Research on Classroom Summative Assessment

A ssessment is unquestionably one of the teacher’s most complex and important tasks. What teachers assess and how and why they assess it sends a clear message to students about what is worth learning, how it should be learned, and how well they are expected to learn it. As a result of increased influences from external high stakes tests, teachers are increasingly working to align their CAs with a continuum of benchmarks and standards, and students are studying for and taking more CAs. Clearly, highstakes external tests shape much of what is happening in classrooms (Clarke, Madaus, Horn, & Ramos, 2000). Teachers design assessments for a variety of purposes and deliver them with mixed results. Some bring students a sense of success and fairness, while others strengthen student perceptions of failure and injustice. Regardless of their intended purpose, CAs directly or indirectly influence students’ future learning, achievement, and motivation to learn. The primary purpose of this chapter is to review the literature on teachers’ summative assessment practices to note their influence on teachers and teaching and on students and learning. It begins with an overview of effective summative assessment practices, paying particular attention to the skills and competencies that teachers need to create their own assessments, interpret the results of outside assessments, and accurately judge student achievement. Then, two recent reviews of summative assessment practices are overviewed. Next, the chapter reviews current studies of summative CAs illustrating common research themes and synthesizing prevailing recommendations. The chapter concludes by drawing conclusions about what we currently know regarding effective CA practices and highlighting areas in need of further research.