Test scores are a flashlight on the health of our systems, how schools and districts are doing overall and how individual students are doing across their educational career. What test scores are less good at, what they aren't really designed for is talking about what students are ready to learn next, what they should be focusing on over the next week or the next month. I often compare it to using a map. A map of the United States is a very useful tool for a lot of purposes. It doesn't tell you how to get from your home to the grocery store.