There has been a call for balanced assessment systems which resulted from a recognition that most state summative assessments poorly served the primary purpose of assessment: improving learning and instruction. Educators understand that large-scale summative tests are far too distal from instruction, at the wrong grain size, and administered at the wrong time of year to make a difference in their daily practice. Therefore, the interest in balancing systems of assessment--actually, to "rebalance" these systems--was motivated by the desire to enhance the utility of assessments for improving learning and instruction as well as for monitoring, accountability, and evaluation. In this policy brief, the authors first review key conceptual issues regarding assessment system design and implementation. They then examine likely reasons for the paucity of balanced assessment systems in practice. The authors conclude by outlining an agenda to improve the understanding for designing and implementing balanced systems of assessment to enhance equitable learning and life opportunities for all students.