RSA1:Using Formative Assessment in Professional Learning Communities to Advance Teaching and Learning

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RSA 1: Using Formative Assessment in Professional Learning Communities to Advance Teaching and Learning

It is clearly stated in the assigned readings as well as the journal article Using Formative Assessments in Professional Learning Communities to advance Teaching and Learning that formative assessments are crucial for the PLC process. Teachers must have the collaborative time to work together and develop assessments of learning in order to meet the needs of students. Formal assessments guide teacher practice and student learning (Stiggins & DuFour, 2009).  Formal assessments are used as blueprints to guide instruction. True formative instruction requires time for teachers to plan collaboratively in order to design pre-tests, post-tests, and differentiate instruction with clear goals and outcomes (Takacs, 2010).  Formative assessment measure exactly what a student should have mastered. Common assessments are crucial in a PLC school. Students are expected to demonstrate the same knowledge regardless of the teacher. The expectations, goals and objections are clear to both the students and the teacher. 

Formative assessments require that teachers are given the opportunity and time to work collaboratively to develop these assessments. Studies show that student achievement and test scores exceeded when common and formative assessments were used (Takacs, 2010).  “This study contributes to positive social change by furthering the research on formative assessment practice, facilitated through PLCs”. (Takacs, 2010)   In my school district the language arts department does not meet regularly to develop any kind of formal assessments. We all have the freedom to design our own assessments. There are only three common assessments that we are expected to use.   Otherwise every language arts teacher develops his or her formal assessments. Of course it is required that all teachers align the curriculum with the Illinois State Standards of Learning.