Which assessment method can indicate a need for academic support?

Norm-referenced assessments are designed to compare a student's performance against a norm group, often reflecting a broad population. While they can provide insights about where a student stands relative to their peers, they do not directly indicate specific academic support needs. These assessments might show whether a student is performing above or below average but lack the specificity to identify targeted areas for improvement.

On the other hand, formative assessments are designed specifically to gauge student learning and provide real-time feedback to both students and educators. They can directly inform instruction and point out specific areas where students may need academic support. This ongoing process allows educators to identify learning gaps and adjust teaching strategies accordingly.

Summative assessments evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional period and are useful for determining overall achievement. However, they do not actively guide the process of identifying individual academic support needs, as they typically summarize learning outcomes rather than inform future instruction.

Criterion-referenced assessments measure student performance against defined learning standards. While they can show whether a student has met specific criteria, they do not always provide detailed information on how to support a student’s learning needs.

Formative assessment stands out among these methods as it is explicitly intended to inform and adapt teaching to better support student learning.