Assessment information is weighed against standards such as the English Language Arts foundational objectives and learning objectives in order to make judgements and decisions about the most beneficial teaching methods for individuals and for the class. The assessment techniques suggested in this guide can be used for each type of evaluation. Formative evaluation is a continuous classroom process that keeps students, parents or care givers, and teachers informed of students' progress toward curriculum objectives. 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.
Teachers engage in formative evaluation frequently during daily classroom activities.
For example, formative evaluations are made during writing conferences, small group activities or whole-class discussions. In these situations, the teacher observes, listens and judges the response or contribution from the students. As a result, a teacher might decide that the class, a group of students or an individual student needs instruction on a specific skill or concept. Summative evaluation occurs most often at the end of a unit of study. The primary purposes are to determine what knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes have developed over a period of time, to summarize student progress, and to report progress relative to the curriculum objectives to students, parents or care givers, and teachers.