R E B E KA H M A RT I N

Formative
Assessment
Portfolio

James Madison University

December 2, 2014
S.M.A.R.T Goal for Formative Assessment

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S . M . A. R. T G o a l
I w a n t t o t r y u s i n g t w o d i ff e r e n t m e t h o d s o f
formative math assessment in my practicum
c l a s s r o o m t h i s s e m e s t e r.
I chose this goal because it will give me the opportunity to practice knowing the
students Im working with in a personal way. Using formative assessment will
enable be to be confident about knowing how to help my students grow and build
understanding of mathematical concepts. I realized that in order to be successful
using formative assessment it was important for me to plan how you will assess
the students work during the lesson. The preparation of the formative assessment
tool took place in the Before phase of the lesson. Once I had chosen my strategy, I
was set up well to observe my students thinking during the lesson; this represents
the During phase. Finally, in the After phase, I used my formative assessment
tool to gauge the level of understanding, reflect on students individual thinking
and creativity, uncover misconceptions, and plan how I will proceed with
instruction.

B e fo r
Befor
e
e

D u rin
Durin
g
g

A fte r
After

Project:
How will I accomplish my goal?
In class I will practice observing my classmates methods and
compare them to my methods. This will help me use formative
a s s e s s m e n t t o u n d e r s t a n d d i ff e r e n t m a t h e m a t i c a l a p p r o a c h e s
to the same topic or problem.
Out of class in my practicum I will choose two types of
formative assessment to practice using. I chose two so that I
c a n s e e w h i c h I a m m o r e c o m f o r t a b l e , a n d t h e b e n e fi t s o f
using multiple strategies for observation.
I can use the ELED 433 Lesson Plan Project, to include using
formative assessment during an actual lesson I will be
p r e p a r i n g , t e a c h i n g , a n d r e fl e c t i n g a b o u t .

How will I document my process?

T h e t w o d i ff e r e n t m e t h o d s I c h o s e f o r f o r m a t i v e a s s e s s m e n t
will both be written documentation. They will both be

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concrete representations of my learning of formative

assessments, and the data I have gathered from the students.
I w i l l a l s o r e fl e c t o n t h e d a t a I c o l l e c t t h r o u g h j o u r n a l i n g .

Integration:
In all of my other courses I will prepare and teach my own
lesson plans. During these lessons, I can practice using
formative assessment to gauge my students level of
understanding.

A ff e c t :
Formative assessment isnt just a tool to be used in mathematics. It is a skill that I can practice
using in math, and then use in every subject. My goal is to become a more observant teacher
across all fields because of the practice this assignment will give me.

Who am I? Who do I want to become?

Overall, I feel that I have the heart of a teacher that is prepared to teach math. I am equipped to
know my students, empathize with them, and bring enthusiasm and creativity to my lessons.
However, I want to understand how to teach math in an effective comprehensive way, opposed to
the memorization of procedures and processes I experienced.

The following chart represents the variety of strategies I practiced

with, the content areas, how appropriate they were with the context of
the lesson, and whether or not I prefer the method for future use.
Strategies

Checklist

Observation Chart
Ke e l e y s St ra t e gi es f o r S ci e n ce
Fo r m a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t

Content
Area

Appropriat
e Use

S CIENCE, SOCIAL
STUDIES,
LANGUAGE A RTS

Ye s

M ATH

Ye s

SCIENCE

Ye s

Preferred
Method

Checklists are
overall my
preferred
method as long
as there is a
place for notes.
I found
checklists are
easy to make
and easy to
use.
Definitely
preferred
method for
math.
This book was
a very valuable
resource for
Science
formative
assessment. Id
love to try

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Anecdotal Notes

M ATH

No

some of the
other
strategies with
other content
areas.
I really loved
this method,
however I feel
it wouldve
been more
successful for
Reading
because it
could keep a
running record
on the cards
opposed to
information
about a couple
kids in one
lesson.

STRATEGY SAMPLES:
CHECKLIST
1. The first image below is the first formative assessment I tried working with. It is a checklist
that I created for my first Word Study Lesson Plan. I decided to try out the checklist approach
because for my Word Study Lesson I was playing an UNO game with the students words. I
knew that I wouldnt have time to write tedious notes as I played the game with them, and
since the game was a card game there werent any samples of work that could assess
afterwards for understanding. Therefore, I chose the checklist because throughout the game
I could easily check off understanding of objectives I was observing. After the game I added
more detailed notes on a separate sheet of paper, however, the checklist was very helpful
because it jogged my memory about certain observations I made that I wanted to go into
more detail about. It also provided me with a general assessment of all the students,
opposed to just a few notes about several students. So far, I have learned that my goal is
very practical and effective in helping me become a more observant teacher. My goal is
encouraging me to push out of my comfort zone and try new formative assessment
strategies in order to gain multiple experiences with observation. My goal was to practice
with two different types, and so far Ive officially created one. Therefore, I am confident I will
exceed my goal and learn a lot about formative assessment in the process.

