To better understand Tennessee's new standardized science assessments, this quantitative study utilized a nonexperimental, descriptive-comparative design to compare the readability of the long-used science TCAP assessment with the newly created science TNReady assessment in grades three, four, and five. As new standards in the state boast higher text complexity in all content areas, it is important to determine if the tests used to assess these standards also increase in text complexity. Beyond comparing the long-used science TCAP to the new science TNReady, this study also compared the readability of the currently utilized TNReady to the average grade-level reading ability of its intended audience. Across America, states are creating new science assessments to meet higher standards, but there is little research on their readability. This study helps to fill this gap in research by comparing the readability scores of the most recently released TCAP science questions from the year 2016 and the most recently released TNReady science questions from the year 2018. The Hewitt and Homan Readability Formula was used to measure the readability of each sentence in each test item. These readability scores were then compared using an independent samples t-test to determine if there is a statistically significant difference between the readability of the items on each test. Results show that while the new science TNReady assessment does not have a significantly higher readability score than science the TCAP, there is a major discrepancy in the readability of the currently utilized science TNReady when compared to its intended audience in grades 3 and 4. The discrepancy in readability provides cause to delve deeper into the validity of these newly released assessments in Tennessee. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]