Secondary school assessments serve multiple purposes, including measuring student achievement, providing feedback to students and teachers, and identifying students who need additional support.

Observations are not typically used as a formal assessment method in secondary schools, although they may be used for informal assessment purposes.

Standardized tests offer several advantages, including objectivity, reliability, comparability, and the ability to identify students who need additional support.

Standardized tests have several disadvantages, including the potential for stress, misalignment with the curriculum, and the inability to measure all aspects of student learning.

Teacher-made tests offer several advantages, including the ability to tailor them to the curriculum, assess students regularly, and provide feedback to students and parents.

Teacher-made tests have several disadvantages, including the potential for subjectivity, unreliability, and misalignment with the standards.

Portfolios offer several advantages, including the ability to demonstrate learning in a variety of ways, assess progress over time, and help students reflect on their learning.

Portfolios have several disadvantages, including the potential for being time-consuming, subjective, and misaligned with the standards.

Observations offer several advantages, including the ability to assess students in a natural setting, assess social and emotional skills, and identify students who need additional support.

Observations have several disadvantages, including the potential for subjectivity, unreliability, and misalignment with the standards.

Secondary school assessments can be used to improve student learning by providing feedback, identifying students who need additional support, and informing instructional decisions.

Secondary school assessments face several challenges, including ensuring validity and reliability, aligning with the curriculum and standards, and interpreting and using results effectively.

Secondary school assessment is undergoing several trends, including the use of technology, the development of more authentic assessments, and the focus on assessing higher-order thinking skills.

Secondary school assessment faces several future challenges, including keeping up with the changing nature of learning and work, ensuring fairness and equity, and addressing the needs of diverse learners.

Secondary school assessments can be used to promote equity and inclusion by using bias-free assessments, providing accommodations for students with disabilities, and ensuring alignment with the curriculum and standards.