Assessment Functions & Purposes — 1. Understands the function and purpose of formal and informal assessments, including screening measures, to determine the literacy needs of the student (i.e., diagnostic, progress monitoring, and measuring outcomes) - Praxis Reading Specialist 5302

SECTION 1

Historical Context & Motivation

The history of literacy assessment in the United States reveals a gradual but profound shift from subjective teacher judgment toward systematic, data-driven frameworks for identifying and addressing student reading needs. Early reading instruction in American schools relied almost exclusively on oral recitation and informal teacher observation, with no standardized tools for diagnosing specific literacy difficulties. As compulsory education laws expanded in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the growing diversity of student populations exposed the limitations of purely intuitive evaluation, creating an urgent demand for reliable instruments that could distinguish between students who were progressing adequately and those who required targeted intervention. The development of formal assessment and informal assessment traditions paralleled broader movements in psychometrics, educational psychology, and, eventually, federal legislation mandating accountability in reading instruction.

1905–1920s • Birth of Standardized Testing

Binet-Simon scales (1905) and the Army Alpha/Beta tests during World War I demonstrated that cognitive and academic abilities could be measured with standardized instruments. These developments laid the groundwork for the first formal reading tests, including the Gray Oral Reading Tests (1915), which pioneered systematic measurement of reading fluency and accuracy.

1960s–1970s • Rise of Diagnostic Assessment

Researchers such as Jeanne Chall and Kenneth Goodman emphasized that reading failure was not monolithic; students struggled for different reasons. This insight spurred the creation of diagnostic instruments—including informal reading inventories (IRIs) and miscue analyses—that could pinpoint specific areas of weakness in decoding, fluency, vocabulary, or comprehension.

1990s • Curriculum-Based Measurement & Progress Monitoring

Stanley Deno and colleagues at the University of Minnesota developed Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM), providing brief, repeatable probes—such as oral reading fluency passages—that allowed educators to track student growth over time with psychometric rigor.

2001–2004 • NCLB, Reading First & Universal Screening

The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and the Reading First initiative mandated evidence-based reading instruction and introduced the concept of universal screening to identify at-risk readers before they fell significantly behind. DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) became one of the most widely adopted screening tools nationally.

2004–Present • MTSS / RTI & Integrated Assessment Systems

The reauthorization of IDEA (2004) formally endorsed Response to Intervention (RTI) and later Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), embedding screening, diagnostic assessment, progress monitoring, and outcome measurement into a coherent, tiered framework for literacy instruction.

This historical trajectory raises the central question that the Praxis Reading Specialist exam expects you to answer: How do different types of assessments—formal and informal, screening and diagnostic, progress monitoring and outcome measurement—serve distinct but complementary purposes in determining and responding to students' literacy needs? Understanding the function of each assessment type is essential for making data-informed instructional decisions, which sits at the heart of effective reading specialist practice.

SECTION 2

Core Principles & Definitions

Before examining specific instruments, it is essential to establish the foundational distinctions that organize the assessment landscape in literacy education. The Praxis Reading Specialist 5302 expects candidates to differentiate assessments along two intersecting dimensions: the degree of standardization (formal versus informal) and the instructional purpose the assessment serves (screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, or outcome measurement). These dimensions are not mutually exclusive—a single tool may be both formal and diagnostic, or informal and used for progress monitoring—but understanding the conceptual categories clarifies the rationale behind each assessment decision a reading specialist makes.

Formal Assessment

Assessments that are standardized in administration, scoring, and interpretation. They are developed through rigorous psychometric procedures, are norm-referenced or criterion-referenced, and yield scores that can be compared across populations. Examples include the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, the DIBELS, and state-mandated end-of-year reading tests.

Informal Assessment

Assessments that are non-standardized and designed to capture qualitative or performance-based information about a student's reading behaviors. They are typically teacher-created or teacher-administered and are interpreted in the context of classroom instruction. Examples include running records, anecdotal notes, informal reading inventories, and student portfolios.

