Formative Assessment and Elementary School Student Academic Achievement: A Review of the Evidence
We checked this card's citation and the finding we state against the source's own page or record in October 2026.
What it found
In elementary school, formative assessment had a positive effect on achievement on average. Effects were larger in math than in reading and writing, and larger when a teacher or a computer program directed the assessment than when students directed it themselves. In reading, teacher-directed forms worked better than student-directed ones.
What kind of study it is
- Design
- Systematic review
- Weight
- A synthesis: it pools or weighs many studies, so it carries the most weight on the evidence meter.
- Sample
- 76 relevant studies rated to What Works Clearinghouse standards; 23 rigorous enough, 19 with usable effect sizes
- Who
- School-age children (K–12)
Read it
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Cited in the Library
Cite this study
Klute, M., Apthorp, H., Harlacher, J., & Reale, M. (2017). Formative assessment and elementary school student academic achievement: A review of the evidence (REL 2017-259). Regional Educational Laboratory Central, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED572929
Checked against the source in October 2026. All studies · How we rate the evidence · Something wrong? Tell us.