For many years, publications such as the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996) and The Science Teacher (TST) have encouraged teachers to focus science classes more heavily on inquiry-based instructional practice. One way to improve our teaching practice is to use a benchmark assessment to obtain a solid point of reference that honestly reflects what we do in the classroom, and then to design a developmental plan to raise the level of performance. The Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol (EQUIP) is helpful in providing both a benchmark and a guide to improving the quality of inquiry implemented in our classrooms.