States often use summative assessments as a measure to determine students' readiness for college and career tracks. Some states administer the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) or Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments to measure high school student performance on college and career readiness content. Other states administer their own state-developed assessments, or administer the SAT or ACT assessments as part of their state assessment portfolios, as a measure of college and career readiness. States often use summative assessments to measure student performance against academic standards designed to represent college and career ready knowledge and skills. However, a summative assessment may not always be the best method of measuring students' college and career readiness. Due to differences in learning needs, or differences in state definitions of college and career readiness, students may require alternative methods of properly and accurately demonstrating this knowledge and these skills. Three examples of these alternatives are utilizing local assessments, utilizing performance-based assessments (such as a portfolio), or offering dual enrollment programs. This brief discusses each of these three examples.