DailySpark: Using Assessment Formatively
Assessment is one of the most powerful tools teachers have, but only when it is used with clarity and intention. This DailySpark covers how to effectively utilize assessment to increase student learning.
5 Hours | 30 Lessons | Video Instruction
What you will learn
Educators will be successful when they can:
- Clearly explain why assessment matters and describe the different purposes it serves in supporting learning.
- Collect evidence that reveals student thinking rather than relying only on correctness or completion.
- Design assessment routines that involve students in reflecting on their work, understanding success criteria, and identifying next steps.
- Articulate and apply a clear assessment mindset that keeps evidence, learning goals, and instructional decisions tightly connected.
- Distinguish between assessment for learning and formative assessment based on how evidence is used to make instructional decisions.
- Use short-, medium-, and long-cycle assessments intentionally to guide next steps in instruction and planning.
- Communicate student progress clearly using formative evidence rather than relying solely on scores or grades.
Overview
Course format
DailySpark is a professional learning series that delivers short daily videos with simple action items, helping K-12 educational professionals grow through small, consistent steps that build sustainable habits over time. Released intentionally one weekday at a time, email notifications will be sent Monday through Friday. This approach allows you to apply one strategy at a time, reflect on it, and gradually integrate it into your practice without adding workload, making professional growth part of your everyday rhythm.
- Introduction
- Day 1: Why Assess at All?
- Day 2: Two Classrooms, Two Very Different Outcomes
- Day 3: Rethinking Aptitude
- Day 4: Teaching as a Contingent Process
- Day 5: Assessment for Learning vs. Formative Assessment
- Day 6: Three Cycles of Assessment
- Day 7: What Makes Evidence Better?
- Day 8: Asking Better Questions
- Day 9: Universal Response Techniques
- Day 10: The Power of Wait Time
- Day 11: Using Exit Tickets Well
- Day 12: Retrieval Practice Done Well
- Day 13: Building Your Short-Cycle Assessment Inventory
- Day 14: Understanding Medium-Cycle Assessments
- Day 15: Short Written Responses That Track Progress
- Day 16: Using Practice Tests Purposefully
- Day 17: Using Teach-Back to Reveal Understanding
- Day 18: Designing a 2–6 Week Assessment Cycle
- Day 19: Linking Your Medium- and Short-Cycle Assessments
- Day 20: Understanding Long-Cycle Assessments
- Day 21: Decision-Driven Data in Long-Cycle Formative Assessment
- Day 22: Using Long-Cycle Evidence to Spot Curriculum Misalignments
- Day 23: Returning to Your Assessment Inventory
- Day 24: Introducing Self- and Peer-Assessment
- Day 25: Teaching Students to Self- and Peer-Assess
- Day 26: Single-Point Rubrics as Road Maps
- Day 27: Communicating Progress with Formative Evidence
- Day 28: Using Formative Assessment to Build Collective Teacher Efficacy
- Day 29: Pulling Your Assessment System Together
- Day 30: The Assessment Mindset
- Conclusion
Who this course is for
This course is designed for K-12 educational professionals at all levels—from classroom teachers to district administrators—who are committed to advancing instructional quality, whether you're directly teaching students, supporting teachers, or leading educational initiatives.
Meet the thought leaders
$15
This course also includes:
- 90-Day Course Access
- 30 Instructional Lessons
- Practical Classroom Application
- Course Learning Log
- Certificate of Completion
- Available in US and Canada only
Not ready to register?
DailySpark Demo: Courage to Learn is a 5-day FREE demo to give professionals the opportunity to try our DailySpark at no cost.