Common Formative Assessment (CFA)

What is the purpose of common formative assessments (CFA’s)?

• To inform instruction so teachers can modify activities based on results.

• To give more detailed information for grading purposes.

• To help parents better understand academic expectations.

• To hold teachers accountable for critical learning targets.

How many learning targets should an effective CFA have?

• At least 6-8 for efficiency.

• It depends on the complexity of the unit.

• Approximately 2-4

• No less than 10.

Who should design CFA’s?

• The leadership team of the school, which includes classroom teachers.

• The most experienced teacher in each grade level.

• The team of teachers who will be teaching the material.

• A collaborative team of teachers trained to write questions effectively for all grades. 

How do questions on CFA’s differ from questions on summative assessments such as benchmark exams?

• There are fewer of them.

• They do not include constructed response questions.

• They have simpler wording so all students have a chance to succeed..

• They are specifically designed to provide evidence students have met learning targets.

How many questions should a CFA have?

• Five or less to keep it short and manageable.

• Approximately 8 - 12. Enough for 3 - 4 questions per learning target.

• As many as you need to thoroughly test student knowledge.

• It depends on students and their ability to persevere.