ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the best practices to develop students’ formative assessments, particularly their actionability and timeliness. It discusses how to determine the most appropriate amount of data to gather in each formative assessment to inform planning without taking too much time away from instruction. Truly actionable data are easily accessible; if the data points are challenging to collect, some of the effort required to access them will inevitably impact the likelihood of regular collection and utilization. Helping students understand formative data points dramatically impacts the development of their growth mindset as they become active participants in their learning. This access to formative data also fosters students' growth as independent learners as they take more ownership of their learning, a critical element in promoting equity in education. The formative learning process is now a continuous one that can continue between class periods through the use of instructional technology.
