Snares and silver bullets: disentangling the construct of formative assessment

This article explores the nature of formative assessment in a primary (elementary) language learning context. The research is situated in nine inner-city schools where an Early Years Intervention Project is being implemented to address problems of low levels of achievement in English, with specific...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Language testing 2000-04, Vol.17 (2), p.215-243
Main Authors: Rea-Dickins, Pauline, Gardner, Sheena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Elementary Education
English (Second Language)
Foreign Countries
Formative Evaluation
Inner City
Language Tests
Low Achievement
Program Implementation
Second Language Learning
Testing
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Summary:This article explores the nature of formative assessment in a primary (elementary) language learning context. The research is situated in nine inner-city schools where an Early Years Intervention Project is being implemented to address problems of low levels of achievement in English, with specific reference to the language support of learners for whom English is an Additional Language.1 School-based assessment data are presented and analysed in relation to the construct of formative assessment. It is argued that the distinctions between formative and summative assessment are not as straightforward as sometimes portrayed and that the interplay between reliability and validity for purposes of class-based assessment is highly complex.
ISSN:0265-5322
1477-0946
DOI:10.1177/026553220001700206