Teacher Perspectives of Instructionally Embedded Assessments

ABSTRACT

State education agencies are increasingly interested in developing and adopting through-course assessment models to meet statewide assessment and accountability requirements. However, because many of these systems are still under development, limited information about teacher perceptions of these administration models is available. We used focus groups and surveys to collect feedback on an operational, instructionally embedded alternate assessment system administered to students with significant cognitive disabilities. Findings highlight trade-offs of assessment systems with dual functions of instructional utility and accountability. Teachers value the flexibility of instructionally embedded assessments and use the data to plan instruction, evaluate students’ progress, and share information about students’ skill mastery with parents. Findings also reveal that the increased flexibility required more planning and organization to manage assessment delivery. Teachers’ perceptions of the strengths and challenges of through-course assessments are discussed, along with implications for developers of other embedded or through-course assessments.

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Clark, A., Kobrin, J., Mulvihill, M., & Hirt, A. (2025). Teacher Perspectives of Instructionally Embedded Assessments. Educational Assessment, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10627197.2025.2487126