Template+-+Purpose

Updated on August 30, 2010, based on August 28th meeting in Grand Junction

Template for Formative and Interim Assessment Subcommittee Recommendations
 * PURPOSE OF THE ASSESSMENT**

__Purpose of the FORMATIVE Assessment:__ Purpose statement includes, but may not be limited to, definition/description of the type of assessment, value of assessment statement, what it measures, impact of this assessment on teaching and learning, SB 08-212 requirement, etc.

The Interim and Formative Assessment Subcommittee recommends the following __definition__ for formative assessment: "...a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students' achievement of intended instructional outcomes" (CCSSO, 2008, p. 3)

__Formative assessment is__: __Purpose of the INTERIM Assessment:__ Purpose statement includes, but may not be limited to, definition/description of the type of assessment, value of assessment statement, what it measures, impact of this assessment on teaching and learning, SB 08-212 requirement, etc.
 * An instructional process, not a product
 * Aligned to standards and focused on learning progressions
 * Intended to inform instruction and learning
 * Intended to motivate students towards learning targets.
 * Used for instructional purposes and is not punitive or used to compare students to students, teachers to teachers, schools to schools, or districts to districts
 * Using informal and formal instructional strategies to gather, interpret, and use information to adjust and monitor teaching and learning

The Interim and Formative Assessment Subcommittee recommends the following __definition__ for interim assessment: Interim assessment (1) are used to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills relative to a specific set of academic goals, typically within a time frame, and (2) are designed to inform decisions at both the classroom and beyond the classroom level, such as the school or district level. (Adapted from The Roles of Interim Assessments in a Comprehensive Assessment System by Marianne Perie, Scott Marion, Brian Gong and Judy Wurtzel, 2007, The Aspen Institute)

__Interim assessment is__: Capable of:
 * Allowing teachers and schools to calibrate instruction based on results;
 * Providing a predictive measure of PWR;
 * Provding a demonstration of current knowledge and growth towards mastery of standards over time;
 * Allowing teachers to communicate with one another regarding results and practice in order to make instructional ﻿and/or programmatic adjustments;
 * Being accessible to parents, families, and community educators.