In the landscape of education, particularly special education, assessments are more than just tools for measuring student learning. They are critical checkpoints that shape instruction, individualized support, and even a studentâs long-term confidence, self-growth, and career path. For students with disabilities, including those with learning disability, emotional, behavioral issues, or developmental challenges, assessments can either serve as a bridge to success or become barriers that reinforce feelings of failure, depression, or social isolation.
To provide these students with the best possible learning experiences, educators must understand the difference between formative and summative assessments, and more importantly, how to use each one effectively to support not just academic success, but also emotional well-being and personal development.
Understanding Formative and Summative Assessment
Formative Assessment: Learning During the Journey
The continuous practice of formative evaluation is intended to give immediate feedback. Its main goal is to guide instruction and assist both the instructor and the learner in identifying their areas of strength and need for assistance. This type of assessment is informal and low-stakes, often embedded in everyday classroom activities. Examples include:
- Teacher observations and anecdotal notes
- Daily check-ins and behavior tracking
- Interactive notebooks or journals
- One-on-one conferences
- Adaptive learning tools and software
- Self-assessment and reflection exercises
Key Characteristics of Formative Assessments:
- Happens during instruction
- Focuses on growth and understanding
- Provides immediate feedback
- Encourages student participation and voice
- Supports individualized learning
Summative Assessment: Evaluating the Outcome
Summative assessment occurs at the end of a learning period, such as a unit, semester, or academic year, to evaluate whether students have met specific learning goals. These tests are more official and usually have more weight in academic records and grades. Examples include:
- Standardized tests (e.g., state assessments)
- Final exams or projects
- Portfolios reviewed at the end of a term
- Performance tasks with scoring rubrics
- End-of-year Individualized Education Program (IEP) evaluations
Key Characteristics of Summative Assessments:
- Happens after instruction
- Focuses on mastery and outcomes
- Often used for grading and accountability
- May determine access to programs or accommodations
Why the Distinction Matters for Special Education
1. Supporting Confidence and Self-Growth
Academic difficulties frequently cause students with disabilities to lose confidence in themselves. Repeated failure on high-stakes summative tests may reinforce internalized beliefs of inadequacy.
Formative assessments, on the other hand, assist students in making incremental progress. When a student sees they improved from yesterdayâs math activity, or receives positive feedback on a writing draft, it builds a sense of capability. Over time, this scaffolding of feedback and encouragement contributes to self-growth, a critical part of emotional development.
2. Combating Depression and Low Motivation
Students in special education are at higher risk for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and chronic low motivation, especially if they feel âbehindâ or âdifferentâ from their peers. These emotional barriers are sometimes overlooked in traditional assessments.
Formative assessments allow educators to adjust not only academic instruction but emotional support strategies. A student showing signs of disengagement may benefit more from check-ins and small wins than from being subjected to repeated tests that highlight their limitations. When teachers identify these patterns early, interventions can be implemented that reduce emotional distress and reignite motivation.
3. Addressing Social Isolation and Building Peer Connections
Many students with disabilities struggle with peer relationships due to communication difficulties, social anxiety, or behavior challenges. Formative assessments that include collaborative learning, peer feedback, and group reflection activities promote inclusion and build social-emotional skills.
Unlike summative assessments, which are often solitary and competitive, formative practices are collaborative and inclusive, helping students feel more connected, thus reducing social isolation.
4. Tracking True Development and Growth Over Time
For students with special education needs, development is often nonlinear. A student may show no visible academic gains on a summative test, yet make substantial progress in executive function, communication, or self-regulation, all crucial skills for learning.
Formative assessments are uniquely positioned to track and celebrate these subtle but important milestones. For example:
- A student who previously avoided group work begins participating in partner activities
- A child with ADHD who struggled with impulse control shows improvement in self-monitoring
- A student begins using learned coping strategies to handle test anxiety
These changes are significant indicators of development and growth, but they wonât show up on standardized test scores.
5. Enhancing Long-Term Academic and Career Outcomes
Many IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) include transition planning, preparing students for life after school, including career and academic pathways. If assessments focus solely on test results, students with unique strengths may be misdirected into paths that donât reflect their true potential.
A balanced assessment system can uncover vocational strengths, soft skills, and learning preferences, helping students make informed decisions about their future. For example:
- A student who struggles in reading but excels in hands-on tasks may thrive in a technical career.
- A student with dysgraphia might succeed in a career where oral communication or visual learning is more important than writing.
Recognizing these strengths through diverse assessment tools can help avoid career issues caused by misaligned expectations.
Best Practices: Integrating Formative and Summative Assessments
To truly support special education students, educators should use both types of assessments in tandem, ensuring that neither overshadows the other.
Combine Data Sources
Use formative data (observations, student self-reports) to interpret summative results more accurately.
Modify and Accommodate
Ensure summative assessments include reasonable accommodations (extra time, breaks, alternative formats) to level the playing field.
Individualize Assessments
Tailor formative evaluations to a student’s communication requirements, learning profile, and IEP objectives.
Provide Actionable Feedback
Avoid just marking correct/incorrect. Offer feedback that helps the student understand how to improve and where theyâre growing.
Include Social-Emotional Learning
Incorporate SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) goals into formative assessment rubrics to assess emotional and interpersonal development alongside academics.
Conclusion: Assessment as Empowerment
In special education, assessment must be more than just a measurement tool; it must be a pathway to empowerment. When used wisely, formative assessments build self-confidence, promote self-worth and growth, and reduce the emotional toll of academic struggles. Summative assessments, when fair and inclusive, help track progress toward long-term goals and future career success.
By viewing assessments not as endpoints, but as mirrors of learning, growth, and identity, we can help students with disabilities find their strengths, overcome their barriers, and flourish, both in and out of the classroom.
For many children in special education, assessments can trigger stress, anxiety, or self-doubt. This is where counseling and specialized child therapies play a key role in making the process supportive rather than overwhelming. At the Psychowellness Center, located in Dwarka Sector-17 (011-47039812 / 7827208707) and Janakpuri (011-47039812 / 7827208707), top psychologists, child psychologists, and therapists provide interventions tailored to childrenâs unique needs. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is particularly effective for children on the autism spectrum, helping them build skills step by step while reinforcing positive behaviors. Play therapy offers younger children a safe space to express emotions and process assessment-related stress through creative and symbolic play. Behavioral therapy supports students struggling with attention, motivation, or disruptive behaviors, giving them strategies to regulate emotions and succeed in structured settings. Alongside these approaches, counselors collaborate with teachers and parents to ensure assessment feedback is used to encourage progress, not reinforce feelings of inadequacy. For families seeking convenience, online platforms like TalktoAngel provide access to professional child therapists. With the right blend of counseling and therapeutic support, assessments become tools that nurture confidence, resilience, and long-term growth.
Contributors: Dr. R.K. Suri, Clinical Psychologist, and Ms. Drishti Rajore, Counselling Psychologist
This blog was posted on 9 September 2025
References
Brookhart, S. M. (2011). Educational assessment knowledge and skills for teachers. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 30(1), 3â12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3992.2010.00195.x
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2009). Developing the theory of formative assessment. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 5â31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-008-9068-5
Thurlow, M. L., Lazarus, S. S., & Christensen, L. L. (2013). Formative assessment and students with disabilities: Issues and challenges. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 28(3), 111â120. https://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12011