What type of assessment provides ongoing feedback to improve teaching and learning?

Formative assessment is designed to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to enhance their learning. This type of assessment occurs during the instructional process rather than at the end, enabling educators to gauge student understanding, skills, and needs in real-time. By using formative assessments—such as quizzes, observations, discussions, and peer assessments—teachers can adjust their instructional strategies based on the data they gather. This feedback loop is crucial, especially for young learners, as it supports not only academic achievement but also helps identify areas where additional support or enrichment may be needed.

Other types of assessments serve different purposes. Summative assessments evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional period, typically through tests or projects, and do not provide feedback during the learning process. Diagnostic assessments are used to identify students' strengths and weaknesses before instruction begins, which helps in planning, but they are not ongoing. Standardized assessments measure student performance relative to a fixed set of criteria or benchmarks, often across different populations, and while they can provide some insights, they don't offer the continuous feedback essential for improving teaching and learning on a day-to-day basis.