Summative Assessment
Definition
Summative assessments are used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period—typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program, or school year (The Glossary of Education Reform, 2013). These exams have a high grading value and can determine a student’s progress into the next grade, choice of high school, or college opportunities.
Purpose
The purpose of summative assessments is to evaluate and compare a student’s work to a set standard for that stage of education such as Cambridge and Common Core Standards. The results of summative assessments are compiled and added to a student’s permanent record and may be reviewed when applying for college or employment.
Example
An example of a summative assessment is the end-of-semester exam that students take for a particular subject. The exam is designed based on the set of standards followed by the school. This can be a written exam where students answer open-ended questions, a multiple-choice exam, or a project-based assessment where a student creates a piece of work over a set duration of time. The student’s grade is recorded by the school, added to the student’s permanent record, and sent home on the report card.
