Classroom assessments are employed by teachers to monitor and manage various aspects of the instructional process (User Path 1). Two broad types of decisions are made using assessments at the classroom level: formative and summative. Formative classroom decisions help teachers answer questions such as: “How could instruction be improved? What is the best place to begin instruction for these students? How different are the needs of these students? Do the methods of instruction need revision?”. Summative classroom decisions generally address the questions: “How well did the students learn the material taught? Was the instruction effective?” The outcome-driven model, as presented in this book and module, represents an idealized sequence of formative and summative decision-making in the classroom using assessments.

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