What type of assessments are specifically designed to evaluate student progress toward specific learning objectives?

Formative assessments are specifically designed to evaluate student progress toward specific learning objectives throughout the instructional process. These assessments are ongoing and are used by educators to monitor student understanding and skills as they learn. This allows teachers to adjust their instruction based on the data gathered from these assessments, providing timely feedback to students and identifying areas that may need reinforcement.

In contrast, summative assessments are typically given at the end of an instructional unit to measure what students have learned, while diagnostic assessments are focused on identifying students' strengths and weaknesses before instruction begins. Standardized assessments are uniform tests administered and scored in a consistent manner, often used for accountability purposes rather than for evaluating specific learning objectives on an ongoing basis. Formative assessments specifically aim to enhance learning through continuous feedback and adjustment.