From Assessment to Action

Diagnostic assessment is a technique in which a student’s answers to questions are used to identify appropriate further instructional actions, rather than solely to evaluate educational attainment. The technique is difficult to use because the average teacher has difficulty implementing it successfully. We will build an online diagnostic assessment system and use it to offer a unit-level diagnostic service for a topic in physics, force and motion, as an illustration. The information districts obtain will enable them to evaluate their educational and professional development efforts. This addresses Priority 1, educational data management tools that support schools, districts, and states in their efforts to meet the standards of the No Child Left Behind Act.