The importance of educational accountability and assessment literacy is recognized as a long-term challenge to the educational system. The complexities in becoming an assessment literate and provide an opportunity to the educators to display their effective learning is discussed.

Describes how to use quizzes, tests, writing assignments, and other assessments to improve instruction and help students learn. Suggests that instead of teaching to the test, teachers test what they teach and follow assessments with corrective instruction. Also discusses the benefits of assessments. (Contains 14 references.) (WFA)

Discusses which kinds of data educators should respect and which they should reject. Asserts that most state accountability tests fail to produce the kinds of data that will improve teaching and learning. Teachers can get the data they need from their own instructionally useful classroom assessments. (WFA)