It doesn’t have to be that way. Classroom assessments, designed and controlled by teachers, can be a powerful part of learning, instead of getting in the way or learning (or, worse, intimidating people out of learning, or turning school into a “point game.”) Assessments can be empowering, inspiring, exciting, and useful. Right now large-scale assessments (like state accountability tests) get more attention than they deserve. I hope we can put them in their rightful place, and reclaim assessment as tools teachers and students use together for learning.