Selected issues must be considered in choosing an effective assessment method from diverse procedures. External means of evaluation stress the use of national and state-developed tests to measure student achievement. In addition to external evaluations of students, administrators may use external tests for teachers. Internal means of evaluating student achievement include teacher-written tests and a variety of classroom-initiated projects and reports. Some considerations in choosing between these approaches, or in using elements of both, are outlined. Other issues that must be considered in selecting assessments are the appropriate use of criterion-referenced tests, the importance of acknowledging multiple intelligences in test construction and selection, and constructivism as a philosophy of education. Some project methods of evaluation are described. A single standardized test for learners would not provide an appropriate measure of student learning. Since evaluation needs to be ongoing, a variety of approaches can be used to assess each student's achievement. (SLD)