Clarification:

Effective teachers clearly identify learning goals or performance objectives, create instructional plans to best address these learning objectives, then assess these performance objectives. The construct of the assessment or format should match the purpose for assessing the learning outcomes to yield the desired assessment outcomes. It is important to use a variety of forms of diagnostic, formative and summative assessments, as some students struggle and/or perform different with one type of assessment versus another. Including a variety of types of assessments will ensure that students are provided with ample opportunities to demonstrate what they know and are able to do, and that teachers have accurate information to complete the learning profile for each student. This descriptor addresses using diagnostic, formal and informal assessments to monitor the progress of all students. All types are equally important in lesson planning and developing students' learning profiles.

An effective assessment plan answers the questions, "What do I want my students to be able to do as a result of my teaching?" and "How do/will I know the students learned what I taught?" When these questions are asked and answered regularly, teachers can effectively plan, diagnose, and intervene to raise student performance.