Differentiate between formative and summative assessment in SHS.

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Differentiate between formative and summative assessment in SHS.

Formative assessment focuses on learning as it happens. It’s conducted during instruction to monitor understanding, give timely feedback, and guide both teaching and studying so performance improves before final judgments are made. It isn’t just about tests; it includes things like quick checks for understanding, feedback on drafts, practice problems, exit tickets, and observations that help students address gaps while they’re still learning. Summative assessment, on the other hand, checks what has been learned after instruction is completed. It’s usually used to assign grades or determine whether a student has achieved the intended outcomes of a unit or course. These assessments are more high-stakes and reflect overall mastery, rather than guiding day-to-day learning. So, the best description is that formative assessments provide ongoing feedback during learning to improve performance, while summative assessments evaluate learning at the end of a unit or course. The idea that formative work is only quizzes, that summative assessments happen throughout instruction, or that there’s no difference between them all miss how their purposes and timing shape how they support learning.

Formative assessment focuses on learning as it happens. It’s conducted during instruction to monitor understanding, give timely feedback, and guide both teaching and studying so performance improves before final judgments are made. It isn’t just about tests; it includes things like quick checks for understanding, feedback on drafts, practice problems, exit tickets, and observations that help students address gaps while they’re still learning.

Summative assessment, on the other hand, checks what has been learned after instruction is completed. It’s usually used to assign grades or determine whether a student has achieved the intended outcomes of a unit or course. These assessments are more high-stakes and reflect overall mastery, rather than guiding day-to-day learning.

So, the best description is that formative assessments provide ongoing feedback during learning to improve performance, while summative assessments evaluate learning at the end of a unit or course. The idea that formative work is only quizzes, that summative assessments happen throughout instruction, or that there’s no difference between them all miss how their purposes and timing shape how they support learning.

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