Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia offer standardized assessments in languages other than English, according to a 2025 analysis by researchers at the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank.
States aren’t required to offer these native-language assessments, but researchers say these tools can help educators understand English learners’ academic knowledge by removing language barriers. (These students also take separate, mandated assessments focused on English-language proficiency).
Even as research points to the benefits of offering native-language assessments to English learners, availability of such tests varies by language and state.