What best describes the purpose of diagnostic assessment?

The purpose of diagnostic assessment is to identify the specific strengths and weaknesses of individual students in their learning processes. This type of assessment is often conducted before instruction begins or at the start of a new unit to gather detailed insights into students’ understanding and skills. By diagnosing learning needs, educators can tailor their instruction to address gaps in knowledge and support each student's learning journey more effectively.

This focus on individual student assessment enables teachers to create targeted interventions and personalized learning plans that foster student growth and ensure all learners have the opportunity to succeed. In contrast, other types of assessments mentioned do not serve this specific diagnostic purpose; for instance, gathering data on attitudes provides a broader overview rather than detailed insights, creating standardized test questions is more about assessment design than understanding student needs, and evaluating teacher performance does not relate to assessing student learning directly.