An assessment that is ongoing, provides information to guide instruction, and allows the teacher to modify instruction is best described as which type of assessment?

An assessment that is ongoing, provides information to guide instruction, and allows the teacher to modify instruction is best described as which type of assessment?

• A. Criterion-referenced assessment
• B. Summative assessment
• C. Formative assessment
• D. Standardized assessment

Answer: (C)

Assessments that occur during instruction and are used to shape what happens next are formative assessments. They’re ongoing and designed to give feedback about what students understand and where gaps remain, so the teacher can adjust teaching, pacing, or supports right away. Think of quick checks for understanding, observation notes, or exit tickets that reveal what to reteach or emphasize in the next lesson. Because the goal is to guide instruction as learning unfolds, it’s not focused on final grades or after-the-fact evaluation. In contrast, summative assessments occur after learning to judge what was mastered, standardized assessments follow uniform procedures to compare performance across students, and a criterion-referenced assessment looks at whether specific standards are met—often not used to continuously adjust instruction in real time. The key idea here is the ongoing feedback loop that informs immediate instructional decisions.

Assessments that occur during instruction and are used to shape what happens next are formative assessments. They’re ongoing and designed to give feedback about what students understand and where gaps remain, so the teacher can adjust teaching, pacing, or supports right away. Think of quick checks for understanding, observation notes, or exit tickets that reveal what to reteach or emphasize in the next lesson. Because the goal is to guide instruction as learning unfolds, it’s not focused on final grades or after-the-fact evaluation. In contrast, summative assessments occur after learning to judge what was mastered, standardized assessments follow uniform procedures to compare performance across students, and a criterion-referenced assessment looks at whether specific standards are met—often not used to continuously adjust instruction in real time. The key idea here is the ongoing feedback loop that informs immediate instructional decisions.