Formative assessments are increasingly used to measure student progress towards desired learning outcomes and to determine which students may need additional instructional support. Yet not every state education agency (SEA) defines formative assessment in the same way and students with disabilities may not be explicitly included in formative assessment practices. The report The Formative Assessment Practices Landscape for Students with Disabilities: An Analysis of State Definitions and Practices, 2021 provides a scan of the national landscape of formative assessment definitions. Given the different approaches and definitions that exist, it describes how states are communicating and supporting these practices with districts and schools. It also identifies SEA resources to encourage the development and use of formative assessment practices, especially those that specifically address students with disabilities.

The report lists three strategies that SEAs may want to consider when using formative assessment practices to improve instruction and learning for all students, including students with disabilities:

1. Review the SEA’s definition of formative assessment to ensure that it does not exclude any students; revise (or develop a definition) if needed.

2. Ensure that SEA resources and materials on the use of formative assessment practices explicitly include students with disabilities.

3. Provide professional development that will help educators learn how to confidently use formative assessment practices to support the learning of all students.