What is the Difference between Formative and 
                               Summative Assessment?
      Formative Assessment                         Summative Assessment
      •   Formative assessment is not for the     •   The goal of summative assessment is 
          teacher; it is for the student              to evaluate student learning at the end 
      •   The goal of formative assessment is         of an instructional unit by comparing it 
          to monitor student learning to              against some standard or benchmark
          provide ongoing feedback that can 
          be used by the classroom teacher to     •   Information and/or date  from 
          drive instruction and to improve            summative assessments can be used 
          learning for students.                      formatively when students or faculty 
      •   Formative assessments help                  use it to guide their efforts, instruction 
          students identify their strengths and       and activities in the classroom
          weaknesses while also providing 
          important data for classroom 
          teacher to address problems 
          immediately with struggling students
        Specific Examples of Formative and Summative 
                              Assessments
       Formative Assessments –             Summative Assessments –
              “Low Stakes”                       “High Stakes”
                Examples                          Examples
     •  Asking students to draw a      •  NECAPs, Standardized tests
        concept map in class and/or    •  Domain Unit Exam
        FactStorming page on a         •  A Theme Project 
        particular topic               •
     •  Turn in a research proposal       Midterm Exam
        for early feedback             •  Performance Assessment in 
     •  Asking students to create a       Math
        My Opinions Journal for a      •  A Research Paper
        specific topic or unit of study
           Importance of Formative Assessment in the 
                                                     Classroom
             There are 5 key strategies that need to be aligned with classroom practices, as well as, Common Core State 
             Standards, in order for effective use of Formative Assessment:
                    Clarifying, understanding, and sharing curriculum ideas
                    Engineering effective classroom discussions, tasks and activities that  produce data/evidence for 
             learning
                    Providing feedback that moves learners forward
                    Activating students learning through  collaborative learning, reciprocal       teaching, and/or peer 
             assessment
                    Activating students as owners of their own learning 
                         How can all this information be applied to 
                                  the new shifts in the ELA CCSS?
                            Instructional Shifts for Deeper Learning
                          English Language Arts – 6 Shifts
    •   Shift 1: Increase Reading Informational Text – Increasing the amount of informational text 
        students read in grades K-12 will prepare them to read college and career-ready texts
    •   Shift 2: Text Complexity – Teachers will create more time in the curriculum for close and 
        careful reading while providing necessary supports to make central text accessible to 
        students reading below grade level.
    •   Shift 3:  Academic Vocabulary – Students need to constantly build the vocabulary they 
        need to access grade-level complex texts.
    •   Shift 4:  Text-based Answers -  Teachers ensure classroom experiences stay deeply 
        connected to the text and that students develop habits to assess their comprehension of a 
        text.
    •   Shift 5:  Increase Writing from Sources – Students K-12 develop college and career-ready 
        skills through written arguments that respond to the ideas, events, facts, and arguments 
        presented in the texts they listen to and read.
    •   Shift 6: Literacy Instruction in all Content Areas – Students learn through reading domain-
        specific texts in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects and by writing 
        informative/explanatory and argumentative pieces.
        FACT:
 Ongoing Formative Assessments and 
 Differentiation of Instruction within 
  any classroom will allow for true 
  alignment with the Common Core 
   State Standards in terms of 
  classroom instruction for deeper 
       learning.