Assessment is an important part of an overall quality educational program and is, in fact, an integral part of improving classroom instruction. The purpose of educational assessments is to provide an academic check- up and to give educators and parents meaningful information on what students know and can do, and how well they are progressing toward college and career readiness. Assessments strive to show how well students perform on clearly defined standards and skills that are being taught in the classroom. West Virginia strives to ensure every student has a positive and productive assessment experience. West Virginia also strives to ensure the assessments are accessible to all students, including English learners and students with disabilities. The purposes of these Participation Guidelines include the following: (1) Providing policy guidance to individualized education program (IEP) teams, Section 504 committees, and English learner (EL) committees for appropriately accommodating students in statewide and county-wide assessments; (2) Helping teachers and schools work within the framework of federal law and state policies; and (3) Providing information for documentation of implementation and assurances for federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA 2015) which has replaced requirements within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) enacted in 2002. This document includes requirements set by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). [For the 2021-2022 Guidelines, see ED616036.]