The Formative Assessment Blueprint

The Formative Assessment Blueprint

So you have to delve deep into formative assessment, but you don't know where to start. Fear not, you are not alone.

Many striving to refine their craft of teaching and learning to refine the application of this process. But, my observations reveal the greatest hurdle is understanding the true essence of formative assessment.

What You Need to Know About Formative Assessment

• It's more than a method. 
• It goes beyond a checklist.
• It's a blend of theory and practice.

Formative Assessment Is More Dynamic Than It Appears

Fully implemented, formative assessment reaches beyond the quantifiable data. It includes professional knowledge along with the too often overlooked professional intuition that reaches deep into the beliefs and values of educators.

From my perspective, when both quantitative and qualitative information come together, intuitive decision making reveals itself as a 6th sense...

I know, this isn't researched based, but after 27 years in the classroom, I'd say I feel confident in making this statement. It's about application and experience, not just theory. Yes, there are effective ways to include all the steps that make it effective, but there's more.

We'll get back to the "professional intuition" in a future post. Coming to understand the intuitive component requires more investigation and thoughtful consideration. Today, I am going to share with you a clear explanation of the roadmap of a formative assessment cycle.

The Formative Assessment Blueprint

Let's address the process of FA.

Below is a picture - with my own visual enhancements :) - that reveals the roadmap of formative assessment. The process is not as overwhelming as it appears.

1. Identify Learning Goals
2. Generate Learning Progressions
3. Establish Criteria for Success
4. Provide Evidence of Learning
5. Interpreting the Evidence
6. Identifying the Gap(s)
7. Provide Effective Feedback
8. Adapt Instruction for Progress
9. Create Instructional Supports for Differentiation 
10. Providing Evidence That the Gap Was Closed (SA)

A Closer Look at The Formative Assessment Blueprint

Formative Assessment Blue: Step 1:

Identifying the Learning Goals