Assessments are tools for tracking what and how well students have learned. They play a critical role in the classroom. They are designed or selected by teachers and given as an integral part of classroom instruction.

Assessments used for formative purposes occur during the course of a unit of instruction and may involve both formal tests and informal activities conducted as part of a lesson. They may be used to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses, assist educators in planning subsequent instruction, assist students in guiding their own learning by evaluating and revising their own work, and foster students’ sense of autonomy and responsibility for their own learning.