Title: Understanding elementary teachers' experiences and utilization of formative assessments
Abstract: The role of assessment in our educational system has created as many questions as answers to how our schools utilize and value assessment models and processes. This research study sought to understand teachers experiences and uses of assessments and the connection this has to student learning and assessment practice. Since teachers make a variety of decisions throughout the school day, this aspect of the assessment process provided a firm standing to employ the theory of goal-orientated decision making in the analysis. The focus of this research was to study data conducted from elementary teachers experiences with assessments, as well as record their views, utilization of formative assessment, and the reasoning behind their choices. Highlighting teachers views and decision making opens the conversation of the assessment debate and also, becomes a window into their emphasis and focus on assessment. It was proposed that the context of their school, prior training, current professional development, and personal pedagogical philosophy might have relevance to their thinking and would be noted. This study strove to highlight unrecorded efforts by teachers who may have explored new methods and also, formulate data on the efficacy of these assessments. Their experiences and perspectives informed the study of the current assessment climate within one region and became the basis for comparing their similarities of practice.