Classroom summative assessment is what teachers use to assign or contribute to students’ grades. Summative measures are indicators of how students are doing in school and are used for decisions including the need for remediation or tutoring, advancement to the next grade in school, and graduation. Summative test results and course grades matter, and they should be fair and accurate.
In this lesson you will be introduced to:
- what classroom summative assessment is;
- how classroom summative assessment compares to other types of assessment, including commercial and state assessments;
- characteristics of high-quality summative assessment, including reliability, validity, and use of various item types;
- suggestions for teachers and instructional leaders to improve classroom summative assessment practices; and,
- recommended activities and resources to deepen your understanding and use of classroom summative assessment.
Suggested Resources
- Focusing More on Learning and Less on Test Scores by Dr. Stuart Kahl
- Assessment Literacy for Teachers by William D. Schafer
- Classroom Assessment: Supporting Teaching and Learning in Real Classrooms by Catherine Taylor and Susan Nolen (Pearson)
- Educational Assessment of Students by Susan Brookhart and Anthony Nitko (Pearson)
Lesson Supplements
- Facilitator Guide to help you build the capacity of others using this video lesson.