Screening Measures

Brief, efficient assessments administered to all students (universal screening) to identify those who may be at risk for reading difficulty. They function as an early-warning system—analogous to a medical screening—and flag students who need further evaluation but do not, by themselves, prescribe instruction.

Diagnostic Assessment

In-depth assessments that follow screening to identify specific areas of strength and weakness in a student's literacy profile. They examine discrete skills—phonemic awareness, phonics knowledge, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—to determine the precise nature and source of reading difficulties so that targeted interventions can be designed.

Progress Monitoring & Outcome Measurement

Progress monitoring uses frequent, brief assessments to track a student's response to instruction or intervention over time, enabling educators to adjust instruction proactively. Outcome measurement (summative assessment) evaluates whether students have met grade-level benchmarks or program goals at the end of an instructional period, informing program effectiveness and accountability decisions.

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KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of literacy assessment as a medical analogy: screening is the annual physical that identifies who might be sick; diagnostic assessment is the specialist workup that determines exactly what is wrong; progress monitoring is the series of follow-up visits that track whether the treatment is working; and outcome measurement is the final check that determines whether the patient has recovered. Each serves a distinct function, and skipping any step compromises the entire system.

SECTION 3

Visual Explanation — The Assessment Cycle

The relationship among screening, diagnostic assessment, progress monitoring, and outcome measurement is best understood as a cyclical, iterative process embedded within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. The following diagram illustrates how each assessment purpose feeds into the next, creating a continuous feedback loop that drives instructional decision-making.

The assessment cycle begins with universal screening (Step 1), which identifies at-risk students who then receive diagnostic assessment (Step 2). Based on diagnostic results, targeted intervention is implemented (Step 3), tracked through progress monitoring (Step 4), and ultimately evaluated through outcome measurement (Step 5). The dashed arrow from outcome measurement back to screening represents the recursive nature of the cycle—results inform the next round of screening and instructional planning.

Notice that the cycle is not linear but recursive: a student who demonstrates adequate progress during monitoring may be returned to Tier 1 core instruction, while a student whose data show insufficient growth may be moved to a more intensive tier, prompting a new diagnostic evaluation. This dynamic decision-making process is at the core of what the Praxis expects reading specialists to understand.

SECTION 4

How Assessment Types Function in Practice

Formal vs. Informal Assessments: A Deeper Dive

The distinction between formal and informal assessment is not simply about whether a test is commercially published. Rather, it centers on the degree of standardization in administration, scoring, and interpretation. Formal assessments follow strict protocols: every examiner reads the same directions, uses the same timing rules, and scores responses according to identical rubrics. This standardization produces scores—percentile ranks, standard scores, grade equivalents—that are comparable across students, classrooms, schools, and districts. Informal assessments, by contrast, are flexible: a teacher may adapt the prompts, adjust the length, or interpret results in light of what she knows about a particular student's background, language, and instructional history.

Both categories have essential roles. Formal assessments provide the psychometric reliability and validity needed for high-stakes decisions—special education eligibility, school accountability ratings, or program evaluation. Informal assessments provide the nuanced, contextual information needed for day-to-day instructional planning—determining whether a student is ready for the next guided-reading level, identifying the specific phonics patterns a student confuses, or documenting growth in reading comprehension strategies over the course of a unit.

Screening Measures: Function and Design

A screening measure is administered to an entire population—typically all students in a grade level—at set intervals (commonly fall, winter, and spring) to identify individuals who are at risk for reading failure. Effective screening measures must be brief (typically 1–5 minutes per student), easy to administer and score, and possess adequate sensitivity (correctly identifying students who truly are at risk) and specificity (correctly identifying students who are not at risk). A screening tool that generates too many false positives wastes intervention resources; one that generates too many false negatives allows struggling readers to go unserved.

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Praxis Tip

The Praxis frequently tests whether candidates understand that screening is not diagnostic. Screening tells you who may need help; diagnostic assessment tells you what kind of help. Be prepared for test items that present a scenario in which a teacher uses screening data alone to design an intervention—this is an incorrect practice.

