Formative Assessment & Monitoring Student Progress

Focused Instruction, Guided Practice, Collaborative Learning, Independent Learning

Definitions of Formative Assessments & Monitoring Student Progress

Formative Assessment :: the intentional and systematic process used by teachers and students during
instruction that provides immediate feedback to adjust on-going teaching and learning in order to
improve students’ achievement of the intended instructional outcomes.

Monitoring Student Progress :: a systematic use of data employs learning trackers (observation logs,
observation forms, conferring logs, etc.) to gather data on student performance. To effectively monitor
student progress, a formative assessment system which consists of establishing learning goals, checking
for understanding, providing feedback, and aligning future instruction with the students’ performance
must be put into place (Frey & Fisher, 2011).

Purposes of Formative Assessments & Monitoring Student Progress

Formative assessments inform instruction within and between lessons, for both student and teacher.
Formative assessments confirm what a student has mastered and identify the learning that comes next
for the student. This improves learning because instruction can be adjusted while there is still time to
act – before the graded event. Formative assessments involve students in evaluating their own thereby
promoting student metacognition and reflection.
Monitoring student progress with learning trackers (observation logs, observation forms, conferring
logs, etc.) provides the teacher with data, e.g., the degree to which the student has mastered a learning
target, who needs reteaching, who needs additional challenges, what the next learning target should be,
how students should be grouped for small-group instruction, and who needs to be observed more
closely for a possible learning intervention. Meaningful information can come with purposely designed
and systematically used learning trackers which are then used to make decisions about student
placement and instructional pacing.

“Effective teachers see things. They file those things away. They accumulate evidence of proficiency.
They know their students. No other assessor of student achievement has the opportunity to see students
like this over time. But beware...You must constantly ask yourself: What did I really see? Am I drawing
the right conclusion based on what I saw?” (Stiggins, 2001: 212)

When to Use Formative Assessments & Monitor Student Progress

Once a new learning target has been introduced, teachers will want to begin to use formative
assessments to monitor student progress towards mastery of the learning target. As students take on

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more responsibility of the learning, teachers will want to observe students’ understanding as well as
their language use and metacognitive strategies they use in working towards mastery of the learning
target.

How to Use Formative Assessments & Monitor Student Progress

● Teacher’s Role:
○ Know what it is that students need to know and be able to do in order to have a clear
learning target
○ Plan formative assessments that will elicit data about students’ growth towards mastery
of the learning target
○ Select an appropriate tool to track student progress, e.g., learning trackers, checklist,
recording observations, etc.
○ Share with students how this progress check will occur
○ Determine which students you will monitor for the day
○ Gather the data
○ Interpret the data and make instructional decisions based on the data
○ Provide students with feedback concerning their learning progress
○ Reflect on success and improvement needed to teaching points

● Student’s Role:
○ Be aware of and understand the daily learning target
○ Set meaningful learning goals
○ Participate in the learning process by engaging in the learning tasks, asking questions,
and providing feedback
○ When the teacher circulates the classroom during an observation, provide an
explanation for thinking
○ Use teacher and peer feedback to inform learning and adjust goals

How to Launch Formative Assessments & Monitoring Student Progress

● Establish the purposes of formative assessments and monitoring student progress
● Explain the various formative assessments and ways you will be monitoring student progress. Students
also need to know when these checks for understanding are to be used.
● Model how you will be using formative assessments and monitoring student progress each time you are
going to be using formative assessments and monitoring student progress in a new way, so students
understand the routine and what is expected of them
● Develop common formative assessments with other teachers in your grade level or department. Meet
after scoring the common assessment to review student data and determine next steps in instruction.

Checklist for Formative Assessments & Monitoring Student Progress

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❏ What is it that students need to know and be able to do in order to have a clear learning target?
❏ What formative assessments will elicit data about students’ growth towards mastery of the learning
target?
❏ What tool will you use to track student progress, e.g., learning trackers, checklist, recording
observations, etc.?
❏ How will you share with students how this progress check will occur?
❏ How will you determine which students you will monitor for the day?
❏ When will you gather the data?
❏ When will you interpret the data and make instructional decisions based on the data?
❏ When will you provide students with feedback concerning their learning progress?

Materials for Formative Assessments & Monitoring Student Progress

Materials for formative assessments will vary, depending upon the different type of formative
assessments used. Some examples of formative assessments are as follows:
● Using ORAL LANGUAGE to Check for Understanding
o Accountable Talk
o Noticing Nonverbal Clues
o Value Lineups
o Retellings
o Think-Pair-Share
o Misconception Analysis
o Whip Around
o Think-alouds
o Voice/Response: Croakit, Vocaroo (Tech Tools)

