5.3 Conducting Formative Assessments

By helping set realistic goals for success, teachers can focus on the positives and strengths of students rather than deficiencies. This is an important part of building a community that supports student success, and will pay dividends in the restorative process. If disciplinary issues occur in the classroom, the teacher who has used this approach will be trusted by students when they also set goals for restorative assessment. Assessment becomes restorative when it re-engages learners, restores confidence, and encourages progress. It is particularly effective for students who struggle to learn, are frustrated in school, and may otherwise face failure (Greenstein, 2014).

Most lesson objectives are written in language meant for teachers. The language for setting goals must satisfy the needs of the students at the grade level being taught. An effective method for doing this is to discuss with students how they visualize the learning journey and its end point. This vision of the end point is what makes success possible.

For example, if the lesson requires students to read a particular chapter in a book and then write a report on it, the learning target is not the report. That is the vessel to be used to convey how much each student was able to comprehend what they read and take meaning from it. The learning target can be stated as, “A report containing two paragraphs. The first paragraph should summarize what you have read so that someone else who has not read this chapter will know what it is about. The second paragraph should tell us what your favorite part of the chapter was, and why you felt that way.”

These are clear directions about the purpose of reading the chapter. However, as much as all students may now believe they understand what they are supposed to do, each will provide a summary based on their own level of comprehension and writing ability. The teacher is better served by showing examples of previous reports, and engage the students in comparing them to identify which are examples of good work, and which are lacking in some elements of the response. This will further assist students in setting realistic goals for what constitutes success in the specific assignment.

The following activities assist the teacher in conducting formative assessments:

Goal Setting

This activity helps students set realistic goals for success.

Download a copy of the Goal Setting worksheet and distribute copies of the Student Goal Setting Chart to each student. Follow the instructions on the first page for leading the activity.

Learning Reflection

This activity helps students to pause and reflect on what they are learning and why.

Download a copy of the Learning Reflection worksheet and create copies of Check-in and Exit Tickets to be placed in a central area for use by each student. Follow the instructions on the first page for leading the activity.

Depicting Growth

This activity is beneficial in assisting students to monitor and show their individual growth and learning progress.

Download a copy of the Depicting Growth worksheet and lead students in the creation of a “before and after” folder.