Formative Assessment Is Where the Magic Happens

After nearly three decades in education—from teaching high school psychology to leading district-wide testing coordination—I’ve learned that one question underpins every successful instructional decision: What’s the purpose?

When it comes to assessment, this question is more relevant than ever. Assessing for the sake of checking a box doesn’t serve students or teachers. But when assessment is purposeful—when it’s done formatively—it becomes one of the most powerful tools we have to support real learning.

The Purpose Behind the Practice

In my early years as a classroom teacher, I quickly discovered that the best instruction isn’t just about delivering content. It’s about ensuring students learn it. And how do we know if they have? That’s where formative assessment comes in.

Unlike summative assessments, which evaluate learning after instruction ends, formative assessments happen in the moment. They’re built right into how teachers teach every day. Sometimes they’re as formal as a short quiz. Other times, they’re a quick thumbs-up, a reflective exit ticket, or even just reading the room.

Formative assessment is where the magic happens. It tells us if students are grasping the concept in real time. And if they’re not, it gives us the chance to pivot—reteach, enrich, or extend the learning before it's too late.

When It’s Done Well (and When It’s Not)

Formative assessment works best when it's intentional. If I’m teaching a third-grade math standard, I need a clear, aligned way to check whether students are mastering that specific skill. Great campuses take it one step further by building time and tools for short-cycle assessments that give teachers and instructional teams real insight. And when campuses collaborate around that data—when teachers are willing to sit down, share outcomes, and say, “My students didn’t get this. What did you do?”—that’s when everyone grows.

But when formative assessment isn’t done with purpose? It becomes noise. Without alignment to standards or instructional goals, it risks becoming just another task, rather than a guidepost for teaching and learning.

Data with a Heartbeat

One thing I’ve always believed: assessment isn’t about compliance. It’s about clarity. And yes, that includes district-level tools and checkpoints too. When I served as a district testing coordinator, we used curriculum-based assessments and common assessments not just to measure, but to reflect and respond. These tools allowed us to see which campuses needed more support, which strategies were working, and how we could build a better system for all kids—not just some.

True effectiveness comes when curriculum, instruction, and assessment work in sync. Formative assessment helps tie those threads together.

From the Classroom to the Committee Table

Another powerful (and often overlooked) benefit of formative assessment is its role in supporting student accommodations. When you can point to clear, consistent data—like a student showing 20% growth on a quiz after receiving text-to-speech—that’s evidence. That’s fuel for meaningful conversations in IEP and 504 meetings.

In my district, we used TestHound to manage and track these kinds of insights. Not only did it streamline logistics (a gift for any testing coordinator!), but it also ensured continuity—even when staff changed roles.  

With TestHound, we could easily copy a test setup from a district benchmark to a state assessment, track accommodations, and create a shared language across schools. It became part of how we taught—not just how we tested.

A System that Supports the Humans in It

At the end of the day, testing isn’t just about data points. It’s about students. It’s about the teacher who’s trying something new to reach a struggling learner. It’s about the principal coordinating across grade levels. It’s about the team sitting around the table asking, “Are we really meeting their needs?”

That’s why I joined Education Advanced. I spent years in districts trying to make complex things simpler—for teachers, for campuses, and ultimately for students. Now, I get to help others do the same. Whether through tools like TestHound or the conversations we have every day with schools and districts, I’m proud to be part of a team that understands that behind every test is a child, a teacher, a purpose.

And that’s where the real magic lives.