Summative+Assessments

=Summative Assessments =

On this page, teams could discuss strategies and resources available to prepare students for summative assessments such as final exams, the CSTs, and the CAHSEE.

Definition: "summative assessment: An assessment of learning (Stiggins, 2002) designed to provide a final measure to determine if learning goals have been met (Ainsworth & Viegut, 2006). Summative assessments yield a dichotomy: pass or fail, proficient or not proficient. Additional support is typically not forthcoming." Dufour __Learning by Doing__ p. 218

Additional explanation: "State and provincial tests are summative assessments: attempts to determine if students have met intended standards by a specific deadline. They are assessments of learning, typically measuring many things infrequently. They can provide helpful information regarding the strengths and weaknesses of curricula and programs in a district, school, or department, and they often serve as a means of promoting institutional accountability. The infrequency of these end-of-process measurements, however, limits their effectiveness in providing the timely feedback that guides teacher practice and student learning." DuFour __Learning by Doing__ p. 55