The ninth outcome of the Case Western Reserve University Proactive Scholar Practitioner Program is Assessment. The outcome mandates that “The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.” In other words, the prospective teacher must be able to successfully gauge the progress of his or her students in order to assist their educational development. The teacher must also be able to use assessment as a tool for improving his or her teaching strategies and methods, ensuring that they remain Proactive Practitioners throughout their career.

It is important for music educators to ensure that their students are making progress, thus informal and formal assessment are important in any music class. Informal assessment may be done in private lessons or in the classroom by asking questions or taking note of a student's participation and level of improvement in technique, musicality, etc. Formal assessment may be in the form of a written exam or some form of jury or concert. Seating auditions or chair challenges may also be used as a form of evaluation and as a motivation for students in larger ensembles. Instructors need to be aware of various methods of assessment and implement them to measure the students' progress and to evaluate their own teaching strategies and effectiveness in the classroom.

Learning assessment can be done inside and outside the classroom by taking educational classes and observing the rubrics and grading systems of one's teachers. Reading educational journals and articles or attending conferences is a great way to keep up on new methods of assessment and learn about other instructors' methods. Artifacts to prove competency in assessment include rubrics, lesson plans including assessment points and methods, or papers and essays reviewing assessment methods.