Sunman-Dearborn Community Schools in Indiana recently rolled out a district-wide approach to measure student progress more frequently and accurately. By using the digital platform Formative, the district created 20-minute common assessments designed to monitor students' understanding of academic standards throughout each unit. This shift helps teachers identify learning gaps immediately and adjust their daily lessons before high-stakes exams arrive.
What Happened
The Indiana school district transitioned to a system of "short-cycle" common assessments using Formative. Instead of waiting for end-of-term exams, educator teams built brief, 20-minute quizzes mapped to the state's standards. Their primary goal is to ensure 80% of students achieve mastery on essential educational benchmarks. To support this effort, teachers across three elementary schools pooled their results. During monthly Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), educators analyzed student data and shared successful teaching resources. They also planned interventions for struggling learners.
The Bigger Picture
This method of using frequent, low-stakes checks, known as formative assessment, is backed by academic research. According to a systematic literature review of primary education, well-designed formative practices yield a substantial positive impact on student outcomes, with an effect size of 0.38 to 0.78. Another meta-analysis of K-12 education confirmed that these frequent checks have a strong, positive effect on cognitive learning outcomes.
While some parents worry that more frequent quizzes might increase classroom stress, evidence suggests the opposite. A randomized controlled trial published in BMC Medical Education found that repeated digital formative assessments actually led to significantly lower test anxiety and healthier stress-coping strategies in students. Early performance on Formative quizzes also strongly correlates with long-term college readiness measures, as we previously reported.
To support students who miss the 80% mastery target, schools often couple frequent testing with standards-based grading. Traditional grading systems average out early failures, which penalizes students who learn at a slower pace. To solve this, researchers in the Journal of School Administration Research and Development advocate for calculation methods that reflect a student's final level of proficiency rather than their initial struggles. A study from Virginia Tech revealed that students under standards-based grading systems show a stronger alignment between classroom grades and state standardized test scores, requiring fewer attempts to earn class credits.
The success of these programs relies heavily on how teachers collaborate. A study on data-driven teacher collaboration found that authentic data-teaming significantly improves teachers' instructional planning and self-efficacy, which in turn boosts student engagement.
What This Means for Families
For parents, this shift from high-stakes testing to constant, short-cycle checks means school becomes more transparent. Instead of a letter grade on a report card that only tells you your child is struggling after it is too late, teachers can pinpoint exact concepts, such as double-digit addition, that need extra attention.
This framework also means that learning is no longer a race against the clock. When schools prioritize standards mastery over strict timelines, children who struggle initially are given the necessary time and tailored practice to catch up without falling permanently behind.
What You Can Do
You can start by asking your child's teacher about specific, low-stakes digital tools or exit tickets they use to track daily progress. When reviewing homework or quizzes, talk to your child about the specific skill they are trying to master rather than focusing on an overall letter grade. Finally, if your school offers retake opportunities, encourage them as a normal part of the learning cycle to help reduce testing anxiety and build resilience.