--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Assessments should compare the…" description: "\"Assessments should compare the performance of students to a set of expectations, never to the performance of other students.\" — Alfie Kohn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alfie-kohn-7728_assessment_assessments-should-compare-the-performan_2286784.jpg" --- # Assessments should compare the performance of students to… ![“Assessments should compare the performance of students to a set of expectations, never to the performance of other students.” quote by Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alfie-kohn-7728_assessment_assessments-should-compare-the-performan_2286784.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alfie-kohn-7728_assessment_assessments-should-compare-the-performan_2286784.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alfie-kohn-7728_assessment_assessments-should-compare-the-performan_2286784.jpg) > “Assessments should compare the performance of students to a set of expectations, never to the performance of other students.” [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Assessments should measure each student against clear standards, not against peers. **In simple terms:** Grades should compare to expectations, not other students. Key Takeaway Design fair, standards‑based evaluation. Themes education fairness assessment standards equality Mood analytical thoughtful Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - classroom grading - standardized testing - personal progress Key Concepts norm‑referencing criterion‑referencing learning goals Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure assessments stay criteria‑focused? - What alternatives exist to peer ranking? A Different Perspective Peer comparison can still influence perception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assessment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assessment/) [Assessments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assessments/) [Assessments Compare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assessments-compare-5357761/) [Compare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Expectations Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations-performance-3232738/) [Performance Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance-students-257574/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Students Set](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students-set-5357762/) ## Related quotes > [I believe there's not a harder job in the world than being a teacher, and there isn't a job with a more direct impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/i-believe-there-s-not-a-harder-job-in-the-world-than-being-a-teacher/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Confidence is the bridge connecting expectations and performance, investment and results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosabeth-moss-kanter/confidence-is-the-bridge-connecting-expectations-and-performance/) [Rosabeth Moss Kanter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosabeth-moss-kanter/) > [“Assessment in this spirit does not concern assignment of grades or evaluation of whether instruction was effective. It's assessment designed squarely to feed into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-n-perkins/assessment-in-this-spirit-does-not-concern-assignment-of-grades-or/) [David N. Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-n-perkins/) > [I've always avoided those sorts of self-assessments because if you give yourself a 10 out of 10 people think you're a big head, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/i-ve-always-avoided-those-sorts-of-self-assessments-because-if-you/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [I can be much more sarcastic and, I think, sometimes withering in my assessments of things than I allow to show in my public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-be-much-more-sarcastic-and-i-think-sometimes-withering-in-my/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Act after having made assessments. The one who first knows the measure of far and near wins - this is the rule of armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/act-after-having-made-assessments-the-one-who-first-knows-the-measure/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System measures accuracy, comprehension, and fluency. (There are also assessments in the system that measure phonemic awareness, phonics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-landrigan/the-fountas-and-pinnell-benchmark-assessment-system-measures-accuracy/) [Clare Landrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-landrigan/) > [Talent - really, everyone agrees, it's multidimensional, and often overlooked in standard assessments. That's not hard for people to accept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/talent-really-everyone-agrees-it-s-multidimensional-and-often/) [L. Todd Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-todd-rose/) > [“In the middle, we relax our standards, perhaps because others relax their assessments”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/in-the-middle-we-relax-our-standards-perhaps-because-others-relax/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [“Sometimes you're not ready to give the world quite what it wants. And that's okay, because the Earth is generously patient.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaree-francis/sometimes-you-re-not-ready-to-give-the-world-quite-what-it-wants-and/) [Jaree Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaree-francis/) > [The ability to see through certain things, lies in your ability to make contrasting assessments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cervantes/the-ability-to-see-through-certain-things-lies-in-your-ability-to/) [Andrew Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cervantes/) > [Find out about me and who I am before making judgements and assessments. You may be surprised with what you learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/find-out-about-me-and-who-i-am-before-making-judgements-and/) [Enhance Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enhance-dreams/) > [“For me, all those systematic Bureaucracies of traditional schools jaded me. For me, I still couldn’t understand why we have to have a factory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neda-aria/for-me-all-those-systematic-bureaucracies-of-traditional-schools/) [Neda Aria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neda-aria/) > [“The four main assessments we use are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Workplace Personality Inventory, the Team Dimensions Profile, and Stratified Systems Theory.33…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/the-four-main-assessments-we-use-are-the-myers-briggs-type-indicator/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“While you judge me by my outward appearance I am silently doing the same to you, even though there's a ninety-percent chance that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/while-you-judge-me-by-my-outward-appearance-i-am-silently-doing-the/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) ## More by Alfie Kohn > [“Many of our elected officials have virtually handed the keys to our schools over to corporate interests. Presidential commissions on education are commonly chaired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/many-of-our-elected-officials-have-virtually-handed-the-keys-to-our/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [“a grade can be regarded only as an inadequate report of an inaccurate judgment by a biased and variable judge of the extent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/a-grade-can-be-regarded-only-as-an-inadequate-report-of-an-inaccurate/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [In some suburban schools, the curriculum is chock-full of rigorous A.P. courses and the parking lot glitters with pricey SUVs, but one doesn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/in-some-suburban-schools-the-curriculum-is-chock-full-of-rigorous-a-p/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [Standardized testing has swelled and mutated, like a creature in one of those old horror movies, to the point that it now threatens to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/standardized-testing-has-swelled-and-mutated-like-a-creature-in-one/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [If a child is off-task...mayb e the problem is not the child...maybe it's the task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/if-a-child-is-off-task-mayb-e-the-problem-is-not-the-child-maybe-it-s/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [If unconditional love and genuine enthusiasm are present, praise isn't necessary. If they're absent, praise won't help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/if-unconditional-love-and-genuine-enthusiasm-are-present-praise-isn-t/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [Most of us would protest that of course we love our children without any strings attached. But what counts is how things look from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/most-of-us-would-protest-that-of-course-we-love-our-children-without/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [What can we surmise about the likelihood of someone's being caring and generous, loving and helpful, just from knowing that they are a believer?