This report examines the state of the art in assessing bilingual and/or multicultural students and asserts that dramatic improvements in assessment practices cannot be made within the context of the existing medical model. It is noted that existing assessment processes rely upon administration of technically-suspect norm-referenced measures to arrive at frequently imprecise classifications which are not linked to differentially-effective intervention strategies. Trends to adapt the norm referenced model for minority and/or culturally diffrent children are also discussed. Finally, the paper proposes a more functional, teaching orientation to existing assessment practices in which academic task time is recorded and appropriateness of the material evaluated. The paper concludes with an analysis of potential roadblocks to change, including existing state and federal laws and existing funding patterns. Three pages of references are included. (CL)