What is the purpose of formative assessment?

The purpose of formative assessment is to offer ongoing feedback about student progress. Formative assessments are designed to gauge students' understanding and learning throughout the instructional process, allowing educators to identify areas where students may be struggling and adjust their teaching strategies accordingly. This continuous feedback cycle helps improve student learning by providing timely information that can be used to enhance instructional practices and support individual student needs.

In contrast, the other choices reflect different assessment types or purposes that do not align with the formative assessment's primary goal. For instance, providing a final evaluation of skills typically falls under summative assessment, which measures learning outcomes at the end of an instructional period. Comparing student performance to national standards involves benchmarking or standardized assessments, which serve a different role in the educational assessment landscape. Lastly, creating standardized tests is a process focused on developing uniform assessments, rather than providing ongoing insights into student learning and progress.