Formal versus Informal Assessments

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What are the different types of assessments?

There are two general categories of assessments: formal and informal.

Formal assessments have data which support the conclusions made from the test. We usually refer to these types of tests as standardized measures. These tests have been tried before on students and have statistics which support the conclusion such as the student is reading below average for his age. The data is mathematically computed and summarized. Scores such as percentiles, stanines, or standard scores are mostly commonly given from this type of assessment.

Informal assessments are not data driven but rather content and performance driven. For example, running records are informal assessments because they indicate how well a student is reading a specific book. Scores such as 10 correct out of 15, percent of words read correctly, and most rubric scores; are given from this type of assessment.

The assessment used needs to match the purpose of assessing. Formal or standardized measures should be used to assess overall achievement, to compare a student's performance with others at their age or grade, or to identify comparable strengths and weaknesses with peers. Informal assessments sometimes referred to as criterion referenced measures or performance based measures, should be used to inform instruction.

The most effective teaching is based on identifying performance objectives, instructing according to these objectives, and then assessing these performance objectives. Moreover, for any objectives not attained, intervention activities to re-teach these objectives are necessary.
 

Brenda Weaver is the K-5 Language Arts/Social Studies Coordinator for Skaneateles Central Schools in Skaneateles, New York. She has been a classroom teacher, reading teacher, assistant principal, principal, curriculum coordinator, and college instructor. She has published articles and books on the topic of literacy and leveling books. The Skaneateles Language Arts Program, which was developed under her supervision, has won two International Reading Association Exemplary Reading Awards and is a top scorer on the new New York State Grade 4 English/Language Arts Test. Her first book for Scholastic, Ready-To-Use Reading Assessments & Intervention Strategies for K-2, is available in the Teacher Store.

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