M?ori and Pasifika students have historically made up a large number of those ākonga that underachieve within formal education in New Zealand. The gap in achievement between M?ori, Pasifika and other ethnicities identified in Aotearoa is alarming and consideration of current assessment practice is necessary. This article explores the possible reasons for this disparity in achievement, problematising the practice of standardised testing, the measurement of ‘success’, and what cultural bodies of knowledge are valued in the development of assessment and the classroom environment. Further this article seeks to demonstrate how certain culturally responsive frameworks of teaching and learning, such as more effective use of formative assessment, can be implemented to encourage all ākonga, including Māori and Pasifika, to be actively engaged in their learning and achievement.