FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

A 4th-grade team analyzes student test scores from the beginning and the end of the school year to determine whether to continue using the current core reading curriculum. Which type of assessment is best for this purpose?

1. Diagnostic

2. Formative

3. Summative

4. Norm-referenced

The correct answer is: Summative

Using summative assessment is highly appropriate in this context because it is designed to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. In this case, the test scores from the beginning and end of the school year provide concrete evidence of student progress and effectiveness of the core reading curriculum. Summative assessments typically occur at the conclusion of a specific period, such as the end of the school year, allowing for a comprehensive overview of what students have mastered as a result of the instructional practices employed throughout the year. By analyzing these scores, the team can gather data on the overall impact of the core reading curriculum and make informed decisions about its continuation or modification based on the measured outcomes of student achievement. On the other hand, the other types of assessments serve different purposes. Diagnostic assessments aim to identify students' strengths and weaknesses before instruction begins, formative assessments provide ongoing feedback during the learning process to improve student understanding, and norm-referenced assessments compare a student's performance against a national or other predefined standard. However, none of these options are suited for evaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum over a substantial period as effectively as summative assessments.