Contact: Meg Grant
210.558.1902
mgrant@edvanceresearch.com
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 06, 2008

REL Southwest Publishes Research on Formative Assessment

San Antonio – The Regional Educational Laboratory – Southwest (REL Southwest), run by Edvance Research (formerly run by SEDL), has released research that provides education professionals and policymakers with an examination of formative assessment in the five state region covered by REL Southwest: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas:
Formative assessment policies, programs and practices in the Southwest Region http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?id=150

Formative assessments, unlike summative assessments, yield descriptive data – not judgments. They help educators target instruction to meet student needs and monitor student support. An example of a formative assessment is periodic, benchmark testing.

Key findings from the REL Southwest study include:

	Variability exists in how states define formative assessment, suggesting Southwest Region states view formative assessment through slightly different lenses.
	Substantial variability emerged in how much states regulate the development or use of formative assessments at state and local levels.
	Although the Southwest Region states have various assessment policies, all have some type of formal state directive that can affect formative assessment practices.

Chris Barbic, founder and Head of YES Prep Schools in Houston states, "We've found at YES Prep that well- planned and frequent formative assessments provide our teachers with the information they need to make the most effective instructional decisions on a daily and weekly basis.  Formative assessments let us know which instructional strategies work and which students to target for additional instruction for small-group and individual pull-outs. With this frequent data, student performance is stronger and our teachers know how to adjust their instruction so ALL of our students can demonstrate success in a very rigorous college prep curriculum"

The research found that policies and programs in the five states that comprise the REL Southwest region suggest a range of strategies to support the development and use of formative assessment.

REL Southwest, at Edvance Research, is one of ten educational laboratories in the Regional Educational Laboratory Network (REL Network), under the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. REL Southwest serves the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas and works for the benefit of over 7 million students and 500,000 teachers in approximately 14,500 schools in grades pre-kindergarten through college in this five-state region. The REL Network encompasses ten geographical regions that span the nation with its primary mission being to serve the educational needs of designated regions. The REL Network uses applied research, development, dissemination, and training and technical assistance to bring the latest and best research and proven practices into school improvement efforts. http://edlabs.ed.gov/RELSouthwest

Educators in the southwest region may obtain technical assistance through the REL Reference Desk by calling 1-877-EDVANCE (1-877-338-2623) or e-mailing Technical_assistance@edvanceresearch.com.

Founded in 2005, Edvance Research, Inc. is a research enterprise with a mission to be a leader in the advancement of rigorous research, specializing in the education arena. The company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. www.edvanceresearch.com