Formative Assessment Strategies for Enhanced Learning in Science (Grades K-8)

Ideal for preservice and inservice teachers, this user-friendly resource defines formative assessment and provides strategies for embedding formative assessment into the Kâ 8 science curriculum. Based on the IDEA approachâ Introduce, Discuss, Elaborate, and Applyâ this research-based book guides readers through discussions, "thought and reflection" activities, analyses of assessment techniques, and applications to classroom practice.

Formative Assessment Strategies for Enhanced Learning in Science, K-8 demonstrates how teachers can use various models of formative assessments to instruct, monitor student progress, and evaluate learning, helping to broaden teachers' understanding of assessment and how assessment tools can be used to guide successful standards-based teaching and learning in science.

To support teachers' application of formative assessments in the classroom, the author covers:

• A framework for planning and implementing high quality instruction and formative assessments
• Planning guides with examples and suggestions for differentiating instruction
• Rubrics as a means of discovering student strengths and weaknesses
• Additional specific tools for collecting student data to inform instructional decisions

Elizabeth Hammerman is a dedicated science educator and consultant. Her professional background includes teaching science at the middle school and high school levels and over 20 years of experience teaching university science education courses and co-directing funded grant projects. She has done extensive professional development with teachers in the field, specializing in curriculum development and implementation, performance assessment, and effective teaching and learning. The need for high-quality professional development programs and materials in science education became apparent throughout the many projects and professional relationships with teachers who were eager to increase their knowledge base, skills, and confidence for teaching science more effectively.

Hammerman has co-authored a book on performance assessment in science and authored a database of science assessment tasks. She has published articles, presented programs at national conferences, consulted nationally, and developed curriculum and assessments for cutting-edge school districts and commercial products.

Since relocating to North Carolina in 1999, Hammerman has been a math/science consultant for a consortium of seven county school systems, has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in teacher education and science education, served as director of education and professional development for Virtual Learning Systems, and worked as a consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. She is actively involved in professional development and continues to work on a series of professional development books for science education for Corwin Press.