The goal of the district assessment program of the Des Moines (Iowa) school district is to provide information which improves teaching and increases learning. Students participate in a number of assessment activities, including norm-referenced, standardized tests, college entrance examinations, Advanced Placement Tests, the district's performance-based composition assessment, and criterion-referenced, objectives-based subject matter tests. On the average, however, students spend less than one percent of their time taking district assessments. District data sets are prepared and made available in manageable files. Test results, which are provided to stakeholders in various ways, indicate that Iowa students have done well on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development. Scores on the American College Test and the Scholastic Aptitude Test have been above national means. Evidence from the district's writing evaluation indicates that student achievement is improving, but results from the criterion-referenced objectives-based assessments are mixed. Issues to be resolved in the future are discussed. Nine figures and 17 text tables, with 26 tables in 7 appendixes, portray district characteristics and assessment results. (SLD)