| Effective teaching in the United States over the last decade has been based on student performance on standardized tests (Darling-Hammond, 2010). Many school districts, in attempts to make gains on standardized assessments, have implemented standardized formative assessment procedures that dictate intervention for students not making gains (Popham, 2011). It is my contention that in some cases, standardized formative assessment procedures have negated authentic formative assessments where teachers interpret any classroom activity, such as observation, teacher-student conversation, and teacher-student interaction, to adjust instruction to ensure that all students are making progress. I believe that there are two specific problems associated with standardized formative assessment: standardized formative assessments may not honor nor cultivate the teacher-student relationship inherent in transactional relationships (Ryan, 2011) and may not allow teachers flexibility of method to solve classroom-based problems in a practical way (Schwab, 1970). The purpose of this action research study was to describe the pedagogical strategies of an authentic formative assessment process my classroom. This study also explored how an authentic process can be a viable alternative to a standardized one within one classroom.;Three major findings are present from the study: multiple strategies could be used to determine curricular needs for students; authentic formative assessments could honor and cultivate teacher-student relationships; classroom life was improved for me and my students when rigorous investigation into the assessment practices of the classroom were explored. |
