{"id":15783,"date":"2025-11-18T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/?p=15783"},"modified":"2025-11-17T10:02:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T18:02:29","slug":"3-tips-for-understanding-when-and-how-to-use-formative-assessment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/2025\/3-tips-for-understanding-when-and-how-to-use-formative-assessment\/","title":{"rendered":"3 tips for understanding when\u2014and how\u2014to use formative assessment"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When I was in the classroom, I felt skilled using data. My students set daily personal goals, we had learning targets based on our data, and students had assessment goals. I often taught whole-group lessons, though, and thinking back, I wonder why. How did I know all the students I was delivering whole-group learning to needed that particular lesson?<\/p>\n

After I left teaching, I spent time learning more about formative assessment<\/a>. I realize now that I struggled with my understanding of delivering and analyzing formative assessments. I let my curriculum map determine what I taught instead of my students\u2019 data. While there\u2019s nothing I can do about the past, I hope that by sharing what I\u2019ve learned, I can help you in your classroom today. Knowing how to use formative assessment effectively can inform your whole-group, small-group, and in-the-moment instruction and help you meet students where they are.<\/p>\n

Reminder: What formative assessment is (and isn\u2019t)<\/h2>\n

NWEA uses the following definition of \u201cformative assessment,\u201d adapted with permission from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)<\/a>: \u201cFormative assessment is a\u00a0planned, ongoing process\u00a0used by\u00a0all\u00a0students and teachers\u00a0during learning and teaching\u00a0to\u00a0elicit and use\u00a0evidence of student learning\u00a0to improve student understanding of\u00a0intended disciplinary learning outcomes and\u00a0support students to\u00a0become self-directed learners.\u201d<\/p>\n

The words \u201cplanned, ongoing process\u201d really stand out to me. There are moments where formative assessment is very intentional, or planned. You decide ahead of time to have an exit ticket at the end of every unit, for example. There are other opportunities where formative assessment is more spontaneous, when you realize there\u2019s a disconnect with your students and you pause to explore why. After multiple quizzical looks from your kids, for example, you stop, ask a specific question related to your lesson, and have them answer using a thumbs-up for \u201cyes\u201d or thumbs-down for \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the definition doesn\u2019t spell this out explicitly, it\u2019s important to remember that formative assessment should not be graded<\/a>. Its sole purpose is to increase your understanding so you can adjust your teaching. It\u2019s never about penalizing kids for what they don\u2019t know yet.<\/p>\n

Tip #1: Use formative assessment to prepare for whole-group instruction<\/h2>\n

There is a time and a place for whole-group learning<\/a>. Whole-group instruction is good for introducing new concepts and encouraging whole-class engagement. Typically, whole-group instruction is targeted toward the average student in your class.<\/p>\n

Data can provide insight into what you can teach in a whole-group setting. Using formative assessment at the end of a previous day\u2019s lesson or at the start of a new lesson will allow you to see what your students already know about the standard you have targeted to teach. Consider using an exit or entrance ticket<\/a>, for example.<\/p>\n

The Teacher Toolkit<\/a> walks you through how to use entrance tickets in your classroom. Start by having a question on the board related to the day\u2019s learning. Allow yourself time to review the data you gather before proceeding to the whole-group lesson. You may find you have misconceptions about what your students know or that there are things they\u2019ve misunderstood that you can address before beginning. When reviewing your formative assessment data, you may also find that what you thought should have been a whole-group lesson may need to be taught in small groups instead. What would tip you off to this? A wide array of answers proving a big range of differing abilities.<\/p>\n

Tip #2: Let formative assessment data guide small-group work<\/h2>\n

Using flexible grouping<\/a> strategies can be a great way to keep kids engaged in learning, empower students to own their learning, increase understanding through collaboration, and allow for social connections. To be flexible, your small groups should be fluid and change frequently based on the standard you are working on and on your formative assessment data.<\/p>\n

Small groups allow you to provide scaffolding based on where your students are<\/a>. You can specifically target your lesson based on the needs of the students in that group. Your instruction will vary depending on which group you are working with and what level they are on. With some groups, you will need to help the students reach the grade-level expectation of a standard by filling gaps in previous skills. Other groups may be right on target and able to learn the new standard with ease. Some groups may have already mastered the standard you\u2019re on and are ready to explore it more deeply or even move on to the next standard.<\/p>\n

By providing this targeted attention to student learning needs, you can help students grow and be empowered in their learning paths. While working with small groups, you can also differentiate seat work or centers that are not teacher directed. Work groups could have a designated tub or folder with assignments that are targeted to meet students\u2019 learning needs, for example. This does take more planning up front, but if you have planning or data conversations with your grade-level teams, you can plan these varied tasks together and share the load.<\/p>\n

Tip #3: Wield formative assessment feedback to make in-the-moment adjustments<\/h2>\n

Whether you\u2019re teaching the whole class or have broken into groups, you\u2019ll have a multitude of opportunities to adjust your instruction\u2014right before, during, or immediately after a lesson\u2014based on the needs of your students. There are several simple strategies you can try right away to target your instruction and help students grow academically. Here are some examples of formative assessment techniques and when to use them.<\/p>\n

Right before a lesson<\/em><\/h2>\n