Although teachers are very familiar with the summative (or grading) purposes for assessing students, they may have less experience in thinking about assessment for purposes of improving learning (called formative assessment). The graphic below called the “The Classroom Assessment Cycle” shows how a formative process works.

 

The Classroom Assessment Cycle has four components.

• Clarifying learning targets
• Gathering evidence in a variety of ways
• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Modifying instruction

Through the implementation of these components, teachers will be able to plan assessment processes that are aligned with instructional goals or standards and provide feedback to students for improvement. More information on each of these components is provided using the links above.