Iowa Department of Education

Formative assessment is an integral part of the following statewide initiatives:

Adolescent Literacy

Adolescent Literacy Research and Development Team (ALRDT) engages in group-investigation inquiry into adolescent literacy and the development of professional development materials. The first series of materials being developed are: an Introduction to Adolescent Literacy which includes Inquiry, Access to Print, Reading Volume, and Content Area Read Alouds. The next series of materials to be developed will be Explicit Instruction in the areas of Vocabulary and Comprehension.  The third series to be developed will be in the area of writing. The work of this team is supported by additional professional development in the area of formative assessment, Concept Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI), Question-Answer Relationships (QAR), Every Child Reads (ECR), Second Chance Reading (SCR), and Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW). 

Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW)

Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI)

Concept Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI)

Enhanced Assessment Grant (EAG) – Formative Assessment

The EAG – Formative Assessment is a high school pilot project in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and high schools in nine other states. Its focus is on formative assessment as part of a balanced assessment system with emphasis on enhancing student motivation to learn. Participants gain insight into better using formative assessment data to guide instructional decisions as well as developing valid and reliable formative and summative classroom assessments.

Every Child Reads (ECR)

ECR is a K-12 program designed to provide research-based content and the facilitation needed for improving instruction in order to accelerate the achievement of all students. The initiative provides teachers with professional development in the five components of reading, reading strategies, using data to drive instructional decisions, and the use of classroom-based assessments for frequent, ongoing monitoring of student progress.

Every Learner Inquires (ELI)

The mission of the ELI project is to assist Iowa’s AEAs, schools, and districts in building the capacity to implement an effective K-12 science education program using inquiry-based instructional strategies as outlined in the National Science Education Standards. Integrated into the learning model is emphasis on construction of student knowledge, disciplined inquiry – use of prior knowledge, in-depth understanding, and elaborated communication of knowledge, – and meaning beyond the success in school. One goal of the ELI project is to assist leadership teams in better assessing students’ science learning using formative and summative assessments.

Every Student Counts (ESC)

The ESC initiative states clearly that teaching for understanding emphasizes problem-based instructional tasks and meaningful distributed practice with emphasis on the three criteria critical to significant intellectual accomplishment – construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and the value of achievement beyond school. ESC provides professional development to mathematics educators in formative assessment strategies and how to base instructional decisions on student understanding.

Instructional Decision Making (IDM)

The IDM process begins with all students having access to a guaranteed and viable curriculum provided by the school through the core instructional program. Formative, summative, and diagnostic assessment data are gathered on a regular basis and each student’s response to instruction is evaluated. Students who exceed or are not meeting the standards of the core instructional program are provided supplemental and/or intensive instruction. Performance is monitored and student’s flow from one cycle of instruction to another as indicated by the data. In this system, all students receive instruction to address their unique learning needs.

Our Kids

Our Kids is a professional development program for teachers of English language learners. The program provides teachers with the opportunity to learn strategies, including formative assessments, to effectively help students learn both English and content in the classroom. 

Question Answer Relationships (QAR)

The QAR Teacher Development Academy is targeted for middle school and high school teams to engage in a research-based instructional strategy that provides a framework for making explicit the invisible processes underlying reading comprehension in order to improve reading achievement for all students. It includes making the learning targets visible for students and using student work to diagnose student strengths and weaknesses in order to inform instructional decisions. Emphasis is placed on construction of student knowledge and the involvement of disciplined inquiry.

Second Chance Reading (SCR)

SCR is a program that provides a specific course for struggling readers at the middle and high school levels. SCR provides students with strategies for reading and a process to monitor their own achievement toward specific learning goals.