If formative assessment improves instruction; summative assessment proves instruction.
According to the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation, "the goal of summative assessment is to
evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark." Summative assessments are formal, high stakes tools used to evaluate student learning. They usually take place at the end of a unit or course. Some examples of summative assessments:
While summative assessments are designed to capture student progress at the end of learning, Rick Wormeli told us in the opening video that information from summative assessments can still be used formatively to guide instruction in the current or
subsequent course.