What is the primary purpose of formative assessment in education?

Formative assessment plays a crucial role in the educational process as it focuses on monitoring student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to enhance their teaching and by students to improve their own learning. The primary purpose of formative assessment is to assess whether students are reaching daily goals and objectives, allowing teachers to identify areas where students may be struggling and adjust instruction accordingly.

This approach helps in creating a responsive learning environment where immediate data informs instructional decisions, thus facilitating a better understanding of material for the students. It encourages a continuous cycle of feedback, which is essential for fostering student growth and learning.

In contrast, the other options emphasize different aspects of assessment that fall more in line with summative assessments or broader evaluations rather than the immediate, iterative feedback cycle that characterizes formative assessments.