What is the difference between formative&summative assessment?
Public school systems administer two basic types of assessments to students: formative assessments, designed to guide classroom instruction and monitor student learning, and the better-known summative assessments, which measure academic achievement levels.FunctionFormative assessments help educators monitor student learning and identify gaps. They also help ensure teachers follow their schools’ curriculum. Summative assessments, by contrast, summarize student academic performance.TypesSummative assessments include standardized achievement tests used by many states. Examples of formative assessments include informal ones, such as teachers asking questions in class, and formal ones, such as benchmark and diagnostic tests.BenefitsBased on formative assessments, educators can guide instruction and identify students who need academic interventions. States use summative assessment results as measures of school accountability.Time FrameEducators give formative assessments on an ongoing basis,