Today, the word "assessment" is apt to conjure up unpleasant thoughts of the often acrimonious controversy involving high-stakes testing. As important as that debate may be, the authors of this article argue that there is an issue of far greater consequence facing reading educators. To what extent is the instruction they provide informed by the results of assessments? In this column, they will contrast what they believe has long been the norm for assessments with a promising trend spurred by recent U.S. federal initiatives such as Reading First. The authors contend that there is great potential for "peaceful coexistence" between policymakers and teachers when assessments are chosen and used to plan effective instruction.