When I think of assessments I feel conflicted.  My students seem to think that this is the end all of what we are here for, but I do not.  I feel that assessments are a tool that I use to help me see if my kids are where they need to be.  At the middle school level I feel that we are too focused on standardized tests and making sure that everyone can jump through the hoops they provide.  My goal is to enable my students to think through situations, to make mistakes, find the mistakes and learn from them.  Too many students are giving the least effort they can on what they consider minor grades because they know that, first they will get a 50 just for existing an second, its a minor and we have to give a certain amount of them each quarter.  If they miss a few, they just don't care, but those are the assignments that matter the most to me, because that is were I can guide through mistakes so that they can learn from them and in turn use the mistakes to make them a better learner. 
Our grade floor of a 50 gives the students a real illusion that they do not need to do anything but exist and they will be just fine.  It is a hard fall for them when they begin high school and see that is not the case.  Many students have said that as long as they pass they do not care about science and social studies.  That these subjects are not as important as math and ela.  The truth is that not only are they AS important, for some student they will be more important depending on the career path they take.  The mind set is a hard one to break. 
I am an advocate for standards based grading, that would allow students to move at a pace that best suits them.  It would decrease missed work because they would not have to do what they consider silly assignments and it would increase rigor by allowing students to continue to advance at their own pace. It si more student directed and truly is the only way for us to prepare our kids for the future.