● Using QUESTIONING to Check for Understanding

o Constructing Effective Questions
o Providing Nonverbal Support
o Developing Authentic Questions
o Response Cards
o Hand Signals
o Audience Response Systems
o Socratic Seminar
o Game Based: Kahoot, FlipQuiz, Jeopardy Labs, Quizlets (Tech Tools)
o Interactive Presentation: Peardeck, Nearpod (Tech Tools)
o Quizzes: Google Forms (Tech Tools)
o Student Response/Polling: Plickers, Polleverywhere, Socrative, Geddit (Tech Tools)

● Using WRITING to Check for Understanding

o Interactive Writing
o Read,Write, Pair, Share

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o Squares, Triangles, Circles
o RAFT
o Exit Slips
o Reflection and Self-Assessment
o Peer Feedback
o Quick Writes
o Metaphor / Analogy Generation
o Graphic Organizers
o Foldables
o Annotations: Notable PDF, Google Drawing, Videonot.es (Tech Tools)
o Backchannel Chats/Discussions: Todays Meet, Twitter Hashtag Chat (Tech Tools)
o Compare/Contrast Writing: Wordle, Tagxedo, Tagul (Tech Tools)
o Discussion/Commenting: Google Classroom, Google Doc Collaboration (Tech Tools)
o Exit Slips: Google Form, Socrative (Tech Tools)
o Online Bulletin Board/Post-its: Padlet, Linoit (Tech Tools)
o Rubrics: Goobric (Tech Tools)
o Web/Concept Map/Mindmapping: Popplet, MindMeister (Tech Tools)
o Web Whiteboard: Awwap, Educreations (Tech Tools)

● Using PROJECTS and PERFORMANCES to Check for Understanding

o Readers’ Theatre
o Multi-media / Multi-genre Presentations
o Electronic and Paper Portfolios
o Dioramas
o Public Performances
o Skill Demonstrations
o Caption/Headline: Piclits (Tech Tools)
o Compare/Contrast Writing: Wordle, Tagxedo, Tagul (Tech Tools)
o Illustrations/Sketch: Google Drawing, Pixlr (Tech Tools)
o Infographic: Piktochart, Ease.ly (Tech Tools)
o Portfolios: Google Sites, Tackk (Tech Tools)
o Rubrics: Goobric (Tech Tools)
o Screencasting: Screencast-o-matic, Screencastify, Educreations (Tech Tools)
o Video Capture: YouTube Capture, FlipGrid (Tech Tools)
o Video Create: Animoto, Magistro (Tech Tools)
o Web/Concept Map/Mindmapping: Popplet, MindMeister (Tech Tools)
o Web Whiteboard: Awwap, Educreations (Tech Tools)

● Using NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION to Check for Understanding

o Thumbs-up / Thumbs- down
o Fist-to-Five
o Four-Corners
o On-the-Fence

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o Plickers / Clickers
o Observing body language and facial expressions
o Tableau

A variety of observational tools have been developed by teachers and other educators to assist in
gathering performance data. Depending upon the feedback that is desired, the teacher develops/uses a
form that allows student performance data to be recorded. These do not need to be lengthy or complex
in design. Some samples have been hyperlinked below:
 Status-of-the-Class – example found in folder
 Speaking and Listening Observation Logs – example found in folder
 Conferring Logs – example found in folder

Tech Tools for Formative Assessments & Monitoring Student Progress

● Plickers
● Poll Anywhere
● Socrative
● Padlet
● Lino.it
● Flubaroo
● Kahoot

Classroom Videos of Formative Assessments & Monitoring Student

Progress
● Elementary Classroom Video
○ “Formative Assessments: Understanding Fractions”
● Secondary Classroom Videos
○ “Formative Assessments Using the U-P-S Strategy”
○ “Making it Click: Assessment with Technology"”

Articles to Extend Learning about Formative Assessments & Monitoring

Student Progress
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2011, September 1). “Checking for Understanding”. Retrieved May 1, 2014,
from https://www.nassp.org/Content/158/PLSept11_instructldr.pdf

"3 F's of Formative Assessment - Tackk." Retrieved May 26, 2015, https://tackk.com/for.

"Make It Count: Providing Feedback as Formative “ Edutopia." Retrieved May 26, 2014.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/providing-feedback-as-formative-assessment-troy-hicks

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Formative Assessment & Monitoring Student Progress
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"Not All Formative Assessment Is Created Equal Formative ..." Retrieved May 26, 2015.
http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Positions/formative-assessment_booklet.pdf

Dexter, PhD., D., & Hughes, PhD., C. (n.d.). Progress Monitoring Within a Response-To_Intervention
Model. Retrieved May 28, 2015, from http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/research/progress-monitoring-
within-a-rti-model

Research for Formative Assessments & Monitoring Student Progress

Frey, Nancy & Fisher, Doug. The Formative Assessment Action Plan: Practical Steps to
More Successful Teaching and Learning. Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD, 2011.

Stiggins, Richard. Student-involved Classroom Assessment. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:
Merrill, Prentice Hall, 2001.

Safer, N., & Fleishman, S. (2005, February 1). Research Matters / How Student Progress Monitoring
Improves Instruction. Educational Leadership, 81-83.