ABSTRACT
Assessment is arguably the Achilles tendon of the teaching profession. While there has been increased pressure to diminish large scale assessment programs in the K–12 years (i.e., assessment of learning), there has been evidence in the accountable outcomes that classroom-based assessment practices and processes are not providing the types of information that are useful for educational institutions to plan for ongoing instruction and learning support where warranted, nor for parents and students to benefit and direct their own learning outcomes. English language learners may be especially vulnerable for academic failure if assessment data are not meaningfully communicated, and do not offer sufficiently specific feedback for all stakeholders to adjust the learning experiences of students. This chapter addresses the question of alignment among the assessment pillars: of, for, and as learning. They are interconnected and should support one another in a balanced triad that will a produce tangible impact on student learning outcomes. The focus is on the reciprocal, iterative relationship between teaching and learning that views student engagement as an opportunity to gather data from learning artifacts that will inform subsequent cycles of teaching. This involves assessment for teachers’ professional development in targeting the next steps for instructional planning.