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2. For my science
lesson my
cooperating
practicum
teacher asked
me to do a
review lesson
on light. In
order to
practice using
formative
assessment for
each class
overall
understanding
of the material, I made a question sheet checklist. This checklist differed from the checklist I
used in my word study lesson because it didnt have each students names and a box to
check whether or not the individual understood the content. Instead, I simply put a check
beside the question if the students answered the question correctly in their group during a
review game we played. I didnt find this formative assessment to be very helpful because I
hadnt left enough room for comments and notes. I also couldnt assess what each child
knew. However, it was helpful because I now know that I prefer formative assessment
strategies that allow me to assess students on an individual level, with room for brief

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comments or notes.

3. For my Social Studies Lesson Plan in my practicum classroom, I decided to use an oral based
checklist. During the small group discussion, brainstorming, drawing, and strategizing I
walked around with the checklist to formatively assess if students were meeting my
objectives for the strategizing aspect of the lesson. By making the checklist I was able to
focus in and listen for key words and ideas that represented the level of understanding I my
lesson was trying to promote. This strategy was very effective because it was easy to make
and easy to use. The bottom of the checklist had a place for me to quickly jot down notes
about ideas that stood out to me from each group. In the concluding portion of my lesson I
was able to sue my checklist and notes to choose specific students work and ideas I wanted

Fo rm a t i v e A s s e s s m e n t S . M . A. R. T G o a l Po r t f o l i o
to highlight. After the lesson I was able to refer to the checklist to assess whether my
objectives were met. I will definitely use this method of assessment in my future classroom
for group work in all the content areas. It was very effective for me.

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OBSERVATION CHART
The formative assessment Observation Chart above was used during my Undergrad Math ELED 333
class one day when we were asked to assess student work. The layout may seem a bit confusing,
however, overall this strategy worked great because I had a box for each student where I could
record exactly what he or she did. Then the center column had an option to circle SC (semiconcrete) or A (abstract) or both. The column was helpful because it allowed me to assess a specific
aspect of each students work, which I later used to categorize the students into groups. I enjoyed
using an Observation Chart to record notes about each students work. I plan to use this strategy
for observing and assessing math in my future classroom because I feel that it is the most
appropriate and effective tool.

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ANECDOTAL NOTES

REFLECTION
Throughout this project I
realized how being intentional
about formatively assessing
students changed the way I
viewed the content, the process
of teaching, and the planning for
the next lesson. I became a more
observant teacher that focused
on student-centered teaching by
using strategies and tools to plan
my lessons based on the specific
needs and strengths of my students. Overall, I truly enjoyed

This method of formative

assessment is valuable
because it allows the teacher
to maintain confidentiality at
all times. The note cards are
intentionally overlapped so
that only the students names
are exposed. All of the notes
and documentation of their
ideas are concealed by the
other cards. However, when I
wanted to make a note about
a child I would simply flip the
cards above it and I could
record. I do however feel this
method would be better suited
for a long-term formative
assessment rather than one
lesson. Some students I didnt
get a chance to observe,
therefore, those cards were
unnecessary. Perhaps with
reading records this strategy

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experimenting with the different strategies and learning about which methods worked best for my
teaching style, and the different content areas.
This portfolio represents the different strategies I used, my reflections based on my personal
experiences with them, and plans for implementing them in my future classroom. I far exceeded
my goal by practicing more than one strategy and thoughtfully reflecting on them all. I feel
confident moving forward as a teacher knowing that I have a list of classroom-tested strategies to
assess my students that I know are effective, I know how and when to use them appropriately, and
I know for certain that they will help me be more flexible and accurate when planning future
lessons for my students.
My favorite methods are the checklist and the observation chart. The checklist is appealing
for its high ease of use. Checklists are easy to create and straightforward during implementation.
They are great to use during teaching because you can engage with your students while assessing
them, opposed to waiting until after the lesson to assess. The observation charts are organized
clearly to help compare students thinking and work all in one place. Instead of switching between
concrete samples after the lesson, the observation chart allowed me to compile small examples of
student work during the lesson to help implement student sharing at the end of my lesson.
I feel that at this point I have fully achieved my goals for my formative assessment SMART
goal. My portfolio features a wide variety of formative assessment strategies and how they are
effectively implemented in the classroom. It shows significant and detailed evidence of personal
practice using the formative assessment strategies in the classroom with thoughtful reflection. I
was able to use a formative assessment with each of my lesson plans in all four content areas, as
well as other assignments in several subjects. Not only did I thoughtfully reflect on the strategies
but I also went a step further to think about how, after using these tools, where I could implement
them most appropriately in my future classroom. Therefore, I believe I have excelled in meeting my
goals, and preparing a portfolio that reflects my experiences through reflection. I am confident that
I will be more observant, intentional teacher because of this study and experience.