When I talk with teachers about math CFAs (common formative assessments), two questions always come up:
- How do I know if an assessment is really worth my time?
- Will I actually be able to quickly use the data?
Why would they need 5 different math assessments at the end of the school year??
Well, each assessment measured something slightly different. And all of them, of course, were district and/or state-mandated.
Now to be clear-I’m not saying there isn’t any value in those assessments. But here’s what I’ve noticed over the years: if you give an assessment and never do anything with the data, it’s a waste of time.
Let's dive into what actually makes a CFA valuable.
1. It is aligned to a specific standard-the major work of the grade.
You don’t want to start with any random standard. You want to make sure that you are focusing on standards that are going to give you the biggest bang for your buck. That means that if I’m teaching 4th grade, I’m teaching and intervening on equivalent fractions, rather than spending time making sure my students know how to use protractors.
If you’re not sure what the major work of your grade level is, I highly recommend checking out the Coherence Map at Achieve the Core. It’s a great tool that will give you valuable insight into your essential standards.
CFAs should be aligned with one to two priority standards. The more standards you try to assess, the muddier your data can become.
2. It provides more than just a right or wrong answer.
One reason people love math is because there appears to always be one right answer. However, when we are actually diving into student work, we care less about the answer and more about the students’ processes when solving the problems. We are focusing on assessing thinking, not computation.
One way I love to do this is by using a rubric. Rubrics allow us to see how close students are to mastery. They also help determine gaps in a student’s learning. Check out these rubrics for 4th grade math CFAs.
Notice how there are different areas? That means if a student understands the basic procedure of the addition algorithm, but still needs help with their facts, they still get points for what they understand!
Using rubrics really helps guide your intervention blocks.
3. It actually gives you action steps, instead of just being another thing to grade.
Just because you can grade something doesn’t mean you should. Spending time grading something that you'll never use is a waste of your time-and your time is precious. If you're not sure if something is a good CFA candidate, check out the list below.
Good CFAs should:
- Be put together or agreed upon by your team (hence the “C” for “common” in CFA)
- Take 10-15 minutes
- Have 3-6 targeted problems
- Be easy to analyze
- Provide insights into further interventions
Want an example of a CFA you could give with your team tomorrow? Check out this one!
(And yes, I know I’m not on your school team. But I’ve always found it easier to start from something instead of having to start from scratch.)
4. We Have Data. Now What?
Let’s be real. CFAs are only worth your time if you use the data. After looking at the data, you can then use it to determine how to adjust instruction and provide intervention. It can really guide your PLC conversations, too.
This honestly deserves its own post (and it will get it too!). Make sure to check back to see how to do a data dive with your team that will yield powerful results for your students.
Want to Try a Done-For-You Math CFA?
Want to see what a great CFA looks like in action? Grab this free Addition & Subtraction CFA toolkit with all 4 forms and data trackers. It’s the perfect starting point for you and your team to begin assessing one of the first major standards of the year. And the best thing? It’s ready for you to use tomorrow.
Math CFAs don’t need to be complicated, but they need to be intentional. And if you're looking for a done-for-your-team PLC/CFA toolkit and you teach 4th grade, I've got you covered. Click here to see more!
You've got this!
Happy Teaching!
Jamie