Collection of information is done over time. Samples of student activities or records relating to student activities are selected and interpreted. Assessment and evaluation should be sensitive to family, classroom and community situations and be free of bias regarding gender, disabilities, culture and language. Consideration of the evaluation process necessitates that a distinction be made between the terms assessment and evaluation. Assessment is a preliminary phase in the evaluation process in which various techniques are used to gather information about students' growth and development.
Evaluation refers to the decision-making which follows assessment.
Assessment information is weighed against the objectives of the Kindergarten program. The main purpose of formative evaluation is to guide instruction and student learning. It provides teachers with valuable information upon which instructional decisions and modifications can be made and provides students with direction for future learning. Summative evaluation occurs most often at the end of an instructional theme or a reporting period. Seldom are evaluations strictly formative or summative.