ABSTRACT
We assess students in order to understand what they know and to make decisions or judgments based on their level of knowledge (or performance). In other words, we want answers to two questions: What do students know (or what can they do)? and How does that relate to what they are expected to learn? Formal and informal evaluations and assessments fuel learning and teaching. Without them, teachers cannot plan next month’s or tomorrow’s lessons or tailor those lessons to suit individual students; without assessments, education leaders and the public can’t know much about the education health of a school or the nation. Assessment is very much a part of the science, craft, and art of teaching. It is also politically charged and subject to the interests and biases of the larger culture.
