The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; P.L. 114-95 ), specifies the requirements for the state assessments that states must incorporate into their state accountability systems to receive funding under Title I-A. Title I-A of the ESEA authorizes aid to local educational agencies (LEAs) for the education of disadvantaged children. Title I-A grants provide supplementary educational and related services to low-achieving and other students attending elementary and secondary schools with relatively high concentrations of students from low-income families. As a condition of receiving Title I-A funds, states, LEAs, and public schools must comply with numerous requirements related to standards, assessments, and academic accountability systems. All states currently accept Title I-A funds. For FY2017, the program was funded at $15.5 billion. The ESEA requires that states implement high-quality academic assessments in reading, mathematics, and science. States must test all students in reading and mathematics annually in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school. States must also test all students in science at least once within three grade spans (grades 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12). The ESEA therefore requires states to implement annually, at a minimum, 17 assessments for students in elementary and secondary schools. While many of the assessment requirements of the ESEA have not changed from the requirements put into place by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB; P.L. 107-110 ), the ESSA provides states some new flexibility in meeting them. For example, states may choose to administer one summative assessment or multiple statewide interim assessments that result in a single summative score. For the first time, the ESSA allows states to use "nationally recognized tests" to meet the high school assessment requirement, provided there is evidence the tests align with state standards. It also includes provisions for states' use of alternate assessments for students with the "most significant cognitive disabilities," which was previously addressed only in regulations. The ESSA explicitly authorizes the use of computer adaptive assessments. Computer adaptive assessments adjust to a student's individual responses, which means that all students will not see the exact same questions. The ESSA also authorizes an exception to state assessment requirements for 8 th grade students taking advanced mathematics in middle school that permits them to take an end-of-course assessment rather than the 8 th grade mathematics assessment, provided certain conditions are met. In addition, the ESSA authorizes a new demonstration authority for states to create an "innovative assessment system" that would permit them to use different assessment formats (e.g., competency-based assessments) and assessments that validate when students are ready to demonstrate mastery or proficiency, and allow for differentiated student support based on individual learning needs. The ESSA also includes a new provision that permits the Secretary of Education (the Secretary) to reserve a portion of funds available under the State Assessment Grant program to award competitive grants to states for assessment audits. The purpose of this report is to describe the general assessment requirements of the ESEA as amended and discuss the new flexibility states have in meeting these requirements. The report also discusses some issues related to the changes enacted by ESSA regarding the use of assessments in accountability systems that are receiving attention as they are implemented. More specifically, this report examines issues related to assessment of student growth, assessment of students with disabilities and English learners, the use of computer adaptive assessments, student assessment participation requirements, and testing burden. While these changes have the potential to add flexibility and nuance to state accountability systems, states face the challenge of implementing them in such a way as to maintain the validity and reliability of the required assessments. Students participate in many assessments in elementary and secondary schools. As mentioned above, the ESEA requires states to administer annually, at a minimum, 17 assessments collectively in reading, mathematics, and science. To meet this requirement, states typically use summative assessments. For reading and mathematics, the results of these assessments are then used in the state accountability system to differentiate schools based, in part, on student performance. In addition to these assessments, states, LEAs, and schools administer a number of other assessments for different purposes and within different content areas. The focus of this report is on the assessments required in Title I-A of the ESEA. Title I-A of the ESEA outlines the requirements for state assessment and accountability systems. Section 1111(b) specifically details the "academic assessments" requirements. While many of the requirements for academic assessments have not changed from the requirements put in place by the NCLB, a few changes are noteworthy. This section discusses the general state academic assessment requirements and highlights some of the changes made by the ESSA. It also discusses the State Assessment Grants program, including how funds are allocated to states. The section closes with a discussion of the Secretary's new ability to reserve funds under the State Assessment Grants program to make competitive grants to states for conducting assessment audits, and a new authority included in the ESSA related to the use of innovative assessments. This section of the report examines current ESEA assessment requirements with respect to the content areas and grades assessed, student participation, properties of the assessments, new assessment options, and public information about assessments. In each case, the discussion specifies whether current requirements existed prior to the implementation of the ESSA or whether they were added by the ESSA. Under the requirements of the ESEA both prior to and following the enactment of the ESSA, each state must implement a set of high-quality academic assessments in reading, mathematics, and science. Reading and mathematics assessments must be administered annually in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school. Science assessments must be administered at least once within three grade spans (grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). Assessments in other grades and subject areas may be administered at the discretion of the state. All academic assessments must be aligned with state academic standards and provide "coherent and timely" information about an individual student's attainment of state standards and whether the student is performing at grade level. The reading and mathematics assessment results must be used in the state's accountability system to differentiate the performance of schools. For the most part, under the ESEA, the same academic assessments must be used to measure the achievement of all public elementary and secondary school students in a state. States are required to measure annually the achievement of not less than 95% of all students and 95% of all students in each subgroup on the required assessments. A state must explain how this requirement will be incorporated into its accountability system. As mentioned above, academic assessments must be the same academic assessments used to measure the achievement of all students, which includes most students with disabilities and English learners (ELs). Students with the "most significant cognitive disabilities" may participate in an alternate assessment aligned with alternate achievement standards. For ELs, under certain circumstances, assessments may be administered in the language and form that is most likely to produce accurate results. The ESSA added two new provisions related to a parent's right to opt a child out of the required assessments. First, it added a provision that provides that nothing "shall be construed as preempting a state or local law regarding the decision of a parent to not have the parent's child participate in the academic assessments." Second, the ESSA now requires any LEA receiving Title I-A funds to notify parents of their right to receive information about assessment participation requirements, which must include a policy, procedure, or parental right to opt the child out of state assessments. State assessments must meet several requirements regarding (1) format, (2) administration, and (3) technical quality. While a required assessment format is not specified, the ESEA continues to require that the assessment measures higher-order thinking skills and understanding. It also adds some examples of how this requirement may be met, which may include measures of student growth and "may be partially delivered in the form of" portfolios, projects, or extended performance tasks. The ESSA provides some new flexibility regarding the administration of state assessments. Prior to its enactment, states were required to administer a single, summative assessment to meet the requirements of Title I-A. Under the ESEA as amended by the ESSA, states have the option of using a single, summative assessment or multiple statewide interim assessments that result in a single summative score. The ESSA also includes a new provision that allows each state to set a target limit on the amount of time devoted to the administration of assessments for each grade, expressed as a percentage of annual instructional hours. States must continue to provide evidence that academic assessments are of adequate technical quality for each purpose required under the ESEA. Prior to the enactment of the ESSA, states were required to provide this evidence to the Secretary and make it public upon the Secretary's request. Under the ESEA as amended by the ESSA, states are now required to include such evidence on the state education agency's (SEA's) website. As required prior to the enactment of the ESSA, state assessments must be used for purposes for which they are valid and reliable and must be consistent with nationally recognized professional and technical standards. They must also "objectively measure academic achievement, knowledge, and skills." To increase the likelihood of valid and reliable results, the ESSA continues to require that states use "multiple up-to-date measures" of academic achievement. The ESSA explicitly authorizes two new assessment options to meet the requirements discussed above. First, in selecting a high school assessment for reading, mathematics, or science, an LEA may choose a "nationally-recognized high school academic assessment," provided that it has been approved by the state.