Anonymous
10/03/2025 12:03
Subject: vent about summative/formative
The true issue is that there are limited questions on the assessments. Let’s say there are only 4 questions. Your options are to get a 100, 75, or 50 and below. If we are trying to mastery for a particular skill or standard then there should not be just one question on the skill or standard on the assessment. That is not a true reflection of mastery. Yet, we can not add tot he test so we can’t give more questions other than the district made test. It is a lose lose situation. Take every opportunity for retake is what I tell my families.
- a teacher
- a teacher
Anonymous
10/03/2025 11:50
Subject: vent about summative/formative
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This formative / summative crapola was foisted on teachers years ago. People in charge of instruction at Gatehouse and Willow Sprimgs who read some trendy education books decided this was the way to go! Teachers had absolutely no say in the matter. Parents were rightly befuddled and still are! Then we had to endure the no homework fad, and unlimited retakes so all grades can meet parental expectations. Grave disservice to students. Many of us were relieved to step away or retire.
Teachers can set the weighting of Summatives and Formatives in the overall class grading.
No, they can't. For HS, its an all-FCPS policy.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 11:49
Subject: vent about summative/formative
I get the feeling because it seems like the options are 100% or 75% with no partial credit to get points in-between.
And then to get the 90% on the retake, would have to get 100% on the retakes....so my kid doesn't think it's worth the effort...
And then to get the 90% on the retake, would have to get 100% on the retakes....so my kid doesn't think it's worth the effort...
Anonymous
10/03/2025 11:34
Subject: Re:vent about summative/formative
https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html
Looks to me like the "formative" is the effort and the "summative" is the achievement.
Do you want a doctor who does well on the formative but not the summative?
Looks to me like the "formative" is the effort and the "summative" is the achievement.
Do you want a doctor who does well on the formative but not the summative?
Anonymous
10/03/2025 11:32
Subject: vent about summative/formative
Anonymous wrote:This formative / summative crapola was foisted on teachers years ago. People in charge of instruction at Gatehouse and Willow Sprimgs who read some trendy education books decided this was the way to go! Teachers had absolutely no say in the matter. Parents were rightly befuddled and still are! Then we had to endure the no homework fad, and unlimited retakes so all grades can meet parental expectations. Grave disservice to students. Many of us were relieved to step away or retire.
Teachers can set the weighting of Summatives and Formatives in the overall class grading.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 11:31
Subject: vent about summative/formative
Anonymous wrote:Here is what really bugs me (and my kid) about summative and formative grading... in one of his classes he got a 75 on the first (and only summative) test and has gotten 100 on all the formative stuff. He has an 82.5 overall. If he gets anything less than 100 on any formative assignments, it will bring his grade down (granted not by much, but still...). The good news is any grade higher than a 75 on a summative will bring the grade up, but there aren't many summatives.
It just seems like there should be more day to day opportunities to bring the grade up, rather than the day to day (aka formative) stuff only having the possibility to bring it down at this point.
No question, just a vent.
You can retake that Summative up to an 80 at the ES and MS level almost always, so do that.
There will be more Summatives as the semester progresses.
If you look in ParentVue and the Syllabus it'll show you how the grading is weighted.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 11:29
Subject: Re:vent about summative/formative
If he's doing really well on formatives and his summatives don't reflect that level of mastery of the material, I'd say you really have a different problem than not enough assignments to pad the grade. I'd be wondering why my child can't perform as expected on the summatives.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 11:01
Subject: vent about summative/formative
For many years I had some regrets about not becoming a teacher. The last few years though, I’ve realized I dodged a bullet.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 10:56
Subject: vent about summative/formative
This formative / summative crapola was foisted on teachers years ago. People in charge of instruction at Gatehouse and Willow Sprimgs who read some trendy education books decided this was the way to go! Teachers had absolutely no say in the matter. Parents were rightly befuddled and still are! Then we had to endure the no homework fad, and unlimited retakes so all grades can meet parental expectations. Grave disservice to students. Many of us were relieved to step away or retire.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 10:45
Subject: vent about summative/formative
Anonymous wrote:So you want grade inflation? Because that is essentially what you are asking for—assignments to pad the grade. Look, I am not opposed to it. I do it in my college freshman courses, but at least I am honest about what it is.
Yes, if my kid is competing for college spots against schools that have easier ways to get an ‘A’ like doing well on homework. (Not OP). My child has ADHD and even if he knows the material, exams are a struggle.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 10:45
Subject: vent about summative/formative
I agree, OP. Also the tests are so short! 5 questions multiple choice math test, no partial credit, no showing your work.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 10:41
Subject: vent about summative/formative
So you want grade inflation? Because that is essentially what you are asking for—assignments to pad the grade. Look, I am not opposed to it. I do it in my college freshman courses, but at least I am honest about what it is.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 10:40
Subject: vent about summative/formative
Everyone laughs at us in the workplace with MBAs getting us to do agile and 360 reviews. Someone got suckered in the school world (and probably made some bank) with these stupid concepts and terms.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 10:39
Subject: vent about summative/formative
Same OP. Just the two terms give me the rage.
Anonymous
10/03/2025 10:32
Subject: vent about summative/formative
Here is what really bugs me (and my kid) about summative and formative grading... in one of his classes he got a 75 on the first (and only summative) test and has gotten 100 on all the formative stuff. He has an 82.5 overall. If he gets anything less than 100 on any formative assignments, it will bring his grade down (granted not by much, but still...). The good news is any grade higher than a 75 on a summative will bring the grade up, but there aren't many summatives.
It just seems like there should be more day to day opportunities to bring the grade up, rather than the day to day (aka formative) stuff only having the possibility to bring it down at this point.
No question, just a vent.
It just seems like there should be more day to day opportunities to bring the grade up, rather than the day to day (aka formative) stuff only having the possibility to bring it down at this point.
No question, just a vent.