Diagnostic Assessment: Going Deeper

Once screening identifies a student as potentially at risk, a diagnostic assessment provides the detailed, granular information necessary to plan instruction. Diagnostic tools examine discrete literacy components—phonological awareness, letter-sound correspondences, sight word recognition, oral reading fluency, vocabulary breadth and depth, and comprehension strategy use. The reading specialist's role is to select instruments matched to the student's area of concern and to synthesize results into an instructional plan. Common formal diagnostic tools include the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP) and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests. Informal diagnostic tools include running records, miscue analysis, and phonics surveys.

Progress Monitoring: Tracking Growth

After an intervention is implemented, progress monitoring assessments are administered at regular intervals—often weekly or biweekly—to determine whether the student is responding adequately to the intervention. The key characteristic of progress monitoring tools is that they use alternate, equivalent forms so that repeated administration measures genuine growth rather than familiarity with a single set of items. Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) probes, such as oral reading fluency passages scored in words correct per minute (WCPM), are the prototypical progress monitoring tool. The resulting data are plotted on a graph with an aimline representing the expected rate of growth, allowing educators to make timely instructional adjustments when a student's trajectory falls below expectations.

Outcome Measurement: Evaluating Effectiveness

At the broadest level, outcome measurement (summative assessment) evaluates whether instructional goals have been achieved at the end of a defined period—a unit, a semester, or a school year. State-mandated reading assessments, end-of-year benchmark assessments, and program evaluation studies all fall into this category. Outcome data serve accountability purposes: they answer questions such as "Did the reading intervention program produce statistically significant gains in comprehension for third-grade students?" or "Has the percentage of students reading at or above grade level increased from last year?" While outcome measures are less useful for moment-to-moment instructional decisions, they provide the summative evidence that justifies program continuation, modification, or discontinuation.

SECTION 5

Detailed Classification of Assessment Types

To organize the many assessment tools a reading specialist may encounter, the following diagram maps specific instruments onto a two-dimensional grid defined by standardization (formal vs. informal) on one axis and assessment purpose (screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, outcome) on the other. This classification system is a powerful study tool for the Praxis because test items frequently require candidates to identify the most appropriate assessment for a given scenario.

This matrix organizes common literacy assessment tools by their purpose (rows) and degree of standardization (columns). Note that some tools, such as DIBELS, appear in multiple rows because their function changes depending on how and when they are administered.

Several key observations emerge from this matrix. First, the same instrument can serve multiple purposes depending on context: DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency passages, for instance, function as a screening measure when administered to all students in the fall and as a progress monitoring tool when administered biweekly to students receiving intervention. Second, informal assessments are indispensable at every stage—they provide the qualitative texture that formal assessments cannot capture, such as the specific error patterns revealed by a miscue analysis or the self-regulation strategies documented through teacher observation notes. Third, a reading specialist's assessment literacy involves knowing not just which tools to use but when and why to use them—and how to interpret results in the context of a multi-tiered framework.

SECTION 6

Worked Example — Assessment Decision-Making in an MTSS Context

The following scenario illustrates how a reading specialist uses different assessment types to make data-informed decisions for a student within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports. This type of scenario-based reasoning appears frequently on the Praxis 5302.

Scenario: Jaylen, a Second-Grade Student

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Step 1 — Universal Screening (Fall)

In September, all second graders complete the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) assessment. Jaylen reads 25 words correct per minute (WCPM), which places him well below the benchmark of 52 WCPM for beginning-of-year second grade. The screening identifies Jaylen as at risk for reading difficulty. At this stage, the screening has fulfilled its function: it has flagged Jaylen for further evaluation, but it has not yet identified the source of his difficulty.

Screening result: At risk (25 WCPM vs. 52 WCPM benchmark)
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Step 2 — Diagnostic Assessment

The reading specialist administers a battery of diagnostic assessments to Jaylen. A phonics survey reveals that he has mastered initial consonants and short vowels in CVC words but struggles with consonant blends, digraphs, and long vowel patterns. An informal reading inventory (IRI) confirms that his instructional level is late first grade. A miscue analysis of his oral reading reveals that Jaylen relies heavily on context and initial-letter cues, rarely self-corrects, and frequently substitutes visually dissimilar words when encountering unfamiliar patterns. These combined results indicate that Jaylen's primary difficulty is in advanced phonics knowledge, which is limiting both his decoding accuracy and his fluency.

