Formative Assessment

Techniques for introducing new material and feedback to students throughout a lesson—a way to spark deeper insights and learning.

An assessment called a one-pager has students use art to show what they know—and it can be used across the curriculum.

Checking for understanding is good for both students and teachers. We’ve rounded up a variety of digital tools to help you do it.

Gather and use valuable student data to inform your classroom practice.

Through alternative formative assessment, teachers can check for student understanding without falling back on the tedious or intimidating pop quiz.

A researcher explains how to align your test design with the latest brain science.

Nonverbals are gestural cues that can help students quickly and respectfully communicate their reactions, needs, and levels of understanding in a fast-paced classroom.

Scaffold students’ thinking about complex texts by asking what the text says, how it works, what it means, and what it inspires them to do.

Exit cards can be easy—and sometimes even fun—for students to create with a variety of digital tools.

Formative assessment is a snap with games and other tools that let you see how students answer questions and review material.

Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond shares how using well-crafted formative and performance assessments, setting meaningful goals, and giving students ownership over the process can powerfully affect teaching and learning.