As states revise or refine their alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS), one question continues to surface: What exactly do we mean by “reduced depth, breadth, and complexity”? Published in 2024, NCEO Report 441, Revisiting the Meaning of “Reduced Depth, Breadth, and Complexity” for AA-AAAS, provides the clarity states continue to need on this topic. The resource reviews the historical, legal, and practical roots of these terms. It also offers key questions state education agency staff can ask to sharpen their understanding and documentation of how the AA-AAAS reflects these concepts.

Although often mentioned in guidance and assessment discussions, the terms—especially “depth”—are not clearly defined. Yet they continue to shape the development and evaluation of AA-AAAS. This report traces how terms like “complexity” and “breadth” emerged in regulations and non-regulatory guidance and explains how they are often interpreted in assessment design. For instance, “complexity” is connected to performance expectations that differ from grade-level standards, while “breadth” may relate to the scope of content covered.

As states prepare for peer review or develop new AA-AAAS systems, they must be able to explain how their assessments meet federal expectations and uphold technical quality. The report’s guiding questions help states clearly articulate how they conceptualize and apply “reduced depth, breadth, and complexity” in a way that strengthens the validity argument for their assessments.