Instructional decisions based on quality assessments and a balanced assessment system most effectively promote student learning. To inform sound decisions, assessments need to satisfy five key standards of quality: (1) clear purpose; (2) clear learning targets; (3) sound assessment design; (4) effective communication of results; and (5) student involvement in the assessment process. Assessment-literate educators must also consider balance; they need to understand what assessments are appropriate, both formatively and summatively, at three different levels of assessment: the classroom level, the periodic interim/benchmark level, and the annual standardized testing level. By building balanced systems with assessment literate users, we are far more likely to attend to issues of quality and serve the best interests of students. (Contains 2 figures and 1 endnote.)