Introduction
Who among us educators hasn’t wished for a magical, futuristic machine that, when placed on our students’ heads, provides a readout of what they know, where they need improvement, and how we can best meet their cognitive needs? Until that day comes, we are left with the tools that, for many teachers, have become ominous – assessments.
While all 50 states in the US require standardized, state-based summative assessments in public schools, some states such as Texas, Florida, and North Carolina have gone so far as to directly tie teachers’ compensation to their standardized test outcomes, known as merit pay. While the current literature is mixed on how effective merit pay is for motivating effective teaching, many educators take issue with the idea that standardized tests tell the full story of student achievement. In “Merit pay, case-by-case: Variables affecting student achievement, teacher retention, and the problem of standardized tests,” Kim speaks for many educators when he states, “Due to the fact that the evaluation of the teachers’ eligibility for merit pay was based on the outcome of standardized tests, one should consider if standardized test scores fully reflect student achievement and teacher competency.”
Collecting data on student outcomes is essential for measuring equity of opportunity in U.S. classrooms. However, this hyper-focus on summative assessments as the gold standard has led policymakers and educators to underemphasize the learning process in favor of focusing solely on state test results. How, then, can teachers reclaim assessment as a meaningful and even enjoyable tool for learning? The answer is formative assessment.
Taking Back Formative Assessment
All educators use formative assessment every day in their classrooms, but usually not in an intentional manner. However, by actively and intentionally incorporating formative assessments powered by modern tools, teachers can deepen their relationships with their students and build more equitable classrooms. Or, as my colleague Alicia put it, assessment can and should be used “as a means to understanding … learners, not a means to an end.” In contrast to standardized tests that attempt to measure a distinct end point in learning, formative assessment is our chance to take back the joy and connection of evaluating student progress.
Unlike summative assessments, which measure student achievement at the end of an instructional period through benchmark exams, formative assessments are integrated into the daily learning process. They provide immediate feedback, helping us understand what our students currently know, where they need reinforcement or reteaching, and how we can best support their growth. By using check-ins, discussions, and observations, we can create a more dynamic and responsive learning environment, making assessment an ongoing conversation that empowers both students and teachers.
Modern Strategies of Formative Assessment
So, how can an educator supplement their existing formative assessment with modern tools? Generative AI technology provides teachers with many opportunities to supercharge their formative assessment practices or create new ones. Some ways to incorporate AI technology in the classroom could include:
Purpose | Tool | Description/Usage |
Routine check-ins on learning gaps | Conker, Arliner, among others | Leverage AI to create standards-based quizzes that can even provide students feedback based on their responses. |
Writing exercises | Grammarly | Students can use an AI-powered program like Grammarly to catch their most common grammar and writing mistakes. Teachers should encourage them to look for patterns in the suggested corrections and be willing to defend their writing style and voice if they disagree with the tool’s suggestions. |
Brainstorming content and reflection | ChatGPT | Teachers can collaborate with a large language model such as ChatGPT to brainstorm content and learning-process reflection questions to pose to students throughout and at the end of lessons. You can even build on the questions included in ACP’s Notice and Wonder Chart. |
Student journaling | Large Langauge Models (LLM) | Students can journal about their learning progress based on a question or prompt provided by their teacher. After journaling about their strengths and any points of confusion, they can then ask the LLM for 3-5 concrete suggestions to build their skills based on their journal entry. Stuck for prompts? ACP offers 8 journal prompts for generating project ideas and 10 prompts for student reflection. |
Classroom and project management | Notion, Asana | While project management tools like Notion and Asana have typically been in the corporate realm rather than the education world, their newly integrated AI features can empower teachers in organizing their curricula, formative and summative assessments, and gathering student data and observations all in one place. |
Formative Assessment that Builds Student Engagement
These tools can and should be incorporated into formative assessments as they make sense in your individual classroom. After all, you know your students’ strengths and needs best. However, I encourage you to be bold and creative in trying new formative assessment strategies! Students are usually curious about and open to new technology, and in my experience, most students are eager to work alongside you in learning how to leverage these tools (rather than using them privately to plagiarize, as many educators fear).
By being intentional in your formative assessment, and even collecting individualized student data, you are demonstrating to your students that their day-to-day learning matters to you and that they’re not just being prepped for a looming, ominous, high-stakes test. This attitude is essential for building a positive and equitable classroom culture, where all learners' strengths and needs are recognized.
These efforts also foster a collaborative classroom environment where students feel seen and supported, promoting social-emotional learning (SEL) alongside academic growth. By integrating these deliberate approaches to formative assessment, teachers can cultivate deeper engagement and strengthen their relationships with students, while emphasizing the significance of ongoing learning and reflection. Utilizing formative assessment in this way not only enriches students’ learning, but also models a classroom rooted in empathy and critical thinking about learning.
Formative Assessment that Creates Equity
In contrast to the drudge that is “teaching to the test” that many teachers and students have experienced, deliberate and engaging formative assessment respects the unique and individual strengths that each student has when they enter the classroom. At our best as educators, our classrooms are a micro-environment in which students can learn what kind of world they hope to create.
As the Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire states, “the more students work at storing the deposits entrusted to them, the less they develop the critical consciousness which would result from their intervention in the world as transformers of that world." Intentional formative assessment fosters consistent questioning, reflection, and critical thinking about learning, inspiring students to develop these essential skills.
By embracing modern tools and exploring new methods of formative assessment, we show students that their day-to-day and moment-to-moment learning is meaningful beyond a numerical score on a summative exam. This results in empowered learners who are not only able to reflect on their own learning and growth, but can also apply these skills to affect positive change in their communities.
Embracing the Power of Formative Assessment
The true power of formative assessment lies in its ability to transform our classrooms into engaging and equitable learning environments, where students know they are seen and heard. As Dylan Wiliam, an educational researcher and expert on formative assessment, states, "assessment is the bridge between teaching and learning." This bridge allows us to connect our instructional practices with students' real-time growth, ensuring their ongoing and meaningful progress.
By leveraging modern tools and fostering a culture of continuous reflection and critical thinking, we not only enhance our students' metacognitive skills to think about their own learning but also nurture their social and emotional growth. Formative assessment is an immensely powerful tool for inspiring, engaging, and empowering our students. It guides them to become thoughtful, critical thinkers equipped to positively impact the world.
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