Greetings and welcome back to school. We hope your summer was fulfilling and enjoyable. Following are several important updates regarding WIDA and ACCESS for ELLs testing.
Results of the 2022 ACCESS tests were provided to schools electronically on May 19, 2022 in WIDA AMS.
2022 ACCESS printed reports were delivered to schools on May 24, 2022. Districts should have received a District Frequency Report. Schools should have received a shipment of the following ACCESS for ELLs printed reports:
Schools are expected to send a copy of the printed Individual Student Report (ISR) to the home of each student. Schools and/or districts with a secure communication system, such as a password-protected "parent portal," may use it to send the reports electronically to parents; please provide paper copies of the reports to parents who do not have the ability to receive them electronically. If student reports have already been sent after the 2021–2022 school year ended, there is no need to send new reports for last school year this fall.
Student-level 2022 ACCESS for ELLs electronic results can be found in DropBox (ACCESS2022_student_level_R2_) and in Edwin (EL627 — ACCESS for ELLs Student Roster) in the Security Portal. These include:
School and District information available in Edwin (EL327 - ACCESS for ELLs Student Roster) includes:
The K Screener is available for use as a tool to identify students for English language services. The K W-APT and the K MODEL are approved for that purpose only until January 1, 2023. As of January 1, 2023, the only screener approved for use in identifying potential ELs in Kindergarten and the first semester of first grade is the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten. Information regarding "cut scores" can be found in the "Guidance on English Learner Education Services and Programming " document found on the Department's website.
District staff who routinely screen students in grades K and 1 should be trained on using the K Screener. Training for the K Screener is available in the WIDA Secure Portal in the "Assessment Training" section. Check "Screener for Kindergarten" from the topics listed and click "Apply filters." Materials may be downloaded and printed from the "Course Resources" link. Training is available by clicking on the "Course Details" link, then clicking "Enroll Now."
It is important that EL students are reported accurately in the district's October 2022 Student Information Management System (SIMS) and that this report includes removal of the "EL" designation if a student has recently exited EL status. Inform your District Directory Administrator of students who have exited EL status and should no longer be reported as EL.
Please ensure that the names and contact information for staff in the roles of EL Program Director (EL Director), ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator, Educational Technology Director, and Principal have been updated by your district's Directory Administrator in the Department's School and District Profiles, if this information has changed since last year. These roles should also be updated in the WIDA Secure Portal and in WIDA AMS by the District ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator.
The WIDA Secure Portal has been updated and has a new look and feel. Permissions that were available before the change on September 1, however, should still be available to you. If they are not, please contact WIDA at help@wida.us or 866-276-7735. Note that District Test Coordinators should have "Account Coordinator" permissions, allowing them to assign permissions and create accounts for others in the district.
A WIDA personal account will be required to access the training materials and other resources available on the WIDA website. If you already have a WIDA personal account, then it is still valid for the 2022–2023 school year. If you need a new account, please contact your District ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator to ask that one be created for you.
Please update your WIDA AMS account if your contact information has changed. The WIDA Assessment Management System (AMS) supports the administration of ACCESS for ELLs tests, including entering and editing student information, managing students taking ACCESS tests, and viewing ACCESS test results. If you need a new account, please contact your District ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator to ask that one be created for you.
Test administrators must be trained and qualified to administer the tests they will be responsible for. Please see page 7 of the "Identification and Placement Guidance " document found on the Massachusetts state page of the WIDA website for more information. Test administrator certification is required every two years.
Thank you for your attention to this important information from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Please contact Student Assessment Services with any questions about ACCESS for ELLs testing at ACCESS@mass.gov or by phone at 781-338-3625.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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