Implementing Formative and Performance-Based Assessment in Instructional Practice

Strengthen assessment practices with strategies for designing fair, aligned formative and performance-based tasks.

This workshop guides teachers in strengthening their assessment practices by integrating both formative and performance-based assessments into daily instruction. Participants first reflect on their current assessment approaches while considering the importance of validity and reliability. They then explore different types of formative and performance-based assessments and learn how to align them with a backwards design approach to lesson planning. The session concludes with practical strategies for designing effective rubrics that ensure consistency and fairness when scoring performance tasks.

Core Needs Addressed

  • Overreliance on summative assessments that do not fully inform daily instruction.

  • Inconsistent or unreliable assessment practices that limit fairness and accuracy in measuring student learning.

  • Lack of alignment between instructional goals, lesson design, and assessment methods.

Key Learnings

  1. Balancing Assessment Practices
    Participants will learn how to integrate formative and performance-based assessments into classroom practice, ensuring they complement one another and provide a more complete picture of student learning.

  2. Connecting Assessments to Backwards Design
    Educators will strengthen their ability to align assessments with instructional goals and lesson planning through a backwards design framework, ensuring that assessments drive purposeful instruction.

  3. Designing Effective Rubrics
    Participants will gain hands-on experience creating rubrics that are valid, reliable, and fair, providing clear criteria for success while fostering consistent feedback and student growth.

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Implementing Formative and Performance-Based Assessment in Instructional Practice

Strengthen assessment practices with strategies for designing fair, aligned formative and performance-based tasks.

Led by our team of Instructional Strategists

Learning Path

Last Updated

Apr 15, 2026 2:48 PM

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Designed for School Leaders asking...

How can we strengthen formative and performance-based assessment practices to generate valid, reliable evidence of student mastery?

What systems will ensure backward-designed lessons and aligned rubrics lead to measurable gains in student achievement?

How do we build teacher capacity to use balanced assessment practices that improve instructional decision-making and promote equitable grading?

This workshop helped me better understand the challenges families face and gave me practical strategies to strengthen communication and engagement. I now feel more confident in building supportive partnerships with families to improve student success.

Jen Soloman

School Name

Delivering Powerful Learning Experiences

As a result of this work

As a result of this work, educators will strengthen their assessment practices by effectively integrating formative and performance-based assessments into daily instruction, ensuring more accurate measurement of student learning and skill development. Teachers will leave with practical strategies, backwards design planning approaches, and rubric development tools that support valid, reliable, and consistent evaluation of student performance.

Workshop Description

This workshop guides teachers in strengthening their assessment practices by integrating both formative and performance-based assessments into daily instruction. Participants first reflect on their current assessment approaches while considering the importance of validity and reliability. They then explore different types of formative and performance-based assessments and learn how to align them with a backwards design approach to lesson planning. The session concludes with practical strategies for designing effective rubrics that ensure consistency and fairness when scoring performance tasks.

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Designed for Today's Schools

Customized
Expert-led
In-person, virtual, or asynchronous
Standards Aligned
Research-Based
Nationwide

Educators will confidently

Educators will confidently design and implement formative and performance-based assessments aligned to learning goals, using backwards design and well-constructed rubrics to ensure validity and reliability. This work supports district priorities by strengthening assessment practices, improving instructional decision-making, and accelerating student growth through consistent and meaningful evaluation of learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes your workshops different from traditional professional development or other providers?

Our approach goes beyond one-size-fits-all professional development. We hold ourselves to rigorous standards of quality and delivery in every client interaction, ensuring that each experience is meaningful, relevant, and impactful. We don’t just deliver workshops—we build long-term partnerships with schools and districts, working alongside educators to improve instructional practices and student outcomes over time.

We actively listen to educators’ unique contexts and experiences, using that insight to collaboratively design tailored solutions rather than pre-packaged sessions. Our team asks thoughtful questions, challenges assumptions, and continuously learns so we can help redefine what’s possible in teaching and learning.

Above all, we communicate authentically, foster positive and productive relationships, and bring a deep passion and commitment to education. The result is professional learning that feels purposeful, personalized, and truly transformative.

Who are your workshops designed for?

Our workshops are designed for educators and school leaders, including teachers, instructional coaches, school administrators, and district teams. Each session is tailored to the specific audience to ensure content is relevant, practical, and immediately applicable.

What does a typical workshop look like?

Our workshops are interactive, engaging, and grounded in real classroom practice. Each experience is intentionally designed using the principles of andragogy, sound instructional design, and the core constructs of effective professional development to ensure relevance, coherence, and impact. Participants engage in discussion, reflection, planning, and application activities — not just passive listening. Educators leave with concrete strategies and next steps they can implement right away.

How long are your workshops?

We offer flexible formats, including half-day, full-day, and multi-session series. We can also design ongoing professional learning experiences to support sustained implementation over time.

What delivery methods are available for your workshops?

We offer flexible delivery options to meet the needs of schools and districts, including in-person sessions, live virtual workshops, and asynchronous learning through our applied learning platform. Regardless of format, all experiences are designed to be interactive, engaging, and collaborative, with structures that promote meaningful participation and application of learning.

What kind of follow-up support is available?

We believe professional learning is most effective when it’s sustained. In addition to workshops, we offer instructional coaching, implementation planning, and follow-up sessions to help teams translate learning into practice and drive meaningful results.

Who facilitates the workshops?

Inspired Instruction’s workshops are facilitated by a nationwide team of expert Instructional Strategists.  Our facilitators bring diverse experience as classroom educators, instructional coaches, principals, directors, and superintendents, spanning all content areas. We thoughtfully match your specific needs with a facilitator whose expertise aligns to ensure the learning experience is relevant, practical, and impactful for your staff.

How much does it cost to bring a workshop to my school or district?

We offer a range of pricing options designed to meet the needs of different schools and districts. Our Client Directors work closely with you to understand your goals, scope, and budget, and will partner with you to design a high-quality professional learning experience that fits within your financial framework.

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