Formal and Informal Assessments
Diane Suzuki
Western Governor’s University
June 22, 2014

There are several ways to assess students in the c lassroom, these include Formal and Informal assessments. Every teacher needs methods to unders tand whether the students are grasping the concepts they are being taught. To determine this the teacher uses several types of assessments. In some cases, formal assessments are most beneficial in determining understanding and in other cases the teacher can use informal methods in understandi ng the students’ learning. Formal assessments are, according to the website education-portal.com, “are systematic, preplanned methods of testing students that are used to determine how well studen ts have learned the material that is being taught i n the classroom.” (Flanagan, D., Mascolo, J., Hardy-B raz, S., 12/2009, NP), They are standardized tests, essay exams, and final exams. While formal assessm ents show overall achievement in a subject or subjects, informal assessments are used to inform i nstruction, they help the teacher understand where changes in a lesson plan or instructional method mi ght need to occur to help student learning. (Weaver
,
Brenda, ND, NP) One form of Formal assessment are the standardized achievement tests given to students during the year. These assessments shows the stude nts’ developed skills or knowledge in particular subjects. They can be compared on a national level to determine the efficacy of a particular curricul um or teaching method. There are several advantages t o these assessments. One advantage is they are scored objectively and can test a large number of s tudents. These assessments can also show a student’s progress over a certain time frame. They provide adequate information to show areas of
students’