What type of assessment focuses solely on the curriculum being taught?

Curriculum-based assessment is specifically designed to evaluate a student's performance based on the actual curriculum and learning objectives being taught. This type of assessment allows educators to determine how well students are understanding and mastering the material within that curriculum framework. By directly aligning assessments with the content delivered in the classroom, this approach provides immediate feedback about students' progress and areas needing improvement.

This method emphasizes continuous measurement and is often used to tailor instruction to meet the needs of learners, making it formative in nature even while focused on specific curricula. Assessments can include quizzes, tests, or other assignments directly tied to lessons, helping educators make informed decisions about instruction and intervention.

In contrast, norm-referenced assessments compare a student's performance to a larger group and may not relate to the specific curriculum. Formative assessments, while related to ongoing learning and development, capture progress during the instructional process rather than focusing solely on curriculum evaluation. Summative assessments assess student learning at the end of an instructional period but may include a wide range of content instead of being strictly tied to the curriculum in real-time.