Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively

Figure 3.1. The formative assessment cycle

Assessment

Targeted

feedback

Objectives,

goals,

standards

Targeted

instruction

Data

analysis

Formative 

assessment enables 

teachers to regularly or 

continuously monitor 

student progress and use 

that information to modify 

instruction toward 

learning goals 

and skills.

learning objectives, goals, or standards on 

which to focus. Next, instruction is targeted 

to achieve these goals. To measure student 

learning on the targeted goals, the teacher 

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 )

Recommendation 3 

(continued)

administers assessments and analyzes the 

data. Finally, the teacher responds to the 

data by targeting instruction and feedback 

to focus on areas in which students need 

additional practice and exposure. Then the 

cycle repeats again.

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 Because the first step is 

often based on state or district standards and 

the second  

step commonly follows a district or school 

approach, this recommendation focuses 

on the last three steps: assessment, data 

analysis, and responding to the data by 

targeting feedback.

Formative assessment tools, such as exit