The assessment and placement of language minority students remain among the most serious problems facing schools today. As of 1990, 14 percent of the school-aged population in the United States comes from language minority backgrounds. Significant numbers of these students are not being properly identified by educators. Assessment procedures in a school often reflect local politics as well as student needs, and thus, no single universally acceptable model has been developed for any aspect of the language assessment process. Still, all districts must determine which students to assess and develop testing mechanisms. In most cases information from teachers and the Home Language Survey act as screening mechanisms for schools to determine if further evaluation is necessary. Various achievement and language proficiency tests have been developed to determine student eligibility for language or other services. Although tests should measure all aspects of language skill, many only evaluate oral skills. Improvements in assessment could take the form of "Student Centers" designed to ensure the equitable treatment of incoming language minority students; multiple assessment methods with teacher involvement in the evaluation; and parent participation in the process. Offers 13 references. (JB)