Inquiry-Based Formative Assessment for Improving Student Learning

Purpose – To provide pre-service and in-service teachers with a framework for using formative assessments to inform their literacy instructional practices. Design/methodology/approach – Assessment as inquiry is a cyclical problem-solving stance that can be applied to instructional decision making in the classroom. Findings – Teachers are urged to keep six design features in mind when creating formative assessments and analyzing the data gathered from them. Practical Implications – This chapter is a helpful resource for teachers when evaluating their uses and analysis of classroom literacy assessments. Originality/value – Teachers who apply the information in the chapter will gain a deeper understanding of each student's developing levels of literacy knowledge, skills, strategies, and dispositions. This information will facilitate a teacher's ability to better meet the needs of all students in his or her classroom.

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