ACCESS for ELLs

ELL Assessment Update: ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Online Test Setup

To:	Principals, District ELL Program Directors, ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinators, and ACCESS for ELLs Technology Coordinators
From:	Dan Wiener, Administrator of Inclusive Assessment Alexis Glick, ACCESS for ELLs Program Specialist
Date:	December 9, 2015

This update provides guidance to schools administering the online ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test in January and February 2016.

Pre-ID Upload of Student Data

The Department will preload student data into the WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS) for students who were reported as ELLs in your district's October 2015 SIMS report. Test Coordinators will be able to review and edit this information between December 9, 2015, and February 10, 2016. During this time you will be able to:

manage students by entering accommodations and student information for those who arrived after the October SIMS submission;
place students into test sessions; and
print test tickets.

Also see WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2, for details. Preloaded students will be grouped automatically in test sessions, by grade, for each of the four language domains. Grouping in test sessions does not mean that these students must be tested together, only that similar students have been grouped together during the preloading of files. Once your student data has been entered, test tickets (secure documents) will be available to print, and the test may be administered. Directions for printing test tickets are provided on page 44 of the WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2.

Options for Managing Student Data

Data can be managed in WIDA AMS either for individual or multiple students, according to the options described below. Option A: Uploading your school or district's completed data file for multiple students concurrently Prepare the file, as follows:

Download the pre-populated school or district Student Data File (October SIMS in Excel format) at: Security Portal => Applications List => Drop Box Central => ACCESS Data 2016 => WIDA_PreID_2016ACCESS_XXXXXXXX (8 digit school or district code).
Identify and correct any errors in this file and remember to make those corrections in the March 2016 SIMS report. Students need not be removed from the file if they have transferred out or exited ELL status since the October SIMS submission, but those students must be marked as "transfer" or "non-ELL" in the March 2016 SIMS, or they will be counted against your participation rate.
Data fields A – K and M must be completed for new students who entered the school after the October SIMS submission. All other fields may be left blank.
Data fields AP – AZ should be completed for students who require accommodations.
Save the Student Data File in CSV format.
Upload your completed Student Data File as follows:
The Student Data File can be uploaded to Manage Students (a function within WIDA AMS), and students can then be placed into Test Sessions (another WIDA AMS function), as follows:
1. To manage students (enter new students and accommodations), follow directions on page 33 of the WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2, to upload the completed Student Data File.
2. To create test sessions, follow directions on pages 48 – 50 of the WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2, to upload the completed Student Data File.

Option B: Editing or adding individual student information for making a small number of additions or changes You may edit individual student demographic information or enter accommodations. Directions are provided on pages 24 – 27 of the WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2.

To add new students, login to WIDA AMS, select Test Setup=>Manage Students=>Add Student.
1. Complete the information in Student Detail tab.
2. The Demographics tab is not required.
3. Complete the Accommodations tab if appropriate.
Instructions can be found on page 30 of the WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2.
To place new students in test sessions, login to the WIDA AMS, select Test Setup=>Test Sessions=>Manage Test Sessions.
1. The student must be placed in a test session, which will allow a test ticket to be printed for the student. Instructions can be found on page 29 of the WIDA AMS User Guide, Part 2.

Accommodations

If a student with a disability requires one or more of the following online accommodations, these should be entered prior to printing test tickets:

manual control of item audio (MC)
repeat item audio (RA)
extended Speaking test response time (ES).

Other accommodations may be entered either before, during, or after testing, until the last day of the testing window.

Students Who Will Handwrite Their Responses on the Online Writing Test

All ELL students in grades 1–3 will handwrite responses on the Writing test. Additionally, test booklets may be provided to any student in grades 4–12, at the discretion of the principal, to handwrite his or her responses during the online Writing test when the student is unable to keyboard. The decision to provide the handwriting option on the online Writing test should be made on an individual basis, and typically would not be given to entire classes or grades. Additionally, it may be advisable to include this information in the IEPs or 504 plans of students with disabilities for future testing. Schools testing online will automatically receive a shipment of Writing test booklets for handwritten responses for 10 percent of the number of students in the online order. Schools should use these booklets before ordering additional materials.

Technology Coordinators May Need WIDA Logins to Provide Support to Test Coordinators

In the course of testing, Technology Coordinators may be called upon to provide support and assistance to Test Coordinators. In these cases, Technology Coordinators will need access to certain parts of the Test Coordinator training, which is located on the Test Coordinator training checklist on the WIDA website. The Technology Coordinator need not complete the Test Coordinator training, but will need to create a WIDA personal account to access the training. Instructions for creating WIDA personal accounts can be found on the Department's webpage. Test Coordinators can advise Technology Coordinators which training modules to view. Please contact Alexis Glick in Student Assessment Services with any questions about ACCESS for ELLs testing at ACCESS@doe.mass.edu or by phone at 781-338-3625. Thank you for your attention to this important information.

Last Updated: December 9, 2015