The relationship between teaching and learning requires a coordinated effort between teachers and students that depends upon common goals aligned to the teachers' expertise and the students' academic needs. Without a systematic approach to teaching, instructional practice can neglect learning targets. Formative practices afford teachers a blueprint for instruction. This study was an investigation of the literature on formative assessment, the ways in which formative practice can improve teaching and learning, and the need for requisite professional development. The theoretical frameworks included backward design planning, differentiated instruction, and assessment for learning. The research focused on the efforts of a public school district to determine whether there was a significant difference in students' mathematical performance after teachers engaged in formative assessment. A sample of 105 students in Grade 6 completed a mathematics pretest and posttest using Learnia, a formative assessment program. Teachers analyzed the mathematics data in professional learning communities (PLCs) and adjusted their instruction according to students' pretest results. A related-samples "t" test in a pretest-posttest design determined that formative practice yielded significant improvement in performance for the overall posttest including multiple-choice questions, but not for open-ended questions. This study contributes to positive social change by furthering the research on formative assessment practices, facilitated through PLCs. By attending to this work, educational leaders can coordinate teaching and learning goals, for academic improvement, with the knowledge gained through formative measures. Moreover, teachers and students alike can participate in reflective practice, self-actualize, and realize their true potential for endless opportunities to forward social change. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]