Formative Assessment: Making It Happen in the Classroom
"A group of teachers and I were fortunate enough to work with Margaret Heritage on implementing formative assessment in our middle school. This book is the next best thing to that firsthand experience! Like us, the reader will experience many 'a-ha' moments that can be used immediately with students in the classroom to improve teaching and learning. Heritage clearly defines the process of formative assessment and uses real classroom applications to turn theory into practice. The reflection questions at the end of each chapter make this book an easy resource to implement in collaboration with colleagues, as well as a tool for self-assessment."(Amanda Whitehead, Principal 2010-02-02)"This book provides a clear explanation of the what, how, and why of formative assessment. The approach is refreshingly common sense and practical, while at the same time grounded in theory and research. Heritage firmly situates formative assessment in the context of rich instruction, reflective practice, and a process for improving student learning."(Eric W. Hart, Associate Professor 2010-02-05)"The most important and unique aspect of this book is the focus on feedback as part of the formative assessment process. It is important that teachers are giving feedback beyond grading, but few books offer suggestions on how to create common understanding of feedback at a building level. This book focuses on a purposeful feedback process that should be present in every aspect of instruction. It provides a template for truly understanding what formative assessment looks, sounds, and feels like."(Douglas Wheeler, Principal 2010-02-05)"Throughout the book, Heritage weaves together the broad picture of formative assessment and the supporting research with a detailed look at various aspects of formative assessment as it plays out in instruction. She not only discusses each aspect in detail, she also provides examples embedded in everyday classroom contexts to help the reader see the connection between the material and the reader's practice."(Susan Janssen, Senior Research Associate 2010-02-08)"In an era of unrelenting summative assessment, this book provides educators with the knowledge of how to use assessment to help students learn. Formative assessment has changed the culture of my classroom. This book provides a straightforward approach to uncovering what my students know, what they still need to learn, and how to use assessment as a tool for learning instead of a tool for evaluating."(Shawn Morgan, Math Instructional Support Teacher 2010-02-04)