What is the role of formative evaluation in school counseling?

Formative evaluation plays a crucial role in school counseling by focusing on the assessment of the processes used to achieve specific goals during the counseling experience. It allows counselors to gather ongoing feedback and data about students' progress and the effectiveness of the strategies being implemented. This continuous evaluation helps identify what is working well and what might need adjustment, enabling counselors to modify their approaches in real-time to better support students' needs.

By emphasizing the process rather than just the outcomes, formative evaluation encourages a supportive learning environment where growth can be monitored and facilitated. This approach ensures that students receive the guidance and interventions they need to reach their full potential throughout the counseling process. While other evaluation methods may focus strictly on grading performance or measuring long-term outcomes, formative evaluation is distinctly centered on the developmental journey and the interim steps necessary for achieving those goals.