When implementing new grading frameworks, such as standard-based grading, some teachers may feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of reassessments. This manifests as students “gaming the system” for quick re-dos, teachers drowning in grading, and the process feeling like an endless loop rather than a genuine tool for learning. When this cycle accelerates, it is easy to blame student habits or school policies.
But often, the root cause is something far more instructional, and far more fixable:
We didn’t have enough clarity on student understanding before the summative assessment.
-Dr. Matt Townsley
“Formative assessment is the pedagogical cure for excessive summative reassessments.”
This quote captures a truth that many educators intuitively know but may sometimes overlook: reassessment overload is often a symptom, not a problem in itself. The real work lies in strengthening what happens before the summative assessment.
When Reassessments Become the Default
If students frequently need to reassess, it may be an indication that:
- Students did not have a strong grasp of what they are doing well and areas of growth along the way.
- Teachers didn’t have enough evidence about student learning prior to the summative assessment.
- Feedback loops weren’t frequent, clear, or actionable.
- Students weren’t sure what “proficiency” looked like until after the summative.
In other words, the formative assessment system wasn’t doing its most essential job: giving students and teachers timely, accurate information about where learning currently stands.
Formative Assessment: Shining a Light on Next Steps
Formative assessment is more than “just another thing”. Formative assessment is a process, and its purpose is to shine a bright light on next steps in at least the two following ways:
1. Help students see where they are in their learning.
Students need to understand1:
- What the learning target is
- What success looks like
- What their next step is
Clarity in these three areas for students ensures that formative assessment is living up to its full potential.
2. Help teachers determine their next instructional moves.
When formative assessment is strong, teachers know:
- Who needs reteaching
- Who needs enrichment
- Which misconceptions are emerging
- The extent to which the class is ready for the summative at all
When those insights aren’t available, it’s like teaching in the dark…and reassessments become the flashlight everyone reaches for later.
Reassessments Aren’t the Enemy—But They Shouldn’t Be the Plan
High-quality reassessment opportunities are important. They honor that students learn at different rates and align with standards‑based learning. For more on quality reassessments, see Chapter 4 from my book, Making Grades Matter: Standards-Based Grading in a Secondary PLC (affiliate link).
But reassessments should not be the primary strategy for helping students learn.
When students rely on reassessment as the moment they finally understand what success looks like, we’ve skipped the formative stage entirely. It’s like discovering the recipe only after the cake is already in the oven.
The solution?
Return to formative assessment with purpose and intentionality
Actionable Steps for Teachers
Here are practical ways to strengthen formative assessment and reduce the need for excessive reassessments:
1. Make learning targets visible and discuss them daily.
Don’t just post them—use them. Reference them. Revisit them. Ask students: Where are you today in relation to this target?
2. Use quick, low‑stakes checks for understanding.
These small checks can prevent huge misunderstandings later.
- Exit tickets
- Mini whiteboard responses
- Peer discussions
- One-minute reflections
- Hinge questions
3. Give feedback that is timely, specific, and actionable.
Avoid “Good job!” or “Needs work.” Instead try:
- “Your reasoning is strong. Now revise by connecting the steps to [learning target].”
- “You identified the [concept] correctly; next, work on applying it to a new example.”
4. Build student self‑assessment routines.
Checklists, rubrics, exemplars, and success criteria can help students judge their own readiness—before the summative. For more, check out “3 Strategies for Student Self-Assessment” by Susan Brookhart.
5. Pause instruction when misconceptions appear.
Don’t push forward because the calendar says so. If your students aren’t ready, that data should inform the lesson plan.
6. Rehearse summative expectations during formative opportunities.
Let students practice the type of thinking, creating, or problem-solving the summative will require. No surprises later. Share with students what quality looks like and provide them with opportunities to compare sample artifacts of learning with the rubric for the standard.
7. Make reassessment conditional on meaningful reflection.
Students should identify what changed in their understanding—not simply request another attempt.
Formative Assessment as the Pedagogical Cure for Excessive Reassessments
Excessive reassessments might feel like the problem, but they are really the symptom. When formative assessment does its job—when students know where they stand and teachers have clarity on next steps—summative assessments become a confirmation of learning, not a flashlight in the dark.
And in that context, reassessments become rarer, more purposeful, and far more powerful.
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1Akins et al., 2001; Chappuis, 2005; Sadler, 1989
Disclosure: The ideas originate from the author. Generative AI was used to generate several metaphors, proofread and revise this blog post for clarity.