A-2 Explain the difference between diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments.

As a teacher one must be able to know what the needs of the students are and how to meet those needs. You will be able to measure the growth and understanding of the students based on their individualism as well as an overall class. This is important so that you know what needs to be reinforced and already understood. To be able to accomplish this there are different assessments that can be used. Lets explore each one. A summative assessment is one that is given after instruction and also will summarize what the student has gained and understands. These types of test are usually administered in ways such as a SAT or GMAT tests and also as high-stakes tests such as the CRT. They also can include tests such as end of chapter testing and final exams. In the everyday world for adults it can also be similar to that of a drivers license test. It is a test that demonstrates the students mastery of the learned topic/subject. Diagnostic assessments are utilized to discover areas of needed improvement and if there are areas that have strengths. It can expose a students need for intervention and allow for the student then to have more of a programming instruction for the student. These types of assessment are cognitive assessments, rating scales, standardized tests, and criterion referenced assessments. These are base on the academic, behavioral, social and emotional well being as well as cognitive skills. These types of testing give the teacher an opportunity to streamline the learning and teaching process for the student. Formative assessments is extremely beneficial in that it provides the teacher the opportunity to see how much progress the student is making and if the method is actually working for the student. Formative assessment is done frequently and usually happens during instruction. As the student(s) make progress, the instruction can be changed. It is all about the ability to make constant changes to the methods of instruction to the immediate needs of the student(s) without any great disruption to the class. These testing methods are very informative for the teacher and can find areas of strength and weakness of the student(s). With this knowledge the teacher can quickly change and adapt his/her teaching methods to once again meet the needs of the student. This leads to great success for the students as well as the teachers. Students need to clearly understand what is being taught and assessments are vital to that success.