In classrooms across America, summative assessment is the reigning, undisputed champion when it comes to collecting data on what students have learned. But should this be the case? Does summative assessment do what we need it to do? Is formative assessment a smarter, stronger, faster, and/or better option? Let’s explore.
Definitions
Summative Assessment evaluates what students have learned after completion of a unit of study by comparing scores to a predetermined standard.
Formative Assessment monitors student progress during a unit of study to help educators improve their instruction, and thereby improve student learning.
The Tale of the Tape
Let’s unpack the above image. Formative assessment is for learning because the intent is to improve instruction and increase learning. These assessments are done continually during the teaching/learning process and allow teachers to adjust their instruction. Summative assessment merely checks what a student has learned after a unit of study is complete. At this point, it is too late to adjust instruction.
Formative assessments are low-stakes because scores are not generated and grades are not involved. Data from these types of assessments are merely used to inform future lessons. Summative assessments are considered high-stakes because things like grades, class rankings, graduation, and college acceptance are often on the line.
Examples
Summative Assessments
- midterm or end of course exams
- cumulative projects
- End-of-unit tests
- Standardized tests such as SATs
Formative Assessments
A Matter of Life or Death: A Metaphor About Assessment
Let’s say that a friend of ours has recently passed away. A doctor performs an autopsy to discover the cause of death. It is learned that our friend had a heart condition that led to his untimely death. The autopsy gave us answers, but our friend is gone and it is too late to take corrective actions.
A different friend schedules a medical appointment for an annual checkup. The doctor discovers that this friend also has a heart condition, but is able to recommend a diet and exercise regimen to help our friend improve her health. The doctor orders additional tests and schedules periodic checkups to support our friend.
The autopsy represents summative assessment. Sure, we might find out what was wrong with that friend, but he is still dead. It is too late for us to do anything about it. Summative tests are similar. A student might get a poor test score due to lack of understanding, but the unit is over and it’s time to move on to the next one. That student will probably never get a chance to update her learning.
The annual checkup is like formative assessment. The patient gets feedback in real time and the doctor can determine if different procedures might be helpful. Formative assessment not only allows teachers to give immediate feedback to students, but lets the instructor consider how to make changes to support student learning.
The Outcome
It is clear that formative assessment offers a number of advantages over summative assessment. Formative assessments can be quick, inexpensive/free, and low-pressure for the students. Many of the formative assessment strategies are engaging and can feel like games to the students. Most importantly, formative assessment allows teachers to collect real time data and make changes to teaching strategies accordingly.
To be clear, summative assessment has its place and is not going away anytime soon. Statewide testing, SATs, etc. are likely here to stay. But, as classroom teachers and administrators we can consider whether or not traditional end-of-unit tests are as valuable as we think. I would argue that we tend to rely on these tests because “that’s the way it has always been done.”
The Decision: a knockout victory for Formative Assessment!
We often hear the term IEP used interchangeably to refer to a document or an annual meeting. For example, we might say, “I need to work on writing Joseph’s IEP,” or “It is time to schedule his IEP.”
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) should instead be viewed as a year-long collaboration between stakeholders who work to capture a student’s strengths, interests, and preferences, set meaningful goals, and monitor progress over the course of the year.
We know that students who are involved with planning their IEPs have a better understanding of their disability and have better self-determination skills (Branding, Bates, Miner, 2009). It stands to reason that the team will create a better document when a student exerts some level of leadership. But there is another benefit of student-led IEPs that we don’t talk enough about.
In a previous post, we considered some simple strategies to help make student-led IEPs a reality. This time, we will explore a range of skills that can be taught through a student-led IEP.
We are excited to share nine essential skills that students with disabilities can learn/practice during their IEP processes. To keep these articles reasonable in length, we will divide the content over three separate posts. Below, are the first three ideas.
Student-led IEPs offer students with disabilities a wide range of opportunities to work on communication skills. The collaborative process, by its very nature, offers a variety of interactions: one-on-one conversations, email correspondence, and small group discussions. In the weeks and months leading up to the annual IEP meeting, you may ask students to discuss information related to strengths, preferences, and needs. During meetings, students should be prepared to share their ideas.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not wait until the meeting and put the student on the spot with a question like, “Do you have anything to add?” The student should have the same opportunity to feel prepared as everyone else at the table. If we regularly communicate with students regarding their IEPs across the school year, they will be stronger communicators during both planning and the meeting. Be sure to teach terms related to the IEP so that students are successful both receptively and expressively. If a student does not communicate verbally, be sure that they have a communication system that allows them to fully participate.
The IEP process is the perfect forum for students to practice communication skills. Since they are the focal point of the IEP process, youth will likely be motivated to discuss strengths, preferences, and goals. The IEP team members can ensure that students have the proper instruction and resources to communicate throughout the process.
When done incorrectly, the IEP process is less than collaborative. The case manager writes the document, the parents sign some forms, and the student may or may not even be in the room during the meeting.
But, when done beautifully, the IEP document and meeting each benefit from the collective knowledge and experiences of all team members. The student will learn about collaboration first-hand.
As long as the student is involved in all facets of the process, they will benefit. When stakeholders review data and debate ideal accommodations, the students will learn about collaboration. When the case manager delegates portions of the Present Level section of the document to therapists, the student will learn about collaboration. When the teacher actively listens to the parents’ concerns during the meeting, the student will learn about collaboration.
As the student hones their collaboration skills, they will be able to take a larger leadership role each year. Eventually, the student will lead debates about accommodations, delegate responsibilities to therapists, and actively listen to stakeholders during the meeting.
In my work, I have the amazing opportunity to work alongside a fantastic team of teenagers and young adults who have disabilities. These young leaders eventually move on, and we welcome new leaders. Sometimes, the topic of IEP meetings comes up in our conversations, and I get to learn about their experiences, good and bad. When I hear their stories, they seem to have a common experience. When they attended their first IEP meeting, none of them knew what was going on or why they were there.
This is no good. Not including students in their IEP meeting is wrong. Even younger students can attend for at least part of their meeting. Including students merely as a matter of compliance is also wrong. We must invite our students, have a clear role for them, and help them to understand the role. The role of a student in their IEP meeting is to express their thoughts and ideas and advocate for themself.
Participation in the IEP process helps students with disabilities hone their self-advocacy skills. As youth learn that adults listen to them and value what they have to say, they will become more confident in speaking up. Strong self-advocacy skills will serve your students well in life.
Stay tuned for future posts that will explore other skills that can be taught during the IEP process.
Happy teaching!
