ABSTRACT
Assessment is a critical aspect of rigorous language arts and social studies classrooms. This chapter looks at the aspects of effective formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments, which are typically informal, take place throughout the instructional process. They should be administered frequently since they provide an immediate assessment of students’ levels of mastery. Formative assessment must take place throughout the learning process. Summative assessments are typically used at the end of a chapter, unit, or topical study to assess students’ overall understanding. Performance-based assessments are a type of summative assessment, but they differ from traditional testing. They are focused on students performing in some manner to demonstrate their understanding. Typically, performance-based assessments are more rigorous because students must go in depth to complete the performance, project or portfolio. Grading is one of the most challenging parts of a rigorous classroom.
