The purpose of this study was to describe secondary teachers' formative assessment practices and to examine the relationship of these practices to student motivation. The sample included 3,242 students and 161 grade 6-12 teachers. Teachers and students completed self-report questionnaires that focused on both formative assessment and motivation for a single class. Students referenced this single class, and teachers used the same class for their responses. This procedure was used to reflect the practices and effects of a single class rather than more generally for many classes. Results showed only moderate use of formative assessment practices, with little use of use of information to guide instruction or give students instructional correctives. The relationships between formative assessment practices and student motivation, using the classroom as the unit of analysis, showed small positive correlations. The relationship between students' goal orientation and teachers' formative practices was positive but nonsignificant. Student self-efficacy showed a statistically significant relationship with formative assessment as a whole. Student impressions of formative practice in their classroom were significantly related to student motivation. There were no differences for grade level, gender, subject taught, or student ability. Discussion of the results focuses on the significance of the findings, contribution to the literature, and recommendations for further research. (Contains 5 tables.)