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Support Teaching and Learning with Instructionally Useful Assessments

Support Teaching and Learning with Instructionally Useful Assessments

Educators today are flooded with assessment data from all directions—state tests, midyear assessments, end-of-unit quizzes, and more. This constant stream of information can be overwhelming and often doesn’t give teachers what they really need to help their students grow. Instead of providing clear guidance, a lot of this data comes as numbers and scores that don’t show specific areas where students need support. This can lead teachers to focus more on broad trends rather than on understanding each student’s unique learning journey.

What teachers need are assessments that provide meaningful, in-the-moment insights that they can act on right away. This allows them to adjust their teaching to better support their students. By cutting through the data clutter and focusing only on what’s truly useful, teachers can spend more time responding to students’ needs and less time analyzing numbers, creating a classroom that’s both effective and student-centered.

What are Instructionally Useful Assessments? 

Instructionally useful assessments are purposefully designed to give teachers meaningful insights they can use to help improve learning right away. Unlike broad test scores that are limited in their immediate applicability, instructionally useful assessments call attention to student strengths and where they might need extra support. This aligns with the goal of being instructionally useful—creating a learning environment that’s deep, engaging, and adaptive to student needs.

In a recent webinar entitled Assessments That Support Ambitious Teaching,” instructionally useful assessments were defined as helping teachers see a clear picture of student progress on important learning goals. Instead of just providing scores, these assessments reveal each student’s strengths and challenges, giving teachers the student-by-student guidance they need to plan next steps. In fact, these assessments are meant to improve the relationship between the teacher, the student, and the material—not just to produce numbers.

By focusing on quality over quantity, instructionally useful assessments allow teachers to make real-time decisions that enhance the learning experience. They go beyond data points to truly support each student’s growth.

What Makes an Assessment Instructionally Useful?

Finding or creating assessments that truly support instruction requires thoughtfulness. Instructionally useful assessments stand out because they provide detailed, relevant insights that teachers can act on immediately, guiding their decisions to support student progress. 

Here are some features to look for to ensure assessments are instructionally useful for teachers:

  • Cognitive Complexity: Instructionally useful assessments tap into a range of cognitive skills. From foundational recall to higher-order thinking, these assessments are designed to reveal how well students understand and can apply concepts, supporting a progression from basic knowledge to deep, flexible thinking.
  • Alignment with Curriculum: These assessments are coherent with the actual curriculum used in the classroom. Rather than existing as separate, standalone tests, they authentically reflect the content and skills students encounter in their daily learning, making them more intuitive and relevant for instructional adjustments.
  • Targeted Focus: Rather than attempting to cover broad sets of standards in one go, instructionally useful assessments focus on specific standards or skills. This granularity allows teachers to pinpoint areas where students need support, making it easier to address specific learning targets without overwhelming students or sacrificing instructional time.
  • Qualitative Insights: Instructionally useful assessments prioritize meaningful feedback. By providing qualitative insights—such as open-ended responses or problem-solving demonstrations—they make student thinking visible. This approach empowers teachers to understand not just what a student knows, but their thought process and where they may need support.
  • Timely Feedback: Timeliness is crucial for these assessments to fulfill their purpose. Teachers receive results quickly, often immediately, allowing them to adjust their teaching strategies right away. This kind of feedback cycle ensures that instruction remains dynamic and responsive to each student’s immediate learning needs.
  • Flexible Scoring and Response Options: Instructionally useful assessments allow for multiple solution pathways, encouraging students to demonstrate their thinking in different ways. Instead of binary right-or-wrong answers, these assessments let students express their understanding in a manner that resonates with their learning style, offering teachers a more nuanced view of student comprehension.

These features make assessments more effective and in tune with classroom learning. Instead of interrupting instruction, they work in tandem with it, giving teachers useful insights that keep students moving forward.

Instructionally useful assessments turn testing into a tool for growth, offering teachers practical information to guide their next steps. This thoughtful approach ensures that each student gets the support they need in a natural way.

What Can School Leaders Do to Support Effective Assessment?

For instructionally useful assessments to become a staple in classrooms, school and district leaders need to make smart choices about which assessments to use and how they’re used. By creating a focused assessment plan, leaders can help teachers spend less time on unnecessary data and more time on what students really need. Here are some key steps leaders can take:

  • Set a Clear Vision for Assessments: Start with a clear goal—assessments should help teachers understand and support students, not just meet compliance requirements. A focused vision makes it easier to choose assessments that align with school goals.
  • Streamline Assessment Tools: Review all the assessments currently in use and cut back on those that don’t add value. Removing redundant tests frees up valuable time for teachers to focus on the data that actually helps their instruction. This free assessment audit tool can be a great place to start.
  • Invest in Teacher Training: Teachers need to understand how to interpret and use assessment data effectively. Providing professional development in assessment literacy helps teachers feel confident making real-time adjustments to their teaching.
  • Promote Collaboration: Encourage teachers to work together on understanding and using assessment results. Through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), teachers can share insights, strategies, and refine their approaches, strengthening everyone’s use of assessment data.
  • Focus on Targeted Assessments: Rather than relying on broad, high-stakes tests, support assessments that are in-depth and target specific skills, including one-on-one assessment opportunities. This helps teachers gather meaningful insights while getting to know their students better, and without overwhelming students.
  • Take a Balanced Approach to Assessment: Emphasize the difference between assessments that support teaching and those meant for program evaluation. Aim to have an assessment strategy that does both without over-testing students. A balanced approach keeps assessments from feeling like a burden and makes them more valuable as learning tools.

By prioritizing instructionally useful assessments, school leaders create an environment where teachers can focus on responsive, engaging instruction. This thoughtful approach to assessment benefits both teachers and students, building classrooms that are supportive and also promote student achievement.

 


 

Instructionally useful assessments can make a real difference in teaching and learning. By focusing on meaningful information rather than just collecting data, these assessments help create classrooms where each student’s learning journey is front and center. When teachers have access to assessments that align with their daily instruction, they can make timely adjustments to better support student growth.

School leaders play a key role in this change. By setting a clear vision, choosing the right tools, encouraging collaboration, and supporting teacher training, leaders can build a balanced approach to assessment. As this approach becomes part of school culture, students benefit from a more supportive learning environment—one that doesn’t just track progress but actively nurtures it, helping every learner grow and thrive.

Literacy assessment is an essential tool in education, serving as a foundational element for effective instruction. Click to learn more about our literacy assessment and intervention solutions.