Diagnostic result: Phonics deficit—blends, digraphs, long vowels; instructional level = late Grade 1
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Step 3 — Intervention Design

Based on the diagnostic data, the reading specialist designs a Tier 2 intervention for Jaylen: 30 minutes daily of systematic phonics instruction targeting consonant blends, digraphs, and CVCe patterns, using a structured literacy approach with decodable texts at his instructional level. The intervention plan includes specific, measurable goals: Jaylen will increase his ORF from 25 to 52 WCPM by mid-year and demonstrate mastery of targeted phonics patterns on a criterion-referenced phonics assessment.

Intervention: Tier 2 systematic phonics, 30 min/day, targeting blends/digraphs/CVCe
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Step 4 — Progress Monitoring (Ongoing)

Every two weeks, the reading specialist administers an alternate-form ORF probe from the DIBELS progress monitoring materials. After four weeks, Jaylen's scores are 28, 31, 34, and 38 WCPM—a growth trajectory of approximately 3.25 WCPM per week. The reading specialist plots these points against the aimline (the slope required to reach the mid-year goal of 52 WCPM). Jaylen's growth rate is adequate, so the current intervention is maintained. If his trajectory had fallen below the aimline for three consecutive data points, the specialist would have intensified the intervention or conducted additional diagnostic testing.

Progress monitoring: Growth rate ≈ 3.25 WCPM/week — on track; maintain current intervention
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Step 5 — Outcome Measurement (End of Year)

In May, Jaylen completes the spring DIBELS benchmark assessment and scores 78 WCPM, exceeding the end-of-year benchmark of 72 WCPM. He also takes the state reading assessment and scores at the proficient level. The outcome data confirm that the intervention was effective. The reading specialist recommends that Jaylen return to Tier 1 core instruction for third grade, with continued monitoring during fall screening to ensure he maintains his gains.

Outcome: 78 WCPM (benchmark = 72); proficient on state assessment; return to Tier 1

SECTION 7

Strengths & Limitations of Formal vs. Informal Assessments

Effective reading specialists draw on both formal and informal assessments, understanding that each category offers distinct advantages and carries inherent limitations. The following table provides a side-by-side comparison that captures the core tradeoffs—a frequent topic on the Praxis 5302.

Dimension	Formal Assessment	Informal Assessment
Standardization	Strict protocols ensure uniformity in administration and scoring.	Flexible; can be adapted to individual student needs and contexts.
Reliability	Generally high; psychometric data (test-retest, inter-rater) are reported.	Variable; depends on teacher expertise and consistency of procedures.
Validity	Construct and criterion validity are established through research.	High ecological validity; captures authentic reading behaviors in context.
Comparability	Norm-referenced scores allow comparison across populations.	Not designed for cross-student or cross-school comparison.
Instructional Utility	Useful for placement, eligibility, and accountability; less granular for daily instruction.	Directly informs lesson planning, grouping, and text selection.
Cultural Sensitivity	May reflect biases embedded in norm samples or content.	Easier to adapt for linguistic and cultural diversity.
Time & Cost	Often requires purchasing materials and trained examiners.	Typically low-cost; can be embedded in daily instruction.

Comparison of formal and informal assessment characteristics relevant to reading specialist practice.

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KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of formal and informal assessments as two lenses on the same phenomenon—like satellite imagery and on-the-ground photography. The satellite (formal assessment) provides broad, standardized data that allows large-scale comparison and trend analysis. The ground-level photo (informal assessment) captures the rich detail—the specific miscues, the hesitation before a multisyllabic word, the comprehension strategies a student employs or neglects—that the satellite cannot resolve. A reading specialist who relies on only one lens will inevitably miss critical information.

