Which assessment type is specifically designed to determine if students have met certain skills by a defined goal?

Criterion-referenced assessments are specifically designed to evaluate whether students have achieved predefined skills or standards. These assessments measure a student's performance against a specific set of criteria or learning goals, enabling educators to determine mastery of skills defined in the curriculum.

For example, a criterion-referenced assessment might involve a test created to assess whether students can solve a particular type of math problem or understand a specific reading concept. The results indicate whether each student has met the established criteria, rather than comparing their performance to that of other students.

In contrast, diagnostic assessments are used to identify students' strengths and weaknesses prior to instruction, while screening assessments help to identify students who may be at risk for learning difficulties. Norm-referenced assessments, on the other hand, compare an individual’s performance to a larger group to categorize students relative to one another, rather than measuring against individual learning goals. Therefore, criterion-referenced assessments distinctly focus on whether students have met clear skill benchmarks.