Formative Evaluation

Formative evaluation is used to monitor progress and to provide feedback about the progress being made toward a defined goal. In the classroom setting, formative evaluation is used to inform students and teachers about progress during instruction. Formative evaluation is generally used to monitor progress toward a defined goal and is typically not graded. For example, at the end of a lesson, a teacher may ask students to complete a short test or activity whose purpose is to assess whether students have mastered the desired outcomes for the lesson. Students do not earn a grade for the activity. In program evaluation, formative evaluation is typically used to monitor progress toward the goals of the program, and data from formative evaluation may be used to alter or modify the program so that it is more likely that the outcomes of the program will be achieved.