Volume I of the Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning offers a theoretical and research-grounded vision for transforming educational assessment into a catalyst for learning. Drawing on contemporary learning sciences, measurement theory, and improvement science, the volume is organized into three sections that offer principled design and conceptual frameworks for integrating assessment with teaching and learning; ground assessment in the social, cultural, and developmental nature of how people learn; and examine how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence might enrich balanced assessment practices while upholding technical requirements of validity: fairness, scientific soundness, utility and creditability. Informed by the vision of the Gordon Commission for the Future of Assessment in Education, this volume explores rethinking assessment as an integral component of pedagogy that informs the processes for learning and its improvement over time rather than just a final evaluation of the status of learning achieved. It provides the foundations for building assessment systems that are human-centered, just, and truly in the service of every learner.
Volume II of the Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning moves from foundational principles to the conceptual tools and methods needed to build assessment systems that actively improve, not just measure, learning. Section I offers frameworks for learner‑centered assessment—foregrounding formative practice, self‑regulated learning, personalization and equity, validity, and social justice—so that technical quality and justice are co‑equal design imperatives. Section II translates these ideas into practice: game‑based learning, educative portfolios, dynamic learning maps, culturally and linguistically responsive co‑design, redesigned score reporting, and analyses of learner–system interactions that turn digital traces into actionable evidence. Volume II of this Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning provides blueprints and validation guidance to inform assessment systems that support learners —bridging Volume I’s foundations to Volume III’s exemplars. It also advanced the series’ proposition that assessment, teaching, and learning are inseparable.
Volume III of the Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning bridges the gap between aspiration and application, by translating core design principles into practice through a collection of examples. This volume presents tangible "existence proofs" from a broad range of educational contexts—including digital learning platforms, PreK–12 classrooms, game-based learning environments, and skills-based credentialing programs. Each worked example can be understood through three complementary lenses: assessment as an evidentiary argument, as a feedback loop, and as a social practice. This framework reveals how thoughtfully designed assessment systems with actionable feedback can balance the need for evidence of learning. By showcasing assessments that are seamlessly integrated with learning and instruction, this volume advances the proposition that to assess is, fundamentally, to teach and to learn. It offers practical models and designs that embed assessment within instruction to cultivate skills and support meaningful learning.