Native Language Assessments for K-12 English Learners: A 2025 State-Level Snapshot

For the nation’s 5.3 million English Learner (EL) students, standardized assessments in subjects such as reading/language arts, mathematics, and science present a persistent challenge. Testing students in a language they are actively learning makes it difficult to determine whether gaps uncovered by assessments reflect deficits in content knowledge or English proficiency.

To address this, a growing number of states offer an assessment accommodation designed to test content knowledge in students’ home language. As of 2025, 35 states and the District of Columbia offered at least one native language assessment, an increase of four states since 2020.

This fact sheet provides an overview of this changing assessment landscape, drawing from the most recently approved state plans under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and publicly available assessment and accommodation documents for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.