SECTION 8

Connecting Assessment Purposes to Advanced Theory

The assessment functions discussed in this lesson do not operate in isolation; they are embedded within broader theoretical and policy frameworks that the Praxis 5302 expects reading specialists to understand. Two of the most important connections are the relationship between assessment and the Simple View of Reading (SVR) and the concept of assessment validity for consequential decisions.

Foundational Concept	Basic Understanding (This Lesson)	Advanced Extension
Assessment Purpose	Four categories: screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, outcome measurement.	Assessment purposes align with Scarborough's Reading Rope strands and Ehri's phases of word reading, enabling targeted diagnostic subtesting within specific theoretical constructs.
Formal vs. Informal	Distinction based on standardization of administration and scoring.	Messick's (1989) unified validity framework argues that all assessments—formal or informal—must be evaluated for consequential validity: the social consequences of score interpretation and use.
Progress Monitoring	Frequent, brief probes plotted against an aimline to track growth.	Advanced analysis includes calculating the slope of the trendline, using the four-point rule for decision-making, and distinguishing between level, slope, and variability in CBM data.
Outcome Measurement	Summative evaluation at the end of an instructional period.	Advanced practice includes calculating effect sizes (e.g., Cohen's d) to evaluate intervention efficacy, and interpreting NAEP proficiency levels within historical trend data.

Connecting foundational assessment concepts to advanced theoretical frameworks.

As you continue your preparation for the Praxis 5302, be aware that later exam objectives will require you to apply these foundational assessment concepts in increasingly complex scenarios: interpreting score reports for parents and administrators, selecting culturally responsive assessment practices, using assessment data to differentiate instruction across tiers, and evaluating the technical adequacy (reliability, validity, sensitivity, specificity) of specific instruments. The concepts in this lesson form the bedrock upon which those advanced competencies are built.

SECTION 9

Practice Problems

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

A first-grade teacher administers a one-minute oral reading fluency probe to every student in her class at the beginning of the school year. Based on the results, she identifies five students who score below the 20th percentile and refers them for additional assessment. What purpose does this assessment serve, and why is it insufficient, on its own, to plan instruction for the five identified students?

Show answer

This assessment serves the purpose of universal screening. Its function is to identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulty by comparing their performance to a benchmark or cut score. However, screening is insufficient for instructional planning because it does not reveal why a student is struggling. A student who scores below the 20th percentile on an ORF probe may have difficulty with phonemic awareness, decoding, automaticity with high-frequency words, or comprehension—and the screening measure cannot distinguish among these possibilities. A diagnostic assessment is needed to pinpoint the specific area(s) of need so that targeted intervention can be designed.

Question 2: BASIC

Classify each of the following assessments as formal or informal: (a) a state-mandated end-of-year reading test, (b) a teacher's running record taken during guided reading, (c) the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, (d) a student reading portfolio evaluated with a teacher-designed rubric, (e) DIBELS Nonsense Word Fluency.

Show answer

(a) Formal — state-mandated tests are standardized, criterion-referenced, and used for accountability. (b) Informal — a running record is teacher-administered, flexible in text selection, and interpreted qualitatively. (c) Formal — the Woodcock-Johnson is a norm-referenced, standardized diagnostic battery. (d) Informal — portfolios with teacher-designed rubrics are non-standardized and context-dependent. (e) Formal — DIBELS measures follow standardized administration and scoring protocols with established benchmarks.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

A reading specialist is monitoring a third-grade student receiving Tier 2 intervention. After six weeks of biweekly progress monitoring using CBM-ORF probes, the student's data points are: 40, 42, 41, 43, 44, 43 WCPM. The aimline projects that the student should be at 55 WCPM by this point. What should the reading specialist conclude, and what action is most appropriate?

