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Governor Mike Braun
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WIDA English Language Proficiency Assessments

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires state education agencies to establish and implement standardized, statewide entrance and exit procedures for English learners (ELs). In accordance with federal regulations, all states are required to:

  • Identify the languages other than English present in their student population;
  • Assess the language proficiency of students in order to place them in the appropriate language development program; and
  • Administer an annual assessment of English proficiency, which includes measuring an EL student’s listening, speaking , reading, and writing skills in English.

WIDA provides the English language proficiency placement and annual assessments administered in Indiana. WIDA Screener assessments are used to identify and inform initial programmatic placement of ELs. WIDA ACCESS summative assessments are administered annually to determine an EL’s current level of English proficiency and to monitor students’ progress in learning academic English. WIDA ACCESS assessments are also used for accountability purposes.

WIDA Screener (Placement) Assessments

  • WIDA Screener for Kindergarten
  • WIDA Screener Online (Grades 1-12)
  • WIDA Screener Paper (Grades 1-12)
  • WIDA Alternate Screener (Grades K-12)

WIDA ACCESS (Summative) Assessments

  • Kindergarten ACCESS
  • ACCESS Online (Grades 1-12)
  • ACCESS Paper (Grades 1-12)
  • WIDA Alternate ACCESS (Grades K-12)

Content

WIDA Screener and ACCESS assessments assess the four language domains of Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing. Test items are written from the model performance indicators of WIDA's five English Language Development (ELD) Standards.

  • Language for Social and Instructional Purposes
  • Language for Language Arts
  • Language for Mathematics
  • Language for Science
  • Language for Social Studies

WIDA’s ELD Standards Framework consists of four components to provide a comprehensive picture of language development.

  • WIDA ELD Standards Statements
  • Key Language Uses
  • Language Expectations
  • Proficiency Level Descriptors

Sample Items and Scoring

WIDA resources to prepare students for ACCESS testing, including sample items, are available on WIDA’s Preparing for ACCESS Testing and Preparing for Alternate ACCESS Testing web pages. Sample items provide examples of the content and rigor of items that have previously appeared on operational assessments. The sample items are not intended to be a complete test. The Test Practice Site contains an online Test Demo, ACCESS Online Test Practice, Screener Online Test Practice, and ACCESS Online Sample Items. These resources provide students with an opportunity to become familiar with the test format/platform, item types, and accommodations, if applicable.

WIDA resources for understanding scoring and reporting, including Interpretive Guides and Speaking and Writing Rubrics, can be found on WIDA’s ACCESS Scores and Reports and WIDA Alternate ACCESS web pages.

Program-Specific Policy and Guidance

Additional Resources and Guidance