What is the primary purpose of instructional assessment?

• A. To keep teachers informed of each student’s performance
• B. To motivate students to enhance their classroom efforts
• C. To guide teachers’ decisions for promoting optimal learning
• D. To evaluate the teacher's performance annually

Answer: (C)

The primary purpose of instructional assessment is to guide teachers’ decisions for promoting optimal learning. This means that through assessments, teachers can gain insights into what students understand, where they struggle, and what instructional methods are most effective. The information gathered from assessments helps educators tailor their teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of their students, ensuring that all learners have the opportunity to succeed.

While keeping teachers informed of each student’s performance is a component of assessment, it is not the ultimate goal. Similarly, motivating students can be a byproduct of various assessment methods, but it's not the main focus of instructional assessment. Evaluating a teacher's performance can involve assessments, but this is more about accountability and does not directly relate to the instructional purpose of facilitating student learning, which is the crux of the primary objective behind instructional assessments.