Which of the following best defines "formative assessment"?

Formative assessment is best defined as an ongoing evaluation of student progress. This type of assessment is designed to monitor student learning and provide continuous feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and help students enhance their learning. The focus is on identifying areas where students may need additional support and adjusting instruction accordingly, making it a dynamic process that occurs throughout the learning experience rather than at a single point in time.

In contrast, a final exam is a summative assessment typically administered at the end of a learning period, which evaluates student learning against specific criteria. Standardized tests also function as summative assessments and are usually conducted at defined intervals, such as once a year, to assess learning outcomes and compare performance across different groups. An informal survey conducted at the beginning of the school year may gather information about students’ backgrounds and needs, but it does not provide the ongoing feedback characteristic of formative assessments.