Toward Assessment in the Service of Learning: Edmund W. Gordon Outlines the Case for a Paradigm Shift

The Science of Reading (SoR) movement is a national policy success, with over 40 states passing laws designed to overhaul literacy instruction. Yet, as affirmed by the contributors to the recent Fordham Institute’s Wonkathon, the critical challenge remaining is not the what of reading science, but the how of implementation. Our Wonkathon entry, "Science of Reading 2.0," argues the missing backbone is assessment. It must evolve from a historical audit to a continuous GPS for learning.

This required shift—from SoR 1.0 to SoR 2.0 (implementation)—is rooted in the life's work of Professor Edmund W. Gordon. The traditional assessment paradigm fails because it focuses only on status (what is) rather than facilitating the cultivation of ability (what might become).

This article turns to excerpts from Professor Gordon’s seminal work, "Toward Assessment in the Service of Learning," which establishes the humanistic, equity-focused theory behind this necessary evolution. The first excerpt introduces the formative Else Haeussermann story: assessment used not merely to sort or classify, but to understand and uncover "the seed of possibility" in every learner. The second highlights the urgent call to expand evidence, demanding we examine process data: How did the student arrive at this answer? What misconceptions were revealed?.

The Case Study illustrates this shift in action, showing how modern tools move from measuring gaps to actively cultivating intellective competence.

Excerpts from Toward Assessment in the Service of Learning

Pedagogical sciences and practice have long utilized educational assessment and measurement too narrowly. While we have leveraged the capacity of these technologies and approaches to monitor progress, take stock, measure readiness, and hold accountable, we have neglected their capacity to facilitate the cultivation of ability; to transform interests and engagement into developed ability. . Educational assessment as an essential component of pedagogy, in the service of learning, can inform and improve human learning and development. 

More than sixty years ago, I had the privilege of working alongside a remarkable educator, Else Haeussermann, whose insights into the learning potential of children with neurological impairments forever altered my understanding of educational assessment. At a time when many viewed such children as unreachable or incapable, Haeussermann insisted that their performances must be interpreted not merely to sort or classify, but to understand — and that understanding must inform instruction. Rather than measuring fixed abilities, she sought to uncover the conditions under which each child might succeed. Her lesson plans were not dictated by standardized norms, but by rich clinical observations of how learners engaged with tasks, responded to guidance, and revealed their ways of thinking. The lesson I took from Haeussermann was simple yet profound: that assessment should be used not only to identify what is, but to imagine and cultivate what might become. In every learner’s struggle, there is the seed of possibility, and our charge as educators is to create the conditions under which that possibility can take root and flourish. 

A Vision for Assessment in Education

Convened over a decade ago under my leadership, the Commission argued that traditional testing–focused on ranking students and certifying “what is”–must give way to new approaches that also illuminate how learning happens and how it can be improved. In effect, we have been evaluating the outputs of education while neglecting the processes of learning that produce those outcomes. The result is an underutilization of assessment’s potential: its potential to guide teaching, to inspire students, and to support the cultivation of intellective competence–that is, the capacity and disposition to use knowledge and thinking skills to solve problems and adapt to new challenges. When assessment is woven into learning, it can provide timely insights to teachers and learners, diagnose misunderstandings, and suggest fruitful paths for further inquiry. 

Re-purposing assessment also calls for expanding the evidence we consider and collect about learning. We need to examine process: How did the student arrive at this answer? What misconceptions were revealed in their intermediate steps? How did they respond to hints or setbacks? Today’s technology makes it increasingly feasible to capture these rich process data. 

Assessment, Teaching, and Learning as Dynamic Transactions

Central to my proposed paradigm is the understanding that assessment is fundamentally relational and contextual. Learning does not unfold in a vacuum, and neither should assessment. Every assessment occurs in a context–a classroom, a culture, a relationship–and these contexts influence how students perform and how they interpret the meaning of the assessment itself. 

Embracing Human Variance

A commitment to humanistic, learner-centered assessment inevitably leads us to confront the reality of human variance. Learners differ widely in their developmental pathways, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, interests, and approaches to learning. I have often described human variance not as a complication to be managed, but as a core consideration and asset in education. The Journey Ahead–and the Contributions of this Handbook Series

This Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning series stands as a timely and essential contribution to this educational renaissance. 