Show answer

The student's data show a relatively flat growth trajectory (approximately 0.5 WCPM per week), and the current performance of 43 WCPM is well below the aimline target of 55 WCPM. Using the decision rules common in CBM practice—such as the four-point rule, which states that if three or more of the most recent four data points fall below the aimline, a change is warranted—the reading specialist should conclude that the current intervention is not producing adequate growth. The most appropriate action is to modify the intervention—this may involve increasing intensity (e.g., more time, smaller group), changing instructional approach, or conducting additional diagnostic assessment to determine whether the intervention is targeting the correct skill deficit. Simply continuing the current intervention unchanged would be inappropriate given the data.

Question 4: APPLIED

A school administrator asks the reading specialist to select a single assessment tool that can serve as both a universal screener and a progress monitoring tool for grades K–3. The reading specialist recommends DIBELS. Explain why DIBELS can serve both purposes and identify at least two differences in how the tool is administered and interpreted when used for each purpose.

Show answer

DIBELS can serve both purposes because it includes brief, standardized probes with alternate equivalent forms, established national benchmarks, and documented reliability and validity for both screening and progress monitoring. However, the administration and interpretation differ significantly. First, as a screener, DIBELS is administered to all students at three benchmark periods (fall, winter, spring), and scores are compared to national cut points to classify students as at risk, some risk, or low risk. As a progress monitoring tool, it is administered only to identified at-risk students at frequent intervals (weekly or biweekly), and scores are plotted against an individualized aimline to evaluate response to intervention. Second, the interpretation focus shifts: screening data answer 'Who needs help?' while progress monitoring data answer 'Is the help working?' Third, the frequency and regularity of administration differ—three times per year versus every one to two weeks.

Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING

A school district exclusively uses norm-referenced, formal assessments for all assessment purposes—screening, diagnostic evaluation, progress monitoring, and outcome measurement—and has eliminated informal assessments from its reading program. A reading specialist on the district's literacy committee argues that this approach is flawed. Construct the specialist's argument, citing at least three specific limitations of relying solely on formal assessments and explaining how informal assessments address each limitation.

Show answer

The reading specialist's argument would center on three key limitations. First, formal assessments often lack the granularity needed for daily instructional decision-making: a norm-referenced test may indicate that a student is at the 15th percentile in reading comprehension, but it does not reveal whether the student struggles with inferencing, vocabulary, text structure knowledge, or background knowledge—information that informal tools like think-alouds or comprehension retellings can provide. Second, formal assessments are typically not designed for frequent, repeated administration, making them poorly suited for progress monitoring; administering a full norm-referenced battery biweekly would be impractical and would violate test protocols. CBM probes and running records, by contrast, are specifically designed for repeated use. Third, formal assessments may embed cultural and linguistic biases from their norm samples that systematically disadvantage English learners and students from underrepresented backgrounds; informal assessments can be adapted for linguistic diversity, administered in the student's home language, or interpreted in light of the student's cultural context, increasing the validity of conclusions drawn about the student's actual literacy abilities. The specialist would conclude that a comprehensive literacy assessment system requires both formal and informal tools, each deployed for the purpose it is best designed to serve.

SUMMARY

Lesson Summary

Summary

Literacy assessment operates along two intersecting dimensions: standardization (formal vs. informal) and purpose. Screening measures are brief, universal tools that identify which students may be at risk—functioning as an early-warning system without diagnosing specific deficits. Diagnostic assessments drill deeper, revealing the precise nature and source of a student's reading difficulties across phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Progress monitoring uses frequent, alternate-form probes plotted against an aimline to track whether an intervention is producing adequate growth and to trigger timely instructional adjustments. Outcome measurement provides summative evidence of whether students have met grade-level benchmarks or program goals, informing accountability and program evaluation decisions.

Formal assessments offer standardization, reliability, and cross-population comparability, making them essential for high-stakes decisions, while informal assessments provide contextual richness, instructional immediacy, and cultural adaptability that formal tools cannot match. Together, these assessment types form the literacy assessment cycle—a recursive process embedded within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) that ensures every student's literacy needs are identified, addressed, monitored, and evaluated. For the Praxis 5302, remember that a reading specialist must know not only which tools exist but when and why to deploy each one—and how to interpret results to make data-informed instructional decisions.