ABSTRACT
Formative assessment drives mathematics instruction and is a key component in Response to Intervention. It is the process by which evidence of students' understanding is used by teachers to adjust instructional practice (Popham, 2008). As practitioners, we routinely monitor student performance on specific outcomes and standards. Formative assessments are employed to measure student performance so as to provide a targeted instructional response. Monitoring student learning through formative assessments provides a gauge, pinpointing where students are on the pathway of acquiring new knowledge. Their performance on these assessments provides work samples to analyze. The samples enable us to see where students are in comparison to where they need to be to meet the standard. Only through this process, are we equipped to provide an effective and meaningful instructional response. Without formative assessment, lesson planning is focused solely on curriculum with little regard for students' explicit academic needs.
