This book presents a rationale for learning-centered assessments in schools and an overview of the tools, techniques, and issues that educators should consider as they design and use assessments focused on learner needs. The proposals in this book are based on the premise that assessment should be deliberately designed to improve and educate student performance, not merely to audit it as most current assessments do. For better achievement, students need educative assessment. The chapters that make up Part 1 (Chapters 2 through 4) explore the elements of educative assessment. Part Two (Chapters 5 through 7) considers design in assessment. Central to Part 2 is the explanation of a logical order for considering assessment design elements. Part 3 (Chapters 7 through 11) then looks at the implications of the design work, and Part 4 (Chapters 12 and 13) explores changing the current system of assessment. The following chapters are included: (1) "Educative Assessment: A Vision"; (2) "Ensuring Authentic Performance"; (3) "Providing Ongoing Feedback"; (4) "Promoting Student Understanding"; (5) "Standards and Criteria"; (6) "Individual Performance Tasks"; (7) "Scoring Rubrics"; (8) "Portfolio as Evidence"; (9) "Curriculum and Instruction"; (10) "Grading and Reporting"; (11) "Teaching and Accountability"; (12) "Feasibility: Real and Imagined"; and (13) "Next Steps." (Contains 60 figures and 116 references.) (SLD)