This document discusses assessment in education. It defines assessment as the process of gathering purposeful and systematic measurements to document and improve student learning and teaching. Assessment is important as it helps students learn, teachers improve, and administrators and policymakers evaluate programs. There are different types of assessment, including formative assessment, which is used to provide feedback and adjust instruction, and summative assessment, which evaluates learning at the end of a period of instruction. The document focuses on formative assessment and the role of feedback in improving student learning.