Amazon.com description: Product Description: Formative assessments describe an approach to teaching and learning that measures a learner's progress during the period of time when a student is working toward mastery. Anytime teachers collect evidence of what a learner knows or can do, they are engaging in an assessment. What makes an assessment formative is how and when it is used. Formative assessments are used to make decisions about what should be taught next, and how it should be taught. In addition, formative assessment should be a partnership between learner and teacher, with the active involvement of both.