What is formative assessment?
Quick answer
Formative assessment is low-stakes checking during learning, used to adjust teaching while there is still time to act, as opposed to summative assessment which reports at the end.
Milestone check-ins at each project stage catch a stuck team in week two rather than at showcase.
In context
Its value is entirely in what the teacher does next, which is why a quick exit ticket can outperform a graded test.
In project work it usually looks like short check-ins at defined build milestones.
In a NASCA classroom
Milestone check-ins at each project stage catch a stuck team in week two rather than at showcase.
Related terms
Rubric
A rubric is a published table that sets out what is being assessed and what each level of performance looks like, so students and teachers judge work against the same standard.
Portfolio assessment
Portfolio assessment judges a student on a curated body of real work produced over time, rather than on a single timed examination.
Project-based learning
Project-based learning organises teaching around an extended, real task that students complete and present, with content taught at the point it is needed.