The Formative Assessment Action Plan: Practical Steps to More Successful Teaching and Learning

by Nancy Frey

Join Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher as they outline a clear-cut, realistic, and rewarding approach to formative assessment. They explain how four discrete steps work in tandem to create a seamless, comprehensive formative assessment system—one that has no beginning and no end. This ongoing approach enhances an active give-and-take relationship between teachers and students to promote learning.
Where am I going?

Step 1: Feed-up ensures that students understand the purpose of an assignment, task, or lesson, including how they will be assessed.

Where am I now?

Step 2: Checking for understanding guides instruction and helps determine if students are making progress toward their goals.

How am I doing?

Step 3: Feedback provides students with valuable and constructive information about their successes and needs.

Where am I going next?

Step 4: Feed-forward builds on the feedback from step 3 and uses performance data to facilitate student achievement.
Dozens of real-life scenarios demonstrate how to apply these steps in your classroom, always focusing on the presence or absence of student learning to guide the action. By enabling teachers and students alike to see more clearly what they need to do for learning to be successful, this approach builds students' competence, confidence, and understanding. No matter what grade level you teach, The Formative Assessment Action Plan will help you make better use of assessment data so you can more quickly adjust instruction to keep every student on the path to success.

Genres: Education, Teaching

153 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Nancy Frey, Ph.D., is an educator and Professor of Literacy in the Department of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University.
Shehas taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and is a teacher-leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College.

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Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I attended Margaret Heritage's one day formative assessment workshop (such an eye opener) and then worked closely with four colleagues who attended a semester-long formative assessment training. This was their book choice for a staff (voluntary) book read.

Very practical, useful, and easy to read, this book explores (and explains) formative assessment. More importantly, the authors provide classroom examples that guide teachers in how to use formative assessment to check for understanding, inform instruction, and prepare students for summative assessments.

I LOVE the feedback loop of feed-up, feedback, and feed-forward. As educators, we typically live in feedback land, but we must add feed-up and feed-forward to our teaching. I have observed teachers who use the feedback loop of all three, and it is amazing to see how students demonstrate their learning, can self-assess, strive to advocate for themselves, and work to become more autonomous learners. This system really works.

[Tina McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly useful! This book defines and explains the different aspects of formative assessment with clear classroom examples. It is a practical handbook on how to effectively use formative assessment to guide instruction, meaning making, and make sure students are truly prepared for future summative assessments.

[Andrea Levin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want all my coworkers to read this book!

[John W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as overviewing Formative Assessment in terms of its research, practices, and implementation, this book is an outstanding starting point. It provides a lot of information for anyone new to Formative Assessment (which I was when I first began it last year), helping them to begin implementing a system immediately. There are key definitions, models provided for most of the advice, and a lot of systems explained in concise, easy to follow ways.

The only downsides would be that there isn't much in the way of fully fleshed out systems or resources. In other words, while this book will absolutely, 100% help one to understand and begin a Formative Assessment system, it will not provide resources, handouts, etc. with which to grow a system. That said, though, it was of tremendous use to me, and I strongly recommend it with anyone who is new to Formative Assessment, as well as to a new teacher (in any subject area).

[Kim Benouski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like a lot of this was common sense, but maybe not if you have no background in this. I like professional books with lots of forms that teachers can actually use. This didn't have any of that. The chart on peer feedback on page 87 was my only marked page, which is very uncommon for me.

It serves as a good reminder of practical steps that I should be doing, even if I don't always. It's just not very full of resources.

[Catherine MacLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for a PD book study. In many ways it’s nothing new, but it presents the importance of feeding up and feeding forward alongside feedback so clearly and logically. Many of the examples relate more to elementary or middle school, but I still found it very engaging and practical as a high school teacher.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot, but boy did it give me anxiety about all the things I am doing wrong/could be doing better!

[Dave Moyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent framework for approaching formative assessment with user friendly concepts and examples to promote implementation.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good book. Tends to drag on and on in parts.

[Stefani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really helpful reference for teachers, especially those working on genuine formative assessment to differentiate learning.

[Katherine Hebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of common sense in this approach which will help teachers fine tune their work. Picked up some new strategies to use this fall.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for work reading

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid information, some strategies you can use right away.