This indicator addresses the teacher's ability to monitor the effect of instruction on individual students and the whole class. It is about formative assessment of a particular kind. Formative assessment has multiple meanings, but in NEE we use the term to refer to quick checks for understanding as the lesson is progressing. The purpose is to inform modification of teaching and learning activities in real time. Thus, it is information used to guide instruction as part of the instructional process. Questioning is the most common form of this kind of formative assessment. However, other kinds of formative assessment might include solving problems on a whiteboard or answering spot quizzes with fist-to-five, thumbs up, or clicker techniques.

To score high on this indicator, the teacher conducts formative, on-the-spot assessment for both the whole class and individual students and must also take appropriate corrective action when modifications to instruction need to be made. Strong, corrective action can be in the form of modifying the lesson if a high number of students are not understanding, providing scaffolding as students work through cognitive errors or incorrect answers, or asking further questions to ascertain whether students are mastering the objectives of the lesson.

Questioning is the most common form of this kind of formative assessment. Questioning helps teachers identify student knowledge deficits. However, other kinds of formative assessment might include solving problems on a whiteboard or answering spot quizzes with fist-to-five, thumbs up, or clicker techniques. While formative assessment improves achievement for most students, it may be more effective for low-achieving students. The National Research Council endorsed formative assessment as an important classroom activity.

In the classroom, this might look like:

• Teacher monitors the learning of the whole class and many individuals
• Teacher uses multiple checks for understanding
• Teacher engages in effective formative assessment
• Teacher monitors learning progress
• Teacher uses assessment for learning
• Teacher uses systematic monitoring of learning progress
• Teacher uses strategies such as questioning, whiteboarding, thumbs up, fist-to-five, observing student work, etc.
• On-the-spot assessment is seamless throughout instruction
• Strong, appropriate corrective action is taken to ensure learning of almost all students