What does balance mean in the context of assessment practice and assessment systems?
Assessment of learning and assessment for learning are ‘balanced’ in our practice and systems. All users of assessment information get the accurate information they need to make decisions and one group’s needs do not overshadow the needs of the other users of information (most importantly students). Assessment of learning should provide an accurate depiction of student achievement and be used to benefit students. Large-scale, summative assessments of learning should detect any improvements in the level or rate of student achievement.
These measures provide information once a year, or in the case of interim benchmarks two-three times per year they meet specific and limited purposes. They can reflect large-group increases or decreases in learning on an annual basis, and they tend to be used for high-stakes decisions.
Assessment for learning informs the moment-to-moment, daily and weekly instructional decisions students and their teachers make in order to support and advance learning.
A Learning Moment Video
Susan Brookhart explains what is meant by a balanced assessment system.
We’ve assembled more resources for this topic below.
What is summative assessment and how can it be used in the classroom?
Classroom-level summative assessments primarily serve the purposes of teachers, students, and families. This Learning Point describes various types of classroom assessment and the decisions they inform.