Researchers Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam are credited with being the impetus of today's worldwide interest in the formative assessment process. Their extensive review of the empirical research led them to argue that when properly employed, formative assessment will substantially help students learn. In fact, it has the potential double the rate of learning. They report their meta-analysis revealed that student gains acquired from formative assessment are "amongst the largest ever reported for educational interventions."

What is learned about formative assessment permeates everything an educator does day to day!

This professional learning opportunity is derived from and supports the Formative Assessment for Michigan Educators (FAME) project which commenced in the 2008-09 school year.

It is designed to train K-12 teachers on how to embed a researched-based and proven formative-assessment process into their daily practice.

The components of a formative-assessment process include:

• learning targets and determining criteria for success
• aligned planning for student-focused learning
• effective use of student evidence
• application of formative-assessment strategies
• selection and use of appropriate formative-assessment tools
• effective feedback
• questioning that fosters metacognition

During this session, teachers will begin to build capacity and a clear understanding of what it means to transform instruction to achieve increased student performance.

Teachers will learn how to begin to develop and implement the formative assessment process in their daily practice, even in classrooms designed for inquiry-based teaching and learning.

This learning session will foster in educators an accurate and clear understanding of the formative assessment process as part of a balanced assessment system.

Contact your building administrator and submit district paperwork.