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/what-can-we-surmise-about-the-likelihood-of-someone-s-being-caring/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [When was the last time you spent the entire day with only 42 year olds?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/when-was-the-last-time-you-spent-the-entire-day-with-only-42-year-olds/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [Punishment and reward proceed from basically the same psychological model, one that conceives of motivation as nothing more than the manipulation of behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/punishment-and-reward-proceed-from-basically-the-same-psychological/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [Each time I visit such a classroom, where the teacher is more interested in creating a democratic community than in maintaining her position of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/each-time-i-visit-such-a-classroom-where-the-teacher-is-more/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [Educators remind us that what counts in a classroom is not what the teacher teaches; it’s what the learner learns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/educators-remind-us-that-what-counts-in-a-classroom-is-not-what-the/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [In short, with each of the thousand-and-one problems that present themselves in family life, our choice is between controlling and teaching, between creating an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/in-short-with-each-of-the-thousand-and-one-problems-that-present/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [To control students is to force them to accommodate to a preestablished curriculum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/to-control-students-is-to-force-them-to-accommodate-to-a/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [“But as I mastered the material, homework ceased to be necessary. A no homework policy is a challenge to me," he adds. "I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/but-as-i-mastered-the-material-homework-ceased-to-be-necessary-a-no/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) [Explore all 88 Alfie Kohn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) ## More Assessment quotes > [Combining the experience of a seasoned university president with the analysis of a respected legal scholar, Derek Bok explores what he concludes are 'signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-h-t-rhodes/combining-the-experience-of-a-seasoned-university-president-with-the/) [Frank H. T. Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-h-t-rhodes/) > [I would say my fraternity was nothing but a bunch of farm boys; we weren't really in the whole fraternity scene, but yeah, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-would-say-my-fraternity-was-nothing-but-a-bunch-of-farm-boys-we/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [So a truthful assessment of how America is doing in the war on terror as a result of President Bush's war on Iraq is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olver/so-a-truthful-assessment-of-how-america-is-doing-in-the-war-on-terror/) [John Olver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olver/) > [A mighty maze! But not without a plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/a-mighty-maze-but-not-without-a-plan/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [No one seriously doubts Socrates' maxim: The unexamined life isn't worth living. Self-assessment and attempts at self-improvement are essential aspects of "the good life."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-burton/no-one-seriously-doubts-socrates-maxim-the-unexamined-life-isn-t/) [Robert A. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-burton/) > [“To assess the quality of thoughts of people, don't listen to their words, but watch their actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/to-assess-the-quality-of-thoughts-of-people-don-t-listen-to-their/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Even without voting, illegal aliens do affect who gets elected president, and that's since the Electoral College elects the president, and the states are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/even-without-voting-illegal-aliens-do-affect-who-gets-elected/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [President Obama had voiced strong support for the effort in Afghanistan during his campaign, pledging to add two brigades, which he did. But since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/president-obama-had-voiced-strong-support-for-the-effort-in/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [Before the curse of statistics fell upon mankind we lived a happy, innocent life, full of merriment and go and informed by fairly good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/before-the-curse-of-statistics-fell-upon-mankind-we-lived-a-happy/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [If you want to zoom down the expert slope tomorrow, you have to fall down the bunny slope today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-lewis/if-you-want-to-zoom-down-the-expert-slope-tomorrow-you-have-to-fall/) [Cynthia Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-lewis/) > [Commercialism that has absolutely no relationship to quality whatsoever, only quantitative assessment of a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/commercialism-that-has-absolutely-no-relationship-to-quality/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [I made my own assessment of my life, and I began to live it. That was freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-flores/i-made-my-own-assessment-of-my-life-and-i-began-to-live-it-that-was/) [Fernando Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-flores/) > [Patronizing the Arts is a brilliantly nuanced assessment of why universities must become art patrons. Learning from the twentieth-century university's embrace of Big Science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-phelan/patronizing-the-arts-is-a-brilliantly-nuanced-assessment-of-why/) [Peggy Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-phelan/) > [“The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System measures accuracy, comprehension, and fluency. (There are also assessments in the system that measure phonemic awareness, phonics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-landrigan/the-fountas-and-pinnell-benchmark-assessment-system-measures-accuracy/) [Clare Landrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-landrigan/) > [“In fact, they’re trained in risk assessment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yrsa-sigur-ard-ttir/in-fact-they-re-trained-in-risk-assessment/) [Yrsa Sigurðardóttir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yrsa-sigur-ard-ttir/) [Browse all 313 Assessment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assessment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Assessments should compare the performance of students to a set of expectations, never to the performance of other students.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alfie Kohn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/assessments-should-compare-the-performance-of-students-to-a-set-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assessment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/assessments-should-compare-the-performance-of-students-to-a-set-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alfie-kohn-7728_assessment_assessments-should-compare-the-performan_2286784.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alfie-kohn-7728_assessment_assessments-should-compare-the-performan_2286784.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alfie-kohn-7728_assessment_assessments-should-compare-the-performan_2286784.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Assessments should compare the performance of students to a set of expectations, never to the performance of…” — Alfie Kohn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alfie Kohn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Assessments should compare the performance of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/assessments-should-compare-the-performance-of-students-to-a-set-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/assessments-should-compare-the-performance-of-students-to-a-set-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```