A Study of the Implementation of Formative Assessment in Three Large Urban Districts

Abstract

In this study, we examined the enactment of formative assessment by administrator-selected master teachers in large, urban, public school districts in three regions of the United States. Furthermore, this study also included an investigation of the perceptions and frequency of use for all teachers within the same districts to gather a snapshot of the state of use of formative assessment within those settings overall. Currently, the research base is limited regarding how effective teachers implement formative assessment strategies in their classrooms and how teachers in general perceive formative assessment. Thus, the purpose of this study was to gain a broader understanding of how teachers conceptualize and enact formative assessment strategies in their classrooms with the aim of providing guidance to teacher educators, professional development providers, and policy makers about gaps in teachers’ understanding of and use of formative assessment. Findings from classroom observations revealed that master teachers implemented some aspects of formative assessment effectively and other areas were used much less frequently and/or effectively. Teachers within the participating districts reported similar use frequencies. Implications for research and practice in the area of formative assessment are discussed.

Exploring assessment across cultures: Teachers’ approaches to assessment in the U.S., China, and Canada

“…However, the high prevalence of teacher-centric assessors builds on previous research that has suggested teachers in the U.S. use formative assessment primarily to guide their teaching (e.g., diagnostic quizzes, questioning; Barnes et al, 2017;Erickson, 2007). The observed teacher-centric approaches in the U.S. thus support findings that formative assessment strategies that build student agency and metacognition (e.g., self-assessment) are areas not widely realized in the U.S. context (Johnson et al, 2019). Our findings reflect the prevalence of a specific formative perspective on assessment in the U.S. that focuses on standardized diagnostic assessment rather than involving students actively in assessment processes (Bloom et al, 1971).…”

“…Interviews with hesitant and moderately student-centric assessors could also illuminate why teachers hold these two approaches. Additionally, given that our findings support research that suggests teachers in the U.S. make limited use of student-centered formative assessment approaches (e.g., self-and peer assessment; Johnson et al, 2019), extensions of our study would interrogate the barriers that limit such practices. The suggested future directions would inform ways to support teachers in applying contemporary standards.…”

“…In a recent study by Johnson et al (2019), examinations of teachers' formative assessment practices across three educational districts in the U.S. revealed that teachers tended to implement questioning and learning tasks effectively but needed support in sharing learning criteria, providing individual feedback in lessons, and fostering collaboration. Teachers' reliance on questioning and implementing learning tasks, coupled with the noted lack of peer and self-assessment, supported previous findings that teachers in the U.S. tend to employ formative assessment as a teachercontrolled measurement instrument.…”

Formative Assessment: Master Trainers’ Attitude and Practice

“…This is the case found in Young and Jackman ( 2014) study. Johnson, Sondergeld, and Walton (2019) discovered the same especially when it comes to certain FA strategies. Alkharusi, Kazem, and Al-Musawai (2011) and Yamtim and Wongwanich (2014) explained that this is due to teachers' belief that they are incompetent.…”

“…However, there are strategies such as differentiated learning, addressing learning gap, effective feedback and peer-and self-assessment which were not practised enough by the respondents. These strategies have been identified as difficult and may be one of the reasons behind the lack of use of FA (Johnson et al, 2019;Lysaght & O'Leary, 2013;Pastore et al, 2019). This difficulty causes teachers to view FA as an added burden instead of seeing it as one of important elements in their teaching (Coffey, Hammer, Levin, & Grant, 2011).…”