Topic outline

  • General

    Formative Assessment and Strategies in Secondary Mathematics

    ‘Assessment for learning involves:


    • gathering and interpreting evidence about students’ learning; and


    • learners and their teachers using that evidence to decide where students are in their learning, where they are going and how to take the next steps.’

  • Assessment for and as Learning with Mathematical Processes

    Goal: engaged thinkers in math.  The document below has some clear and practical ideas for assisting students in reflecting on their own understandings. Click here to download a copy of a two page pdf document provided by Math GAINS and TIPS4RM which connects Assessment for and as learning with the mathematical processes.

    • The first page provides Sample Questions and Sample Feedback divided into the processes Reasoning and Proving, Reflecting, Selecting Tools and Computational Strategies, Connecting and Representing (a nice overlap with our 7 processes)
    • The second page reminds us of the Key Features of Effective Mathematics Instructions with Sample Indicators and Questions you may ask yourself to reflect on your own teaching.
    • I found this document extremely beneficial for all math teachers reminding us of different ways to question our students for their understanding and also providing a checklist for us to reflect on our teaching practices.

    • Topic 2

      Formative Assessment Resources

      1.  Starter Sheet Formative Assessment Using the Reflection Cycle -- Edorigami

      This short pdf offers some tips for helping your students use the reflective cycle in a blog post for self reflection and formative feedback. 

      2.  Five Key Strategies for Effective Formative Assessment -- National Council of Teachers in Mathematics

      3.  50 Ideas for AFL in the Math Classroom -- www.lancsngfl.ac.uk

      4.  Starter Sheet for Formative Assessment Using Google Docs -- Edorigami

      This 2-page pdf uses diagrams and offers advice about the use of comment and review tools to provide formative feedback in Google Documents.

      • Tic-Tac-Toes

        Tic-Tac-Toes (Think-Tac Toes or Choice Boards) have been commonly used for Differentiated Instruction.  They can also be used to indicate the level that a student is at with a specific concept.  

        Click here to listen to one way you can use Tic-Tac-Toes in your classroom to assess for learning.

        Click here to download an editable WORD copy of Math 20-2 Rationalizing Denominators Tic-Tac-Toe

        Click here to download a PDF copy of Math 20-2 Rationalizing Denominators Tic-Tac-Toe

      • Entrance and Exit Slips

        Entrance/Exit slips are a very powerful formative assessment tool that you can use as a teacher to get lots of information very quickly. There are many ways to use entrance and exit slips.  I will share how I use them in the class. I like to use them to exit a lesson not a class.

        • Once a lesson is complete, I allow time to work on assigned work in class.   Enough time is provided to complete these questions based on good work ethic. The students know this and they work hard since they do not want homework. 
        • Once they are finished the assigned work, they show me and we go over any questions they may have. I then give them the exit slip.  I can easily look at the answers to the exit slips and base my groups accordingly the next day.  (Please note that students who do not hand in their exit slip will be placed in a group that requires more assistance).  

        Math 30-2 Sinusoidal Functions

        Provided below are Exit Slips for the unit in Word format.  Please feel free to adapt them to your learning environment.

        Lesson 8.1 Exit Slip

        Lesson 8.2 Exit Slip

        Lesson 8.3 Exit Slip

        Lesson 8.4 - 8.6 Exit Slip

        Websites that Provide Additional Ways of Using Entrance and Exit Slips in High School Mathematics

        Exit Slips to Activate Students as Owners of Their Learning -- John Scammell

        Exit Slips as Practice -- John Scammell


        • Questioning Techniques

          Questioning is used not only as a pedagogical tool but also as a deliberate way for the teacher to find out what students know, understand and are able to do.

        • Topic 6

          Frayer Model

          The Frayer model organizes student's knowledge graphically about a concept or mathematical term into a written description, characteristics/illustrations, examples, and non-examples. Shown is an example of how a student used the Frayer model to describe Slope.