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used in classrooms are formative and summative. Summative assessment evaluates
whether students attained mastery of content and focuses on the learning product,
whereas formative assessment is focused on the learning process and uses daily
observations to help determine what the next instructional steps should be (Connors,
2021; Moss & Brookhart, 2019). The current educational climate in the United States
stresses the need for student achievement on high-stakes summative assessments.
However, summative assessments provide data at the end of a unit, long after the
original concept has been taught. This can allow misconceptions to persist when Dr. Shannon Manley is
they could have been addressed at the onset. Furthermore, the pressures placed a member of Beta
on teachers concerning the students’ scores on accountability testing often direct Lambda of Texas
State Organization.
their attention away from the use of formative assessment (Wiliam et al., 2004). She is a clinical
However, formative assessment, such as partner activities and unison responses, instructor in the
can provide valuable insight into how teachers are teaching as well as how students Department of
are learning (Conderman et al., 2020). Ultimately, formative assessments can lead Curriculum and
to more positive performances, lessened achievement gaps, and higher mastery on Instruction at Texas
summative assessments. A&M Commerce.
She currently
Formative assessment is a valuable tool for collecting data that focuses on works with teacher
teachers checking for understanding during instruction. The ongoing practice of candidates at the
monitoring student progress enables teachers to determine promptly if students are undergraduate level.
learning the concept correctly (Yan et al., 2021). Formative assessments provide Shannon.Manley@tamuc.
the needed data for teachers to pinpoint student mistakes and misconceptions as edu
they work through material. This process allows teachers to address students’
misunderstandings immediately (Clinchot et al., 2017). Formative assessment
provides additional details regarding the students’ reasoning and problem-solving
skills, and these details reveal an overview of the students’ progress (Schultz &
Thunder, 2015).
Because of its effectiveness in driving instruction, formative assessment is
beneficial as a daily practice (Schultz & Thunder, 2015). It provides teachers with an
insight into the students’ current skills and understanding that they need to advance
through the content being taught (Conderman et al., 2020). Teachers continually
make decisions regarding what the next step should be in their instruction. When
teachers use formative assessment, they are able to see if students need additional
support to master a skill. Formative assessment data help teachers make decisions
about which instructional strategies are needed to reteach a skill. Conversely,
if students are showing mastery of a skill, the teacher knows he or she can move
forward in teaching the concept. By understanding how students are progressing,
teachers can spend time revisiting concepts that need remediation rather than using
excess time on content students have mastered (Conderman et al., 2020).

Challenges for Implementation
Teachers choose not to use formative assessment within their day-to-day
instructional practices for several reasons. Teachers may not be familiar with formative
assessment or may not have been provided adequate training to show them how to
use it to its fullest advantage (Moss & Brookhart, 2019). Without proper training
on formative assessment, teachers may assume the assessment practices they are
using fit the role of formative assessment (Moss & Brookhart, 2019). Teachers need
to be provided with professional development to implement formative assessment
effectively into their instructional routines. The use of formative assessment requires
that teachers have the appropriate knowledge and skills to perform the multi-faceted

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