It is a vision of education where every learner is seen, supported, and challenged; where assessment is not a grim rite of ranking, but a continuous source of insight and improvement; where teaching, learning, and assessment form a holistic enterprise devoted to nurturing the growth of human potential.. By making assessment a partner in learning, we stand to enrich the educational experience for all students, help teachers teach more effectively, and advance the cause of equity and excellence by ensuring that every learner receives the feedback and opportunities they need to thrive. This is assessment in the service of learning: assessment that not only reflects where learners are, but actively helps them get to where they need to go next. With the insights and evidence gathered in this Handbook series, we take important steps on that journey. The message is clear and hopeful–it is time to move beyond the extant paradigm and embrace a future in which to assess is, intrinsically, to teach and to learn.

References

The Gordon Commission on the Future of Assessment in Education. (2013). To assess, to teach, to learn: A vision for the future of assessment (Technical report). Educational Testing Service. https://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/gordon_commission_technical_report.pdf

Conclusion: Toward a Paradigm Shift: Assessment in the Service of Literacy

The Case Study illustrates that the principles articulated by Professor Gordon are achievable today: Assessment in the Service of Learning is a practical reality. Technology allows us to capture the rich process data needed to cultivate ability, fundamentally moving beyond the traditional static assessment model.

As we argued in our Wonkathon entry, "Science of Reading 2.0," this shift is the backbone that solves the improvement and implementation challenge.The message is clear: when we repurpose assessment to serve learning, we enrich the educational experience, help teachers teach more effectively, and advance the cause of efficacy and excellence. This approach ensures that every learner receives the feedback and opportunities they need to thrive and fulfill their human potential. It is time to embrace a future in which to assess is, intrinsically, to teach and to learn.

Tagging colleagues who honor Professor Gordon's contributions:

Geoffrey Canada , Oscar Cohen , Carol Bowman , Gloria Ladson-Billings , norris haynes Temple Lovelace , Joyce Elaine King , Kenji Hakuta , Jessica Andrews-Todd , Erica Walker , Stephanie Rowley , Kent McGuire , jeffrey f milem , kris Gutierrez , Angela Booker . David Wall Rice , C. Malik Boykin, Ph.D. , Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated Sonali Rajan , Sonya Douglass, Ed.D. , Bettina L. . Brenda Allen , Angela Glover Blackwell , John H. Stanfield II Jean-Claude Brizard , Michele Cahill , Emile Session , Connie Yowell , Girlie Delacruz , Francisco García-Quezada ; Michelle A. Purdy ; Catherine Close ; Leslie Nabors Olah ; Jimmy Adams ; Brian Arnold Ph.D. ; Andres Henriquez ; Marielys Divanne ; Walt Jiménez ; Sebastian T. ; Brett Roer ; Jim Goodell ; Bob Lenz ; Mario Piacentini ; Brad Bernatek ; Ronald Ferguson ; Lauren D. Song ; Akisha Osei Sarfo, Ph.D. , Joanna Gorin ; Michael T. Nettles, Ph.D. Kristopher J. ; Susan Rundell Singer ; Dr. Shawn T. ; Shawn Dove ; Jason Carter ; Gerald Hill ; Dereje A. ; Philip Bell ; Sergio Araneda ; Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger ; Antonio Gutierrez ; Ed Dieterle ; Terricita Sass, Ph.D. George Wimberly ; Laurie Gagnon ; Jacqueline Rodriguez ; Leslie Forde ; Kate Felsen ; Karen Barton ; Joanne Michiuye ; Julia Zuze, D.Phil. .; Michael Preston ; Perry Green, III ; Dinelia Rosa, Ph.D. , Monica A. Beane, Ed.D., NBCT , Marianne Perie ; Derya Cakici Eser John Lee ; Derrick R. Brooms ; Richard Seder ; Edward Montalvo ; Christine O'Brien ; Sharon C. ; Leslie Ashby Sorel ; Dena Simmons ; Ogechi Iwuoha, Ed.D. Michael Kubiak ; Honey Walrond, Ph.D. , Asha Canady ; Cordel Blair ; Arnold F Fege ; Doug Lynch ; Joe Herrera ; Peter Dillon ; Charity Welch, Ph.D. Greg Moffitt ;