Rethinking Assessment: A Conversation, Not a Judgment
Blog 2 of the Extended Blog Series: Leveraging Deep Learning
Written by: Tania Lattanzio
“Assessment is today’s means of modifying tomorrow’s instruction”
About this series:
This blog series is based on ideas from Andrea Muller and my latest book, Leveraging Deep Learning: Strategies and Tools for Continuous Assessment of Conceptual Understanding. Each post shares practical insights and tools designed to support educators in planning for deeper learning, involving students in the assessment process, and making understanding visible in everyday teaching. I hope these reflections help spark thinking and support you in your practice.
For many learners (and let’s be honest many teachers too), assessment still feels like a final judgment. A grade. A score. A moment where learning is measured and closed. But what if assessment wasn’t the end of learning, but the heart of it?
In “Leveraging Deep Learning”, we define continuous assessment as a process that is embedded in the flow of teaching and learning. It is ongoing, formative, and responsive. Continuous assessment is not something you do after teaching; it's part of the teaching. It helps educators and students check in, adjust, reflect, and plan next steps together. As Carol Anne Tomlinson (2003) states, “Assessment is today’s means of modifying tomorrow’s instruction”
Rather than relying on a single product at the end of a unit, continuous assessment gathers multiple pieces of evidence over time. This provides a more complete picture of student understanding and progress. It allows us to track thinking, growth, misconceptions, and shifts in understanding as they happen.
Importantly, it also helps us differentiate. By checking in regularly on where learners are, we can better respond to what they need, whether it's more time, a different strategy, or a new challenge. This responsiveness is a key element of equitable learning environments. David Perkins (2009) reminds us “Assessment in this spirit does not concern assignment of grades or evaluation of whether instruction was effective. It’s assessment designed squarely to feed into the learning process and make the learning stronger.”
In the book, we outline six principles of assessing for conceptual understanding. These include involving learners, co-constructing clear criteria, valuing diverse forms of evidence, and focusing on transfer. When these principles guide assessment, students become more aware of their own learning journey. They are not being judged they are being supported.
To truly embed continuous assessment into practice, schools must create a culture that embraces learning as a process. This requires trust, flexibility, and a commitment to professional dialogue. It’s also essential to involve students in assessment conversations. When students can talk about what they’re learning, how they’re going, and what’s next, they become more reflective, independent learners.
The ultimate goal is to make assessment a part of the learning culture.
Helpful Hints:
Build in time every week for low-stakes check-ins on student understanding.
Use tools like placemats, thinking routines, sketches, and dialogue to gather evidence.
Ask students to identify their own next steps based on what they notice.
Think of assessment as information, not evaluation.
Keep learning visible, display criteria, examples, and evidence so students can see their growth.
References
Perkins, David. Making Learning Whole: How Seven Principles of Teaching Can Transform Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2009.
Tomlinson, Carol Ann and Caroline Cunningham Eidson. Differentiation in Action: Implementing the Differentiated Classroom. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2003.
Found this article helpful? Get more of such strategies and tools for making learning visible in my book, Leveraging Deep Learning: Strategies and Tools for Continuous Assessment of Conceptual Understanding. Get the paperback in the link below: