Publications & Resources

From Evidence to Action: A Seamless Process in Formative Assessment?

Aug 2008

Margaret Heritage, Jinok Kim, Terry P. Vendlinski, and Joan L. Herman

Based on the results of a generalizability study (G study) of measures of teacher knowledge for teaching mathematics developed at CRESST, this report provides evidence that teachers are better at drawing reasonable inferences about student levels of understanding from assessment information than they are in deciding the next instructional steps. We discuss the implications of the results for effective formative assessment and end with considerations of how teachers can be supported to know what to teach next.

Heritage, J., Kim, J., Vendlinski, T. P. & Herman, J. L. (2008). From evidence to action: A seamless process in formative assessment? (CRESST Report 741). Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST).