative Assessment Resources
Formative Assessment
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.
View the 2-page overview of the ADE Formative Assessment Framework document.
Effective use of the formative assessment process requires students and teachers to integrate and embed the following practices in a collaborative and respectful classroom environment:
- 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
Framework Section
State Leadership Story
Going Deeper
Framework Section
District Leadership Story
Going Deeper
- District and Charter Leaders’ Formative Assessment Responsibilities
- Classroom Assessment Principles to Support Teaching and Learning
Framework Section
Site Leadership Story
Going Deeper
- Site Leaders’ Formative Assessment Responsibilities
- Lessons Learned About Leading the Implementation of Formative Assessment A Framework for School Leaders and Leadership Teams
Framework Section
Teacher Story
Going Deeper
- Teachers’ Formative Assessment Responsibilities
- Planning to Support Student Agency through Formative Assessment: Understanding Key Instructional Routines
Framework Section
Students' Story
Going Deeper
- Students’ Formative Assessment Responsibilities
- The Student Role in Advanced Formative Assessment Practice: Self-Assessment, Peer Feedback, and Discourse
Framework Section
Going Deeper
- Families’ and Caregivers’ Formative Assessment Responsibilities
- Involving Parents in Assessment
- Equity as family/whānau opportunities for participation in formative assessment
Arizona Formative Assessment Resources:
This learning series provides district and school teams with a process to guide and assist in building a foundation for systems change that will impact literacy outcomes by closing the achievement gap for students with specific learning disabilities. Every part of the professional learning series will empower students to be successful learners in a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment.
Other Resources
This document, by the Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers (FAST) State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards SCASS), provides an up-to-date, research-based definition of formative assessment. It also includes detailed descriptions of the formative assessment practices and the supports teachers need to implement them.
Commissioned by the Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers (FAST) State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards (SCASS) of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), this observation tool includes ten dimensions of formative assessment to support the reflection and improvement of teachers’ formative assessment practice.
This article from the GettingSmart website, provides an overview of research that grounds formative assessment practice.
This article from the Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation provides a foundation for learning and successful formative assessment implementation.
Contact Information: Formative Assessment Team| 602-364-4030
