This article describes a language arts teacher's two-tiered way of using assessment data, which uses both standardized assessment data and teacher-created "skills" inventories. Standardized test data may help see where a learner performed in a previous year on items that often do not line up too well with future content. Standardized test data cannot tell much about whether a student is engaging with learning. Daily observation and assessment help understand what students know, understand, and can do related to learning goals.