Policy Report

Design Principles for Instructionally Relevant Assessment Systems

Middle school student looking through a microscope.
Aneesha Badrinarayan
October 2024 | Learning Policy Institute
Middle school student looking through a microscope.

This report from the Learning Policy Institute outlines a set of principles designed to govern assessments that support teaching and learning. Instructionally relevant assessment systems include the six principles described in the report: Assessments are (1) authentic, (2) curriculum-anchored, (3) educative, (4) developmental and asset-oriented, (5) reflective and responsive to learners, and (6) useful for informing decisions that impact instruction. Teacher and leader education programs interested in considering more deeply how to shift their own assessment systems, or how to work with K–12 partners to shift their assessment systems to be more instructionally relevant will find this report useful.

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