Educational accountability in the United States has a significant impact on public school assessment practices. There is enormous pressure on schools to demonstrate their academic progress; this pressure comes mainly in the form of standardized tests. Currently, the assessment practices used are traditional, inauthentic forms of assessment that only reveal whether a student can recognize or remember what they have learned. In an effort to redefine learning in our schools, emphasis must be placed on authentic educational assessments and standardized testing to improve student performance. An assessment should reflect the real-world applications of how knowledge and understanding are used. Assessments based on situations relevant to students' own experiences can motivate them to perform at their best. One of the most essential teaching tools is classroom assessment. When used correctly, assessments can help teachers better understand what their students are learning. Classroom assessments help educators identify students' strengths and weaknesses, monitor their learning and progress, and plan and direct instruction. Instead, many wonder whether to use more formal standardized tests or authentic learning strategies, including multiple intelligence (MI) theory. Classroom assessments can do more than measure learning. How teachers access and communicate results sends a clear message to students about what is worth learning, how we expect them to perform, and how it should be learned. Linking teaching and assessment is essential to effective learning. Educators should provide students with a variety of learning options, including: different ways of learning (style and tense), middle of the sheet......and have plenty of opportunities to demonstrate their abilities. MI theory is used as a formal and informal classroom assessment to enable students to grasp and understand concepts. Using multiple types of assessments in the classroom produces richer, more qualitative information about a child's achievement. If the ultimate goal is student learning, then there is room for standardized testing and authentic assessment using MI theory in today's classroom. Works Cited Meisels, S., Atkins-Burnett, S., Xue, Y. (2003, February 28). Creating an accountability system: The impact of educational assessment on the achievement test results of primary school children. Archives of Education Policy Analysis, Vol 11 (9). Perreault, G. (summer 2000). The classroom impact of high-stress testing. Education, Vol 120 (4), pp.. 705-710.