In conducting this review, we examine literature that explores the merits and shortcomings of ELP test design and testing as they have evolved over time through the current era of CCR standards. In the first section, we situate the role of language testing in its broader historical and policy context. In the second section, we examine the evolving construct and operationalization of academic language. In the third section we explore expanded conceptualizations of assessment in the CCR era, in particular the purposes and uses of interim and formative assessments as part of a systems-wide approach. Finally, we offer a set of questions as a heuristic for test developers and educational professionals to continue to think critically about the role of ELP assessments in supporting the educational opportunities of ELLs in local contexts.