Formative Assessment for Understanding

Mandated by the NCLB, schools are expected to demonstrate Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward an end goal of 100 percent grade-level proficiency by 2013—14. Schools must use data to represent their academic standing, establish improvement plans, chart the effectiveness of their strategies, and monitor and assure progress.

Unfortunately the AYP mandate has become quite a challenge to many schools who cannot submit data in a meaningful way because:

1. Data is often not easily available
2. Individuals reporting data results lack the particular knowledge and skill level needed to properly report the progress of individual students or subgroups.

One possible solution explored in research and applied at institutions is to incorporate a formative assessment plan as a driver toward standards proficiency. A formative assessment plan should include:

• More than once a year test results to make decisions that support student learning, foster an understanding of students' progress, and help identify appropriate actions. (End-of-year state test results do not provide enough information in a timeframe conducive to intervention).
• Standards closely tied to curriculum to provide the detailed understanding teachers need to help students move ahead.
• Assessment training for educators that teaches them how to engage in assessment analyses.

Today, PLATO Learning offers computer-based assessment tools to help schools complement their high-stakes assessment with formative assessment, or Assessment FOR Learning. PLATO Assessment combines an array of fixed benchmark tests geared to state standards and national assessments; an item bank of over 180,000 test items; and a range of test creation, assignment, and reporting options to provide a powerful formative assessment system for districts, schools, and classroom teachers.

PLATO® Assessment Capabilities

• Generates reports at the district, school, classroom, and individual levels that:
  • Identify areas of strength and need at the school and classroom level
  • Show progress from one test to the next
  • Provide aggregate data on responses to individual assessment items
  • Summarize performance of individual students
• Provides tools to create custom tests using item bank of over 180,000 standards-aligned test items in math, reading/language arts, science, and social studies for grades 2-11
• Allows for the creation of original test items in three formats: multiple choice, true-false, and grid response
• Provides flexible test administration options: online, paper-based with online entry sheet, or paper-based tests with scanning

PLATO® Assessment Professional Development

• Introduction to the PLATO Assessment Software
• Curriculum and Assessment Integrations: interpreting reports and using assessment data to inform instruction
• Test Creation: editing/customizing PLATO tests, moving paper tests to online format, and/or building a test from scratch
• Online Support: tutorials and quick reference cards related to PLATO Assessment

See how PLATO® Formative Assessment Solutions provide real-time data that shows teachers and students where knowledge gaps exist, and how to make specific and individualized instructional decisions for students that will help you meet your AYP mandates.

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