The author reviews key purposes of service-learning, identifies two critical assessment challenges, and invites consideration of “student reflection” both as an assessment strategy and as a source of assessment data. The article posits a relationship between student reflection as a student development and instructional strategy, and student reflection as a service-learning assessment strategy. Assessment can be enhanced by deliberately conceptualizing and utilizing student reflection as an authentic assessment strategy. This approach can provide insights about the personal meaning of the student’s lived experience, and can generate useful data about the efficacy of service-learning as a student development strategy. Alternative ideas about reflection techniques, timing, and strategy hold promise for improving the reflection that students do, and for smoothing the way to viewing reflection as an authentic assessment strategy and as data useful to administrators and policymakers concerned with accountability and with improving student learning.