The National Urban League president and CEO Marc H. Morial weighs in on what he sees as the need for continued annual assessments of students, rejecting the course of opting out that has taken hold in some places across America. Assessment data provides students with the opportunity to receive personalized supports and necessary interventions to…

The author believes grades should be awarded for achievement of stated goals -- not for attendance, effort, self-concept improvement, or conflict avoidance. In a companion article, Neil Postman offers a different view. (Editor)

Assessment illiterates do not understand how to produce high-quality achievement data and do not evaluate critically the data they use. Most states require no explicit training in assessment as part of teacher certification. The ultimate data consumers (students and parents) must become assessment literate enough to indicate inconsistencies and…