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In a move that could prompt major changes in the way states measure the achievement of English-language learners, the U.S. Department of Education is planning to tell states they must each use a consistent yardstick in determining when a child is fluent in English and when that child no longer needs special ELL services.

With a significant and growing population of linguistically diverse learners, careful measures must be taken to ensure equitable assessment of students' performance. If not, the achievement gap between the "advantaged" and "disadvantaged" will widen in our society (NCEST, 1992). Studies over the last decade have resulted in findings that can be translated into guidelines that can assist in equitable assessments. However, it will be up to state and local education agencies to begin the process of crafting assessments that reflect this knowledge and meet the educational needs of their student populations.