Participation Guidelines for WIDA Alternate ACCESS 2025-2026

Participation Guidelines: Which Students Should Take the WIDA Alternate ACCESS?

Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities should be recommended to take the WIDA Alternate ACCESS if they are classified and reported to the state as English learners and they meet the following additional criteria:

Definition

Massachusetts defines "students with the most significant cognitive disabilities" as students who:

• have cognitive disabilities evidenced by significant delays in attaining age-level academic achievement standards, even with systematic, extensive individually designed instruction, related services, and modifications; and
• have cognitive disabilities that significantly impact their educational performance and ability to apply learning from one setting to another; and
• require extensive, direct individualized instruction and substantial supports to achieve measurable gains on the challenging State academic content standards for the grade in which the student is enrolled; and
• perform significantly below average in general cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior. This is defined as a student functioning two or more standard deviations below the mean on commonly accepted norm-referenced assessments in both cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior (e.g., two or more adaptive skill areas such as daily living skills, communication, self-care, social skills, and academic skills).

In addition to meeting all of the criteria in the definition of having the most significant cognitive disabilities, students being considered for the WIDA Alternate ACCESS:

• have a language other than English in Section 1 of the Language Survey
• have WIDA Alternate Screener* results indicating they are an English learner (see Massachusetts Guidance on Administering the WIDA Alternate Screener )
• have been determined by the student's IEP team** to be eligible to take the state's alternate academic assessment (MCAS-Alt), or would be eligible if the MCAS-Alt were available in the student's grade; and
• have an IEP team which annually revisits the decision to assign the student to take the WIDA Alternate ACCESS until the student meets the exit criteria for English learner status

Students should not be assigned to take the WIDA Alternate ACCESS solely because they:

• have previously scored at the lowest achievement level on the standard ACCESS or MCAS test(s), or requires accommodations to take the standard test
• have taken an alternate assessment previously (since this is an annual decision)
• have been excluded from general curriculum instruction
• have had excessive absences from school
• have not received adequate instruction in English language development (either by an ESL teacher or someone trained/endorsed to address the student's English language development)
• have a specific disability (e.g., all students with intellectual disabilities should not automatically be assigned to take an alternate assessment)
• attend a program where it is expected that students will take an alternate assessment
• are economically disadvantaged or in foster care
• require, but do not currently have access to, an alternative augmentative communication system or device.

*If the student does not have an IEP (or have medical documentation) indicating that they meet the definition of a student with the most significant cognitive disabilities, the WIDA Screener or WIDA Screener for Kindergarten should be administered. If after initial screening with the WIDA Screener or WIDA Screener for Kindergarten, the student's IEP is updated to include meeting the definition of a student with the most significant cognitive disabilities, the student may be administered the WIDA Alternate Screener to determine EL status. EL status should be updated in SIMS if necessary.

**IEP teams should include an ESL and/or communication specialist.

Last Updated: October 7, 2025