When is summative assessment used

Summative assessment, therefore, provides an essential benchmark to check the progress of students, institutions and the educational program of the country as a whole. Summative assessment contributes largely towards improving the British curriculum and overall curriculum planning.

When summative assessment data indicates gaps across the board between student knowledge and learning targets, schools may turn to improved curriculum planning and new learning criteria to assess and improve their school attainment levels.

Formative assessment is more diagnostic than evaluative. It is used to monitor pupil learning style and ability, to provide ongoing feedback and allow educators to improve and adjust their teaching methods and for students to improve their learning.

Never miss a beat with the latest insights, tips and updates for school leaders and educators. View our privacy policy. Most formative assessment strategies are quick to use and fit seamlessly into the instruction process. The information gathered is rarely marked or graded. Descriptive feedback may accompany formative assessment to let students know whether they have mastered an outcome or whether they require more practice.

It may be recorded in a variety of ways, or may not be recorded at all, except perhaps in lesson planning to address the next steps. Formative assessment helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work. It also helps educators and governors recognise where students are struggling and address problems immediately.

At a school level, SMT and school leaders use this information to identify areas of strength and weakness across the institution, and to develop strategies for improvement. As the learning journey progresses, further formative assessments indicate whether teaching plans need to be revised to reinforce or extend learning.

Pupil assessment, both formative and summative, is deemed an imperative part of the education process. Unfortunately, standardised exams and informal testing in schools are also blamed for the narrowing of the curriculum and teaching methods, contributing towards damaging levels of stress among teachers and pupils, and only valuing specific achievements to the detriment of broader learning.

The report was revealed that a fifth of teachers in the UK are unclear where to go for information on assessing their pupils. The summative assessment procedure is tightly woven into the accountability system of teachers and schools. Teachers are often tasked and appraised based on the results of summative assessment, while schools are incentivised to achieve certain results and performance in specific areas over others. A guide to training staff and providing edtech support so your IT investments benefit the whole school.

The high-stake nature of summative assessment translates into how the school performance is judged, and SLT often pass down pressure as a result. Statutory assessment, therefore, can cause an great deal of stress for pupils, and a high degree of pressure for teachers. Summative assessment results should, rather, serve as a discussion point or a means to highlight where additional resources may be required.

At the same time, employing more formative assessment throughout the year can take the pressure of end of term assessments for both teachers and pupils.

More specifically, formative assessments:. Formative assessments are generally low stakes , which means that they have low or no point value. Examples of formative assessments include asking students to:. The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark.

Promote positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem - Students will be more motivated and engaged when they are assured that an instructor cares for their development. These rewrites might utilize low-stakes assessments, or even automated online testing that is anonymous, and if appropriate allows for unlimited resubmissions.

Provide opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance - Related to the above, instructors can improve student motivation and engagement by making visible any opportunities to close gaps between current and desired performance.

Examples include opportunities for resubmission, specific action points for writing or task-based assignments, and sharing study or process strategies that an instructor would use in order to succeed. Collect information which can be used to help shape teaching - Instructors can feel free to collect useful information from students in order to provide targeted feedback and instruction.

Students can identify where they are having difficulties, either on an assignment or test, or in written submissions.

This approach also promotes metacognition , as students are asked to think about their own learning. Poorvu Center staff can also perform a classroom observation or conduct a small group feedback session that can provide instructors with potential student struggles. Use a Rubric or Table of Specifications - Instructors can use a rubric to lay out expected performance criteria for a range of grades. Design Clear, Effective Questions - If designing essay questions, instructors can ensure that questions meet criteria while allowing students freedom to express their knowledge creatively and in ways that honor how they digested, constructed, or mastered meaning.

Instructors can read about ways to design effective multiple choice questions. Make Parameters Clear - When approaching a final assessment, instructors can ensure that parameters are well defined length of assessment, depth of response, time and date, grading standards ; knowledge assessed relates clearly to content covered in course; and students with disabilities are provided required space and support.

If instructors wish to provide truly unbiased summative assessment, they can also consider a variety of blind grading techniques. Considerations for Online Assessments Effectively implementing assessments in an online teaching environment can be particularly challenging.

References Nicol, D. Considerations for Online Assessments. Consultations, Observations, and Services The Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning routinely supports members of the Yale community with individual instructional consultations and classroom observations.

Acting in Immunobiology with Paula Kavathas Acting in an immunobiology class increases student engagement and retention of new concepts.