The Impact of Formative and Summative Assessment Upon Test Performance of Special Education Majors

Recent reports regarding the status of public school education have questioned the quality and quantity of the experiences afforded to graduates of teacher preparation programs. These reports highlight the importance of evaluation to ensure that students enrolled in teacher preparation programs are making appropriate progress in areas relevant to the profession. The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of three forms of evaluation on the mastery of course content by special education majors. Evaluation formats included short-term formative evaluation, long-term formative evaluation, and summative evaluation. Results indicated higher levels of mastery were achieved by students during formative evaluation conditions. In addition, students viewed formative evaluation formats more favorably. Implications of these findings for course instructors are discussed.