Formative Evaluation

Defining Formative Evaluation

There has been a clear and fundamental distinction between formative and summative evaluation since the 1960s. Summative evaluation specifically refers to evaluation completed at the end or summation of instruction, intervention, or program activities. In contrast, formative evaluation is intended to develop and improve a process, activity, or product in an ongoing manner, while the process, activity, or product is active. Formative evaluation and summative evaluation differ with regard to the goals and intended use of information. For example, summative evaluation provides information about the degree to which terminal outcomes have been successfully attained over the course of a class, activity, program, or intervention. In contrast, formative evaluation provides information about needs and progress during the time a program is implemented. The underlying purpose and expected uses of the information differ. Formative evaluation answers whether it is working; summative evaluation answers whether it worked. Finally, formative evaluation is not the same as formative assessment. Although all formative assessment is formative evaluation, not all formative evaluation is formative assessment. [Page 697]Assessment refers to the process of measuring information about a student or program to yield a source of information. Evaluation is the process of using the information that has been collected to make informed decisions. Put simply, assessment is the collection of information, while evaluation is the use of that information.

Uses of Formative Evaluation in Education

There are many potential uses of formative evaluation in an educational setting. For example, formative evaluation can serve as a needs assessment, examining whether a program or intervention is addressing a specific goal or objective. Formative evaluation specifically involves the use of data to identify individual student needs. These data are then used to plan, inform, and improve academic instruction. With increased attention toward accountability of improving outcomes for all students, the need for linking assessment to intervention practices is irrefutable. Formative evaluation can also be used to modify instruction, a program, or an intervention. Applying appropriate modifications during these processes allows instructors to increase the likelihood of success. Even further, formative evaluation may be used to determine the extent to which an intervention or program is implemented with fidelity and whether it has been implemented with consistency and quality. Thus, in some instances, formative evaluation can serve as a means for quality control. Finally, formative evaluation may be used to document progress on an ongoing basis in a standardized fashion, complementing summative evaluation methods. Although formative evaluation and summative evaluation can be successful independently, each is supplementary to the other and is more successful when used alongside the other. A comprehensive evaluation likely includes both summative and formative practices. When used in conjunction, these evaluation components can examine how an intervention or program was implemented, factors that both constrained and facilitated success and effectiveness.

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