Formative assessment involves giving students valuable feedback about learning without using marks. As teachers have applied research findings, they have developed many ways to give learners specific, descriptive feedback that tells them what they’re doing well (“Continue doing this…”), what they need to improve on (“Do more of this…”) and what they need to do differently (“Try this…”) in a timely, efficient, and effective manner.

Here is a sample from a list of ten strategies that teachers have developed and are willing to share with other educators to adapt for their own use. Check out the other innovative ideas at www.annedavies.com/pdf/19D_10Ways_feedback_nomarks.pdf

“Think about dart boards and hitting the bulls-eye. Lisa McCluskey, a kindergarten teacher, used this strategy with her students. The inner circle was called “right on,” the next circle “working on it,” and the outside circle, “needs improvement.” The teacher modeled its use, the class used it as a group, and then, when students were ready, they used it to peer and self-assess.”

After demonstrating one of these strategies to give your students feedback, then you can ask them to adapt it to use when they are peer or self-assessing. For many more ways to give specific feedback without putting a mark or grade on student work, look at Chapter 2 in SETTING AND USING CRITERIA.


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“People ask for criticism, but they only want praise.”
~ W. Somerset Maugham

The **Knowing What Counts** Series includes three books: SETTING AND USING CRITERIA; Self-Assessment and Goal-Setting; and Conferencing and Reporting. Each book focuses on practical ways for teachers to involve students in their own assessment, by using criteria and setting goals in the classroom, as well as demonstrating their learning to others. For more info, go to:
http://connect2learning.com/store/knowing-what-counts-series-3-books