Despite different approaches to reform, all sides seem to agree on the need for valid, reliable, and affordable methods for assessing students' skills. When you want to assess the quality of a student's work over time, and progress made, a portfolio may be the most valuable method. One form of assessment is not necessarily better than another in all contexts. Rather, one form might be more appropriate than another, depending on your purpose, the knowledge and skills to be assessed, and quality and feasibility considerations. The Purposes of the Assessment Measuring Individual Student Learning Assessments designed to measure student learning in a course or program often become an integral component of the curriculum.
Many teachers use assessments to measure individual student learning and progress.
Alternative forms include portfolios, oral presentations, and senior projects. Assessments with this purpose can provide a teacher with insight into students' academic and technical progress and, if used over time, an impression of students' cognitive development as well. Assessments designed to measure student learning can also provide teachers with information about which instructional approaches work best, and where changes need to be made or additional attention focused. An assessment used to certify student mastery of occupationally oriented material provides an effective means of signaling to employers that a student has a particular set of skills and knowledge. In a true employee certification system, employers require certification for hiring and career advancement.