This research was designed to construct and validate an effective, reliable, criterion-referenced test--the English-as-a-Second Language Assessment Battery (ESLAB)--for assessing the English skills of secondary students learning English as a second language (ESL) in bilingual education programs. The ESLAB for receptive language was validated first. This decision was based on the fact that individuals acquire competence before performance and that the receptive area precedes the expressive area in the acquisition of language. A modification of Cohen's model was used as a theoretical base. The validation procedure for the receptive skills (listening and reading) included item analysis, establishment of reliability, and the confirmation of test validity. It was concluded that the receptive area tests are valid measures of language proficiency. The significance of the study lies in the following: (1) It provides information on methodology for constructing and validating a criterion-referenced assessment battery; (2) the ESLAB has been prepared and pilot tested; and (3) the data support the contentions of interrelations among language areas. (AMH)