Formative Assessments

Formative Assessments

I recently bought a book from Frey and Fisher (2011) entitled "The Formative Assessment Action Plan."  I noticed they used a model from Hattie (2009), and I wanted to share it with you all.

A Formative Assessment System

If you read Hattie's book, "Visible Learning", you will find that formative assessment is given a large effect size for improving student learning (0.9).  I stand by my claim that formative assessments (when written aligned to standards) are indicators of learning and should be given after every skill is taught for mastery.  I also stand behind my belief that teachers give far too many meaningless tests in the classrooms, which compounds the problem of implementing a true formative assessment plan in schools today.  If teachers would use the quizzes they give to truly "reduce the discrepancies between current understanding/performance and a desired goal" there would not be the overuse of assessments or tests.
Every educator should ask the question, "Why am I giving the test?  Do I need more grades for a better probability that students will pass my class? Do I want to see if they read the chapter?  Do I want to measure the skills they are supposed to master from this instructional unit so I can close the gap on what they don't know?"  Hopefully we all answer "YES!" to the last question.  OR at least, that is the GOAL!!!

"...formative evaluations were effective across student age, treatment duration, frequency of measurement, and special needs status. When teachers were required to use data and evidence based models, effect sizes were higher than when data were evaluated by teacher judgment. In addition, when the data was graphed, effect sizes were higher than when data were simply recorded."

Hattie, John A. C. (2008-12-26). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement (p. 181). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.

What are your thoughts?