When teachers practice high-quality assessment for learning, student progress accelerates. Few education interventions have come as close to having the same impact as assessment for learning through high-quality formative instructional practices.
Formative instruction is a process, both formal and informal, that teachers and students use to know where they are now, where they need to go and how to close the learning gap. It involves a commitment to:
Providing a clear and understandable vision of the learning target or intended learning.
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Sharing examples and models of strong and weak work.
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Providing regular descriptive feedback.
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Teaching students to self-assess and set learning goals.
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Designing lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time.
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Teaching students focused revision.
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Engaging students in self-reflection.