How Do We Know Our Students Are Learning? And If Not, What Can We Do about It?

Assessments may measure what our students have learned, but I believe it’s most critical to get insights about what students are learning. It’s a subtle but crucial distinction.

In my work, I have focused on what I believe is one of the most important ways to improve teaching and learning: trying to understand progress and growth. When you’re with students, especially young children, you have an incredible opportunity to witness firsthand those “aha” moments that emerge from productive struggle as the learning process unfolds. When you start to be able to anticipate the precursors to these “aha” moments, and how to vary your instructional practice to facilitate them, it can feel incredibly rewarding. But a shift in focus from an emphasis on student mastery to an equal emphasis on student growth requires concerted effort.

Progress over Mastery

Some students have had far greater opportunities and resources than others before they arrive in a classroom, and that can explain differences in mastery. But even so, mastery is seldom black and white. One student might know from memory that 8 times 9 is 72 but might not actually understand or be able to explain why. Another student might incorrectly answer 71 but could be using an interesting and productive process of reasoning that they can explain when they are asked (“8 times 10 is 80, so the answer must be 9 less”).

Instead of focusing on what’s missing (“the student has not mastered multiplication of one-digit numbers”), try to find a kernel to focus on—something a student brings to the table—whether it is an interest that motivates them, or an aspect of their thinking that is on the right track (e.g., the student is working backward from multiplication of 10s and seems to recognize that multiplication can be seen as a process of repeated addition). Whether it’s mathematics, reading, or writing, there’s always a foundation you can build on.

Then look at their progress. What’s changing about the way they’re thinking? It puts the onus on what we’re doing right now, this year, in the classroom. And it gives you more agency to move students from where they are to a place that’s further along a continuum.

Closing Gaps Takes a Community

If students have a long way to go, the idea that teachers alone can help them catch up, even a succession of teachers, is not realistic. We must involve parents, caregivers, and students themselves, in the process. Share your observations. For instance, “When I give your child this kind of problem, here’s how they seem to approach it. What have you noticed at home?” Engaging families can help facilitate learning outside the classroom.

I’ve experienced this firsthand. I have a son with special needs who has gone through the educational system. What worked best is when his teachers focused on what he could do, what he was curious about, and creative ways to move him forward. IEP meetings, when they are done right, can be powerful: assembling a community of support givers, teachers, and parents to talk about individualized plans, set goals, and examine whether we’re meeting those goals. Not all students have a formal IEP meeting, but every student should have an informal equivalent.

Assessment Goes beyond Testing

Unfortunately, over time, the notion of assessment has been conflated with testing. Assessment is a much bigger umbrella; it is more than testing. Good assessment activities provide information that is empowering, that can be used to evoke curiosity instead of condemnation. Some of the best assessment you do with your students is day to day and invisible to them. It can happen in small group activities, where there’s no grade. Or through observation, where you’re making rounds during an activity. Or in the form of an interesting question that gets students working through their thinking.

Good assessment should foster intrinsic motivation. As students get older, they can take more agency and give one another feedback. As long as you’re clear on what you’re looking for, peer assessment can be powerful—even without turning it into a score or a grade that runs the risk of shifting motivation from intrinsic to extrinsic.

Learning Is a Continuous Process

Content isn’t simply learned or not learned. Learning is continuous. When learning is superficial, it feels more like recall, but when students make connections to what they already understand and explain their reasoning when asked to elaborate, that’s where meaningful learning happens.

Starting class with one good question—even a thoughtfully chosen multiple-choice question—can get students discussing why they answered the way they did. These kinds of entry and exit “tickets” are assessment opportunities, because they’re fundamentally about eliciting student knowledge and understanding.

Using Data to Inform Instruction

Formal assessments provide a starting point, placing students on a continuum of understanding. But to truly know how an individual student is learning, you need to dig deeper. Data from valid and reliable tests—such as i-Ready Inform—can help you group students, make targeted inquiries about what they do and do not understand, and decide on next steps. You can also track changes over time—from fall to winter to spring—to see how students are growing.

Resources that align assessment with curriculum and provide actionable next steps are invaluable. But beware of letting external accountability pressures turn assessment into a competition. The goal is to use these tools to support growth, not just to hit a numeric target.

Rekindling Your Passion and Curiosity

Teaching is hard, and the pressures are real. Sometimes, you get the curiosity knocked out of you by all the constraints and demands. My hope is that, as experts and partners, we can help you maintain curiosity and passion for your work so you can keep growing as an educator.

Assessment shouldn’t be about labeling what students know or don’t know; it’s about illuminating the path forward. By focusing on what students bring to the table, engaging families as partners, and using data as a tool for insight rather than judgment, we create a culture where curiosity thrives and learning becomes continuous. Let’s reclaim assessment as a means to inspire and grow.

Want more from Derek? Listen to his episode of the Extraordinary Educators™ Podcast and read his Content-Referenced Report of Student Growth.

Other Recommended Resources for You
Interim Assessments: Striking the Balance between Insight and Instruction
Through-Year Assessment in Indiana: Why Teachers Still Need i-Ready
Measuring Literacy Development beyond a Single Test Score